BOONE, N.C. — Congratulations to Dr. Pablo Chialvo, lecturer in the Department of Biology, on receiving the 2022 Non-Tenure Track (NTT) Faculty Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching!
The NTT Faculty Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching is given to a part-time or full-time NTT faculty member in recognition of innovative and committed teaching in the General Education Program. The award comes with a $1,000 stipend that may be used for travel, equipment or other approved purposes for enhancement of the faculty member’s teaching and/or scholarship or creative activity. Chialvo, who was also nominated in 2021, was presented with the award at the 2022 University College and General Education Awards held on Monday, November 28.
Chialvo earned his B.S. in Entomology from the University of Florida and his Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Georgia (UGA). Additionally, he holds a graduate certificate in University Teaching from UGA and in Anti-Racism from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Chialvo joined the App State Department of Biology as a research associate in 2019 and became a lecturer in 2020. Chialvo has taught "Introduction to Evolutionary Biology," "Biological Careers Exploration," "Ecology Laboratory" and "Effective Teaching Strategies for Graduate Students." He also teaches the two "Biology in Society" courses, which are part of App State's General Education Program.
In their nomination letter, a former student wrote: "I have had the privilege of taking my Biology in Society classes with Dr. Pablo Chialvo. I can testify, as a student in both his classes, that he truly impacts his students and genuinely cares about our wellbeing. His routine examples and 'weird science' each class make the material we learn engaging and applicable to real world organisms...When Dr. Chialvo notices a dip in class attendance and overall morale, he doesn’t just turn a blind eye and continue teaching. Instead, he will ask how we are doing in class and through emails if he is concerned, even going so far as to allot mental health days for tough times as a student. He acknowledges the stresses we go through and strives to the best of his ability to make sure we have a safe, welcoming learning environment with a professor he wished he had when he was in college. He has truly gone the extra mile beyond what any other professor here at App State has and pursued LGBTQIA+ ally certification, suicide prevention training and even offers to personally buy struggling students a week’s worth of groceries if they are dealing with a difficult choice between eating and paying rent…I genuinely love coming to class and enjoy learning about biology because of him. His classes teach me new and greatly important information with enough rigor to propel me forward in my future academic endeavors. I cannot thank Dr. Chialvo enough for the life he has brought into my education."
Chialvo - who has been previously nominated for the University College Faculty Enrichment and Teaching Fellowship, CAS NTT Teaching Excellence Award and CAS Academy of Outstanding Teachers Award - strives to create an inclusive classroom where students are presented with diverse backgrounds, examples and ideas. As his nominator mentioned, Chialvo places special emphasis on being empathetic to the stresses and concerns of his students. Chialvo explained his teaching perspective, saying: "As I tell them at the start of every semester, I try to be the instructor that I needed years ago in college, when I was homesick, stressed and lost."
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About Appalachian’s General Education Program
The General Education Program at Appalachian State University empowers students with broad knowledge and transferable skills for responsible global citizenship regardless of their chosen major. The General Education Program provides a rigorous liberal arts education that includes 44 semester hours of courses across the university that explore connections among different areas of study, plus two courses in the student’s chosen major — all of which address the goals of critical and creative thinking; effective communication; making local-to-global connections; and understanding the responsibilities of community membership. Learn more at https://generaleducation.appstate.edu.
About the Department of Biology
The Department of Biology is a community of teacher-scholars, with faculty representing the full breadth of biological specializations — from molecular genetics to landscape/ecosystem ecology. The department seeks to produce graduates with sound scientific knowledge, the skills to create new knowledge, and the excitement and appreciation of scientific discovery. Learn more at https://biology.appstate.edu.
About University College
Formed in 2007, University College consists of the university’s general education program, faculty and student support, and co-curricular programming and support – all designed to support the work of students both inside and outside the classroom. All students at Appalachian begin their education in University College and benefit from its programs until they graduate. Learn more at https://universitycollege.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Andersen
December 5, 2022
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Pablo Chialvo
Dr. Pablo Chialvo