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National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition

Recipients

The National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition is proud to honor individuals who inspire first-year student development, learning, and success and contribute to the advancement of teaching in first-year seminars or other courses.

Each year we recognize an exceptional teacher with the Excellence in Teaching First-Year Seminars Award and celebrate them at the Annual Conference on The First-Year Experience.

The recipient of the 2024 award is Dr. Buddy Howell, Virginia Tech University.

Buddy Howell headshot

Buddy Howell 

Virginia Tech 

Buddy Howell is an advanced instructor in the School of Communication at Virginia Tech. In 2016, he developed the “H.U.G. Leader” program for The First-Semester Experience in Communication. Since then, each year’s incoming cohort of students has been divided into smaller Hokie Undergraduate Groups (HUGs) and assigned a HUG Leader, a sophomore or junior who helps facilitate a culture of well-being as students make the transition from high school to university life.

 Howell enjoys teaching and is invested in his students’ social and academic success. In 2020, he received the Sporn Award for Excellence in Teaching Introductory Courses, resulting in his induction into the Academy of Teaching Excellence.

Learn about previous recipients of the Excellence in Teaching First-Year Seminars Award.

Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

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