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 $1,800 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 Names of nominees will not be published.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

2025 – Rebekah Paci-Green, Environmental Studies

Rebekah Paci-Green

Dr. Rebekah Paci-Green is an associate professor in the Environmental Studies Department and the chair of the department. Her research focuses on how risk perception shapes social vulnerability and unsafe built environments, comprehensive school safety related to natural hazard risks, vulnerable populations, disaster risk reduction, and community-defined resilience. She’s also interested in media coverage of science, as shown by her past involvement advising The Planet magazine and developing the cross-departmental Science and Management of Contaminated sites (SMoCS) course. Dr. Paci-Green just completed a two-year major policy survey of school safety policies across 46 countries, work that has opened up research opportunities for students in the Disaster Risk Reduction minor.  She teaches courses in social vulnerability, disaster policy, and natural hazards planning, advises graduate student research, and is one of the faculty advisors for RISE, a new summer research program for undergraduates.

The nomination emphasized Dr. Paci-Green’s teaching style, how she facilitates learning of real-life applicable skills and concepts, and how the coursework makes students feel like their work is relevant and important. Her dedication to supporting student academic success goes well beyond the classroom through office hours, writing letters of recommendation, giving career advice, and helping to facilitate the Emergency Management Club. Through her drive for teaching and learning, Dr. Paci-Green is a role model for all.