Drew Hyatt Receives Top Teaching Award

Andover resident receives ECSU’s top teaching award
By Jonathan StankiewiczFor the Journal Inquirer
Published: Tuesday, July 21, 2009 12:06 PM

James Andrew (Drew) Hyatt of Andover has been awarded Eastern Connecticut State University’s 2009 Distinguished Faculty Member Award.The Distinguished Faculty Member Award is considered Eastern’s most prestigious faculty award because the winner is chosen by his peers.
Hyatt teaches environmental earth science. He has been teaching for 16 years, the last 11 at Eastern.His courses range from general education classes to the highest-level environmental earth science classes at Eastern.
Hyatt, who earned his bachelor’s degree in geography from McMaster University in Canada and his doctorate in physical geography from Queen’s University in Canada, is active outside the classroom.Hyatt has served on many university Senate committees, including the promotions and tenure, organizations, and budget and resource allocation committees.And Hyatt helped with the search for the dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and vice president of academic affairs.Hyatt was praised for his services as a mentor and an advisor. He believes in developing a significant relationships with each of his students.And Hyatt’s efforts have led to record enrollment in his introductory courses in the environmental earth science major.“In terms of teaching, he is among the most dedicated educators at Eastern,” wrote Charles Wynn ,chairman of the distinguished professor committee, in nominating Hyatt for the award. “He always strives to provide his students with high-quality lectures as well as meaningful writing assignments and quantitative computer-based exercises.”Hyatt helps his students prepare for graduate school with research projects that closely resemble those they will be doing in the future.The research Hyatt has done has greatly affected his community.Being able to provide lake sediment data to the Andover Lake Watershed Committee, Hyatt has helped the overall management of that lake.