Their colleagues applaud Professors Norman Finkel, Nicoletta Pireddu and Jennifer Swift for their enthusiasm and passion for learning. And College Dean Jane McAuliffe seems to agree – Finkel, Pireddu and Swift were recognized for their contributions to undergraduate education over the past year at the annual College Faculty Convocation last week.

The three professors were presented with the College Dean Award for Excellence, which honors up to three Georgetown professors annually for their outstanding contributions to undergraduate education, on Nov. 14.

The recipients of the award each receive a citation, an engraved gold-plated medal and a cash award, according to the site.

Pireddu, an associate professor in the department of Italian and director of the Comparative Literature Program, said she was delighted to receive the award.

“This is the most valuable feedback and encouragement one can expect from a student-centered university like Georgetown, which values teaching as much as research,” Pireddu said. “[The award] has given me renewed strength and motivation to undertake new pedagogical initiatives.”

Pireddu said that she attributes the award to her teaching style.

“[I] believe that my attempt to challenge students with innovative courses and methodologies that blend my teaching and research interests may have made a difference,” Pireddu said.

“It is difficult for me to determine what may have made a difference between my nomination dossier and those of the many other equally outstanding and deserving colleagues who were considered for the award,” she added.

Jessi Boulet (COL ’09), a student of Pireddu, said that she believed Pireddu was a deserving recipient of the award.

“She is just so enthusiastic. I personally really love most of the topics we discuss in class, but she makes it interesting even when the material is not my favorite,” Boulet said.

All university professors, regardless of their undergraduate school, are eligible for the award. Each undergraduate department and program nominates one of its members to receive the award, according to the rules provided on the College’s Web site. An award committee comprised of faculty members from different departments reviews the nominees’ applications and recommends specific professors to McAuliffe, who chooses the recipients.

Finkel is a professor in the department of psychology specializing in clinical psychology, public policy and the law, according to the press release. He is currently teaching Abnormal Psychology and Psychology and Law.

“For 35 years, with dedication, skill and in the words of one colleague, `breathtaking flair,’ [Finkel] has challenged himself and thousands of Georgetown students to deepen their thinking,” Deborah Phillips, chair of the Psychology Department, said at the Convocation, according to the press release.

“An internationally-celebrated scholar, an awe-inspiring teacher and mentor and a delightful colleague and friend, Norman J. Finkel exemplifies the ideals of Georgetown education,” she added.

Swift is an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry. She is teaching Organic Chemistry and Solid State Organic Chemistry this semester.

“As an innovative teacher who fosters discovery-based learning, Jennifer Swift uses her field of chemistry as a conduit for the broad learning and intellectual growth that are the hallmark of a liberal education,” Richard Bates, chair of the Chemistry Department, said at the Convocation, according to the press release.

“Professor Swift hopes that students will appreciate chemistry’s broader relevance in the natural and physical sciences.”

The award has been given out each year since 1996.