Dr. Edralin Lucas has received the 2020 Oklahoma Medal of Excellence in Teaching at a Research University.
Dr. Lucas was cited for her research that focuses on the role of nutrition in promoting cardiovascular health and preventing chronic disease.
Lucas has served the state of Oklahoma for 30 years and is a nutritional sciences professor at Oklahoma State University (OSU).
Described by her colleagues as an “amazing faculty member, researcher, and individual,” Dr. Lucas earned the annual award given by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence meant for ingenious and exceptional educators in Oklahoma’s public institutions.
Dr. Lucas is credited with managing to create a sociable bond between student and teacher which has led to very amiable relationships with her students. She also places importance on lesson applications in the curriculum through hands-on case studies.
Not only is she thanked by her students for encouraging them throughout their journey in academics and in life, but she teaches them the importance of work ethic, integrity, and productivity. She challenges them to have high learning standards and to work diligently.
She credits growing up poor in the Philippines as the backbone of her perseverance, stating, “I’m used to working hard. I don’t want to be wasting my students’ time, and I try to live what I’m preaching. I tell them, ‘If I tell you to work hard, I want you to expect me to work hard, too.’”
She was first nominated for the award after receiving the OSU Regents Distinguished Teaching Award in recognition for her ability and versatility in teaching entry-level courses to graduate-level courses. The award is largely student-based in deliberation, as students send in letters of support to faculty members.
Filipino teachers are adjusting to the “new normal” with the COVID-19 quarantine that has either suspended classes or transformed learning to online platforms.
Teachers like Emil Bal-iyang even provide food for his students’ families in Ilocos Sur.
SEND CONGRATULATIONS in the comments below to Dr. Edralin Lucas for receiving the Oklahoma Excellence Medal of 2020!
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