Scioly named 1999 Outstanding Teacher
By Kristopher Stanton ‘01
Who says there is no room for fun in the
classroom? Anthony Scioly, this year’s recipient of the Sister Eileen K. Rice, OP, Outstanding Teacher Award, not only believes in
having fun with his students, but he has managed to combine it with a love for chemistry
and physics.
When it came time to announce the award at the annual Honors
Convocation, perhaps Associate Professor Scioly was the most
surprised person in attendance. “I remember when the dean was
about to announce the name. I was looking around, looking to
see who would stand up, so that I could see the look on their
face,” recalled Scioly, “And then I heard my name and it didn’t
sink in for quite a few seconds. It was unexpected but I was
absolutely thrilled.”
In an address to the crowd, a group that included many of
Scioly’s peers and students, Academic Dean Sharon Weber,
OP praised Scioly for the uniqueness that he brings to his
classes. “Your students say that you take the fear out of studying physics and chemistry and actually make it fun. You try
everything—including handing out candy on Fridays—to make
these subjects accessible to your students. You are known to
be generous with your time and are always available for extra
help. For these reasons and more, the Siena Heights University
community honors you with the Sister Eileen K. Rice Award
for Outstanding Teaching.”
Originally named the Outstanding Teacher Award, it was first
presented to education faculty member Eileen Rice, OP. Following her death in 1994, the award was renamed in her honor.
At the close of every academic year, students and faculty on the
Adrian campus nominate deserving professors for the award. A
student-faculty committee evaluates the nominations and makes
their selection.
Scioly’s award is preceded by 13 years of teaching at Siena
Heights in addition to serving as chairperson for the division
of Computing, Mathematics, and the Sciences. He received his
bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Washington, and earned his master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Michigan. After attending much larger institutions,
Scioly finds the closeness of Siena Heights to be quite special.
“Having taught here and at larger places,
I would never want to go back to a large university,” said Sci-