The outstanding faculty member award went to a professor with a not-so-common teaching style.
Stephen Prilliman, chemistry professor and department chairman, received this year’s Oklahoma City University Outstanding Faculty Award. The award is given to faculty who exhibit outstanding performance in all areas of teaching.
Prilliman uses the Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning method of teaching where students work in small groups rather than listen to lecture.
“My whole philosophy behind teaching is that I want students to grow as scientists,” Prilliman said. “The real practice of science is always the struggle to understand what you are observing, so I try to give students the opportunity to have the struggle. But I am never far so they can ask questions.
“The best part about teaching this way is the direct interactions that I get to have with students. It allows me to really see those ‘a-ha’ moments that happen for students. That’s always exciting.”
Kyle Copp, cell and molecular biology freshman, said he is glad Prilliman is his teacher during his first year.
“Dr. Prilliman is, first and foremost, just like a friend to all of us,” Copp said. “You can go in there and talk to him anytime. He knows the material and how to teach it to where it is exciting and not boring like most people would think science is.”
Prilliman earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Rice University in Houston. He then earned his Ph.D. from University of California-Berkley.
He helped start Harding Charter Preparatory High School, 3333 N. Shartel Ave., in 2003 where he taught for six years before joining the OCU community in 2009.
In his free time, Prilliman said he likes to play with his children Jude, 6, and Elosie, 4, read mystery novels and study astronomy.
“I spend a lot of time being ‘Dad,’ which I love,” Prilliman said. “They like getting the telescope out. We spend a lot of time at the zoo and the science museum.”
Some of his favorite books are Sherlock Holmes and Lord of the Rings.
Faculty and students nominate professors for the outstanding faculty award. Finalist then are interviewed by previous recipients.
“It’s a little intimidating because the room is full of the university’s best scholars and professors and they are just grilling you with questions,” Prilliman said.
“But to be chosen by that group is pretty special. We have a lot of very talented faculty at OCU in so many different ways.”
Prilliman will give the speech during the graduate commencement May 7.
Leave a Reply