November 16, 2018
Columbia College’s Dr. John Zubizarreta, Director of the Honors Program and Professor of English, Received the 2018 Sam Schuman Award for Excellence at a Four-Year Institution by the National Collegiate Honors Council
(Columbia, SC) Columbia College Professor of English and Director of the Honors Program, Dr. John Zubizarreta, was awarded the 2018 Sam Schuman Award for Excellence at a Four-Year Institution by the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC). The Sam Schuman award was created to recognize an honors program director or faculty member who is making outstanding contributions to the honors community at four year institutions. The award recipient is announced at the NCHC Annual Conference.
Dr. Zubizarreta has taught at Columbia College for 31 years, and is a valued member of the community. Since the Honors Program was created in 1985, he is one of only two directors in the history of the program at Columbia College. The Honors Program has provided a rich academic experience to outstanding students committed to excellence.
“I have had the honor and pleasure of being John’s colleague in the English Department since we both came to Columbia College in 1988. He is a consummate ‘teacher-scholar,’ world renowned for his work on department leadership, teaching portfolios, and Honors education,” stated Dr. Nancy Tuten, Stackhouse Professor of English. “He has enhanced the reputation of Columbia College across the country and around the world, but what he values most are the relationships he has with his current and former students, each of whose lives he has touched in significant ways.”
Dr. Zubizarreta has been an active member of the NCHC for over two decades, and held various offices within the Council from 2008-2001, including President in 2010. He was also elected to three terms on the Board of Directors. His dedication to Honors is evident through his roles as mentor, leader, and educator. His more than 60 publications, 300 conference presentations, and decades of activism has contributed greatly to the roles Honors programs play on international and national campuses of higher education.
Dean of the Arts and Humanities Division, Marcy Jo Yonkey-Clayton joined Dr. Zubizarreta at the NCHC conference and said, "Personally witnessing the incredible impact Dr. John Zubizarreta has made to the NCHC organization is inspiring! His commitment to Honors learning and teaching has impacted so many scholars throughout the country and well beyond, and Columbia College continues to proudly value Dr. Z for his scholarship and for his HUGE heart."
