In 1991 the Division of Social Sciences established the Golden Apple Award to recognize outstanding teaching in the division. The Dean of Social Sciences selects the recipient from a list of recommendations compiled by a faculty committee based on nominations submitted by department chairs.
This year the selection committee was chaired by Professors Gabriela Arredondo (Latin American & Latino Studies), Committee Chair, Lissa Caldwell (Anthropology), and Vanita Seth (Politics).
The committee members noted in their selection that Professor Cindy Cruz has been working tirelessly to address social justice issues in all her courses and to support all students’ learning and understanding. She has been particularly devoted to supporting students of color, first generation, and/or LGBTQ. Her efforts have also focused on students who need extra time, mentoring, and support to develop their writing skills. She has taught nine different courses for the department, some multiple times, across all three of the department’s instructional programs. In addition to Professor Cruz’s classroom teaching, she has carried a heavy load of doctoral advising and mentorship. Her teaching evaluations are uniformly exceptional, and students routinely point out Professor Cruz’ enthusiasm for the content and innovative teaching practices. As one student reported, “Professor Cruz is one of the best instructors in the education department. Her enthusiasm for the subject and availability to assist her students in every possible manner is what made this course unique. I loved how every lecture contained some sort of peer interaction and storytelling component.”
