Staff Writer

Eleven years ago, the Student Alumni Associates of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association started Faculty Appreciation Day, a day when students could recognize their favorite faculty members. This year, that special day is today.

Around campus today, tables will be set up with apples and stickers for students to give to their favorite professors, along with a student-professor lunch voucher that students can use to take a professor out to lunch on campus for free. Also, students can fill out thank-you notes that will be mailed out to the professors. Tables will be set up on the Drillfield and outside McBryde and War Memorial Halls between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. today.

“The apples — the traditional symbol and gift to a teacher — and the special stickers we have are small tokens, but tangible reminders in the recognition [of] the core value of an excellent university, their faculty,” said Laura Wedin, assistant Student Programs coordinator.

In addition, the 10 faculty members who received the most online student votes will be recognized at a reception this afternoon. At the reception, the acknowledged faculty will be given a framed certificate from the SAA as well as a trophy apple.

This day is even more special because, “this is strictly a student recognition of faculty coordinated by a student organization — students are the ones attending class and having their education and lives affected by faculty members,” Wedin said.

Congratulations to the following faculty members: John Boyer (geography), Roger Chang (physics), Preston Durrill (chemistry), Scott Geller (psychology), Marco Frascari (architecture), Bill Beal (animal and poultry science), Christopher Neck (management), Jeannine Eddleton (chemistry), Trish Amateis (chemistry), and Lt. Matthew Michalowicz (Naval ROTC). John Boyer will also receive a special congratulation for being the overall favorite faculty member this year.

Students who participated in the online voting were also given the chance to leave anonymous comments about their professors. One said about John Boyer: “Incredible instructor. Absolutely the best I've had here at Tech. I can honestly say that I enjoyed his class far more than any other I have ever taken. His class is the only class I have ever been a part of that consistently fills up McBryde 100.” Another said about Jeannine Eddleton, “I was dreading taking chemistry, but she makes it so worth taking! I love her class and her, and I'm almost sorry I'm not a chem major because I won't get to take her class anymore.”

“(Faculty Appreciation Day) is so important because faculty might get compliments and recognition from their department heads or colleagues, but it's really the students (who) need to express their appreciation and gratitude towards their own professors and faculty,” said Paige Thompson, university relations chair for SAA. “It's our chance as students to recognize each of our professors' hard work and dedication.”