Debnath Mookherjee Excellence in Teaching Award
Debnath Mookherjee Excellence in Teaching Award
The Debnath Mookherjee Excellence in Teaching Award is an endowed College of the Environment award established by the former students and colleagues of Professor Mookherjee upon his retirement in 2014 after more than fifty years at Western. The award is given each year to the College of the Environment faculty member who best exemplifies the excellence in teaching demonstrated by Dr. Mookherjee throughout his career. The award includes $1,000 that the awardee may use to support their teaching, research, and outreach programs.
To donate to the fund in Dr. Mookherjee's honor, please visit the Western Foundation's online pledge form.
Nomination Process
Each spring, the dean sends out an email to faculty and staff requesting the following information:
- Name of Faculty Nominee
- Nomination Statement/Letter of Recommendation (approx. 1)
- Send nominations to the College of the Environment Dean at CENV.dean@wwu.edu
Criteria and Procedures for Selection
- All tenure-track and non-tenure track College of the Environment faculty who have taught courses in the college in the past year.
- Nominations may be made by current students, alumni, WWU faculty or staff members.
- A faculty member may receive the award only once.
- Only the names of award recipient will be announced. Names of nominees will not be published.
Excellence in Teaching Award recipients
2024 - Tammi Laninga, Urban & Environmental Planning & Policy
Dr. Tamara Laninga, AICP, is an associate professor in the Urban and Environmental Planning & Policy Department at Western and the Academic Program Director for the nationally accredited Urban Planning and Sustainable Development major. She teaches courses in land use regulations, history of planning, community development, and planning studio and has over a decade of experience facilitating community/student-engaged partnerships. As an advocate for students, Dr. Laninga facilitates professional opportunities in the urban planning field, including taking students to national and regional planning conferences.
The nomination emphasized Laninga’s commitment to supporting students’ success at an individual level, creating a collaborative learning environment, and finding opportunities to support student engagement in the profession. Her dedication to fostering accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and equity within the Urban & Environmental Planning & Policy department goes far in creating an inclusive and welcoming space both inside and outside the classroom. Laninga’s work to engage students with community-based projects positively impacts the broader Bellingham community and beyond.
2023 Jenise Bauman, College of the Environment - Salish Sea Region
2022 Zander Albertson, Environmental Studies
2021 John McLaughlin, Environmental Sciences
2020 Rebecca Bunn, Environmental Sciences
2019 James Helfield, Environmental Sciences
2018 Eli Loomis, Environmental Sciences
2017 Ruth Sofield, Environmental Sciences