R. Heather MacDonald, Chancellor Professor of Geology at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, has been named one of the three finalists for the Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching. The award is made possible by an estate gift from Robert Foster Cherry, a 1928 graduate of Baylor University, who had a deep appreciation for the Baylor University teachers who had changed his life.
Each finalist receives a $15,000 cash award and $10,000 will be awarded to their academic department at their university. The winner of the award will be announced next spring and will receive a $250,000 cash prize. Another $25,000 will be donated to the winner’s academic department. The winner of the Cherry Prize will teach for one semester at Baylor University during the 2012-13 academic year.
Professor MacDonald is a graduate of Carleton College and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Wisconsin. She has taught at William & Mary since 1983.