2024 UofM Alumni Association Distinguished Teaching Awards
The UofM Alumni Association recognizes outstanding faculty by sponsoring awards in
teaching.
Benjamin Graham, associate professor in the Department of History
Dr. Benjamin Graham is an associate professor in the Department of History. He joined
the University of Memphis in 2015 after receiving his PhD from the University of Michigan.
A medievalist by training, Dr. Graham teaches a range of courses centered on the premodern
world, including The Ancient Roman World, The Middle Ages, and After Empire: Rome in the Dark Ages. He teaches a Gen Ed course about world history on a regular basis that runs from
the beginnings of life on planet Earth to the accidental “discovery” of the Americas
by Columbus.
Most recently he taught an upper-division course called The Omnivore’s Past: A Global History of Food and Eating, which taught students about how food conveys meaning and even more useful things
like how to cook an omelet. This summer (2024) he co-led a study abroad course to
Italy and Greece entitled Sites of Power, Sites of Death in the Ancient World. When not teaching, Dr. Graham likes to research and write about environmental changes
at the end of the Roman Empire.
His research ranges from understanding the energy catchment of the city of ancient
Rome, to the remarkable efforts by early medieval popes to find and transport huge
roofing beams for their gargantuan basilicas, to the environmental implications of
early Christianity's praxis of nighttime liturgies, which called for unprecedented
amounts of artificial luminosity (i.e. lamps) and thus lighting fuel.
Graham received the College of Arts & Sciences Early Career Research Award (ECRA)
in 2020.
Diana Ruggiero, professor in the Department of World Languages and Literatures
Diana Ruggiero is a Full Professor in the Department of World Languages and Literatures at the University
of Memphis, where she has served since 2012, and co-chair of the engaged scholarship
faculty network. Her teaching portfolio includes a variety of undergraduate and graduate
specialized courses across the Department of World Languages and Literatures, as well
as the Kemmons Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management and the Honors Forum.
She teaches Spanish for the Hospitality Industry, Spanish for Healthcare, Interpreting
and Translating in Healthcare, Spanish for Commerce, and Teaching, Researching, and
Applied Languages for Specific Purposes, emphasizing the practical application of
language skills in real-life situations and fostering Latinx Wellness. Dr. Ruggiero
takes an interdisciplinary approach to language education, integrating aspects of
language learning with professional, scientific, and humanities knowledge to offer
a holistic educational experience. She is notably committed to community engagement,
guiding her students through hands-on experiences that bridge academic learning with
community service. Her significant contributions include the development of
"Corazón y Mente: A Journey to Mental Wellness for Latinx Women," a free, accessible, Open Education Resource enhancing mental wellness understanding
for the Latinx community. As the online coordinator and UM3D department aide for upper-division
Spanish, Dr. Ruggiero is a cornerstone of the department's online educational offerings.
Her pioneering work and ongoing innovation, becoming an instructional designer and
completing the 2021 Institute for Emerging Leadership in Online Learning (IELOL) Global
Program, have been crucial in expanding our reach to UM Global students. She passionately
supports ASCEND's first goal of aggressively providing access and is deeply committed
to accessibility. Her dedication was recognized with the 2023-24 Teach Access Faculty
Grant, awarded to amplify students' understanding of accessibility and disabilities
by advancing education in accessible technology design and development awareness.
Through innovative teaching strategies and a "Heart in Mind" philosophy, Dr. Ruggiero
prioritizes emotional intelligence and mental health awareness, ensuring her students
are well-prepared for professional success and civic engagement. Her work enriches
the academic realm and profoundly impacts local communities, working with local nonprofits
such as Cazateatro, a bilingual theater company, and Latino Memphis, exemplifying
her dedication to education and student empowerment in language education and community
service.
Her most recent book, published by Georgetown University Press, is about teaching
world languages for specific purposes (WLSP) and its place and value within the landscape
of higher education. It focused on ten years of curriculum development, teaching,
and research experience in the field of WLSP and current best practices in the area. It
also provides post-secondary world language educators of all language teaching and
educational backgrounds with practical strategies, teaching examples and materials,
and resources for developing courses, lessons, and assignments in WLSP and community-service
learning (CSL)
Dr. Ruggiero received a $29,997 Cycle 3 OER Grant OER for a Healthcare Interpreting
Course Redesign. The primary purpose of the OER Grant Project is to increase equity
in access to quality, no/low-cost educational materials. The Project is designed to
increase success rates and improve educational outcomes for traditionally underserved
students, including, but not limited to, students of color, first-generation college
students, and economically disadvantaged students. She is currently working in the
field of mental health, focusing on the Latinx community, and has been recognized
as one of the most impactful Latinx community members of 2024. She also has been chosen
to give a TED talk (Memphis) about the importance of cultural humility and culturally
competent medical interpreters.
