Award | pexels by Nataliya Vaitkevich
Award | pexels by Nataliya Vaitkevich
K. Dirk Voss, Ph.D., professor in history at St. Louis Community College-Meramec, recently received the 2022 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.
The annual program, which began in 1989, recognizes St. Louis area instructors, selected by their schools’ administrators, for their accomplishments and dedication to their students and the teaching profession.
Voss joined the STLCC faculty in 2002. In a December 2022 posting on the site “Rate My Professor,” one of his students wrote: “Dr. Voss is a true gem that every student should take! He is very kind and is by far the most hilarious instructor you will ever meet! Be prepared for some giggles. The readings can be pretty difficult, but Dr. Voss is more than happy to help. Overall, if you are prepared to read a lot, and enjoy rather humorous lectures, doesn't get any better.”
In January, another student posted this: “If you loved story time in grade school, you'll love his lectures. The 16-week class could be strung into a large book or a Netflix series! If you crave meaning, the historical connections entwine together to form a large tapestry that explains why today is the way it is. You'll have a ball. If you just need a credit, that's ok too, just take him.”
Voss credits the College’s Board of Trustees and administration for establishing a nurturing environment that has helped him thrive as a teacher.
“I would like to thank College leadership for providing me with many amazing opportunities to develop my teaching skills throughout my professional life,” Voss said. “I have earned several awards and fellowships, such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and other institutions, during my time at St. Lous Community College. But without the support of leadership, I could not have developed my fullest potential as a teacher.”
Voss holds a master’s degree in medieval and modern history from the University of Göttingen and a doctorate in American history from the University of Oklahoma. He taught full time at Stephen F. Austin State University before joining the Meramec faculty.
His transatlantic education pointed Voss to international comparative history. His teachings and research concentrate on worldwide issues. Voss’ global scope on history also earned him teaching assignments at Canterbury Christ Church University in Great Britain, Ca Mau Community College in Vietnam, and summer assignments in China at both Hunan Normal University and at Xian International University. He also was a visiting scholar at Humboldt University in Berlin.
Voss has received four national grant awards by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
"Receiving the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award holds great professional significance to me because it is a testament to the success of my internationally acquired teaching methods and strategies," Voss said.
Original source can be found here.
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