Michelle Habeck, a professor in the Department of Theater and Dance in the College of Fine Arts, is the recipient of the 2019 Holleran Steiker Award for Creative Student Engagement. The Holleran Steiker Award is given to an outstanding Signature Course faculty member.

Habeck’s Signature Course, “Capturing Creativity,” asks students to investigate the power of ideas. The course looks to contemporary artists, musicians, philosophers, and scientists for skills and tactics they utilize to effectively transform an idea. Students also observe and study ways in which social policy and actions are employed on campus and at the state and national levels.

This semester, Habek invited representatives from both the Counseling and Mental Health Center and Student Emergency Services to her class to ensure students felt supported and that they were aware of some of the support services offered at UT. Habek’s focus on her students and their well-being is a great example of how a faculty member can be an instructor and trusted resource.

The Holleran Steiker Award was created by the School of Undergraduate Studies to celebrate a Signature Course professor whose teaching uses an innovative approach to creatively engage students in learning. The recipient of this award is, by definition, imaginative, challenging, and inspirational. Professors who are given this honor deeply inspire their students and often in ways that go well beyond the community.