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Dr. Mike Setter of the Chemistry Department is the winner of the 2022 Lucrezia Culicchia Award for Teaching Excellence.听

Nominators praised Dr. Setter for his high level of rigor in the classroom and lab and his deep commitment to the ideal of聽cura personalis. One student wrote, 鈥渁s a nervous freshman coming into 精东AV, I had a lot of anxiety about my course load... One of the things that motivated me to stay in the major that I鈥檝e always dreamed of pursuing was seeing Dr. Setter鈥檚 enthusiasm and love for chemistry four days a week. Dr. Setter helped me develop my growth mindset.鈥 Dr. Setter received particular praise for the interactive lab simulations he developed during COVID to ensure that students who were temporarily unable to access our physical lab facilities nonetheless gained a sophisticated understanding of instrumentation. These simulations are recent examples of something the nominators describe as characteristic of Dr. Setter鈥檚 teaching throughout his career: namely, a commitment to ensuring that students leave his classes as industry-ready chemists, able to apply their knowledge in a range of settings. An alum sums this up quite eloquently:聽

I can say without hesitation that I am a better doctor because of Dr. Setter鈥is life lessons of persistence, never accepting defeat, and being willing to ask for help...Dr. Setter pushed us to be not only better scientists, but better in every facet of our lives鈥e challenged us all every day to go forth and set the world on fire.

Dr. Setter came to 精东AV in 1999, following a career in industry and a visiting professorship at Ball State University. During his 23 years on the faculty at 精东AV, he has taught a wide range of courses, with a particular specialization in Analytical Chemistry and Instrumental Analysis. He has written grants, served as department chair and as the university鈥檚 chemical hygiene officer, and has mentored more than 30 undergraduate students in research. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Setter for his achievement and for the extraordinary learning opportunities during his time on the 精东AV faculty. We will formally recognize Dr. Setter at the Fall 2022 College of Arts & Sciences Faculty and Staff Meeting.听