Mark Blizard and Vince DiMartino
Distinguished Achievement Awards: Core Curriculum Teaching
(April 30, 2003)--Mark Blizard, assistant professor of architecture, and the late Vince DiMartino, an adjunct faculty member in the College of Business, were named winners of the 2003 President's Distinguished Achievement Award for Core Curriculum Teaching.
Mark Blizard, who received the teaching award in the category of tenured and tenure-track faculty, received his bachelor's and master's of architecture degrees from Virginia Polytechnic and State University in 1988. He joined UTSA in 1998, winning the hearts and minds of students and faculty alike.
"Mark loves to teach, so much so that at times those of us who work with him are convinced he lives to teach," states James Lewis, assistant professor of architecture.
Blizard uses stimulating visuals during his presentations and delivers his lectures with conviction. Faculty and students both have commented that his lectures are well-crafted and presented.
With classes averaging 140 to 150, he still takes time to work with students on a one-on-one basis, often meeting after class to review essays or papers. Blizard also developed the curriculum for Architecture and Culture, one of the school's most popular courses.
"The energy that Mark exerts in the classroom is amazing, and he always finds extra time for his students," said Julius Gribou, dean of the School of Architecture.
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Vincent DiMartino, a dedicated adjunct faculty member in the College of Business, is being honored with the Core Curriculum Teaching Award (non-tenure track faculty). Since 1987, and until his death on Feb. 26, DiMartino served UTSA as an effective and enthusiastic member of the Department of Economics.
He was well-known as a demanding and dedicated instructor, one who would go the extra mile to help students succeed. For his professionalism, he was recognized in 2001 with the President's Distinguished Teaching Award. He taught core curriculum undergraduate courses, managerial economics for graduate students and supervised internship students and independent study.
"Mr. DiMartino brings the real world into the classroom and enlivens his lectures and classroom discussions with a myriad of real world examples and issues," said Ken Weiher, chair of the Department of Economics, in his nomination. "One cannot be unaware of current events in Vince's classes. He challenges students to be aware and involved."
DiMartino was an advocate of team learning and problem-based learning approaches and served as a faculty associate for the Teaching and Learning Center. He volunteered his time as adviser to the student chapter of the Financial Management Association, Phi Chi Theta (the national business and economics fraternity), and the Turkish Student Association. DiMartino taught in the Freshman Seminar program and was a faculty mentor and a finance and economics tutor in the Executive M.B.A. program.
"Mr. DiMartino excels in the classroom and goes beyond expectations by supervising numerous internships and independent studies,” said Stephen Levitt, chair of the Department of Communication.
DiMartino earned his B.A. from the University of Connecticut and his M.B.A. from UTSA.
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2003