Excellence in Teaching, 2025
College of Liberal Arts
Robertson, senior lecturer of classics and director of the Hamel Center, is an exceptional interdisciplinary scholar with remarkable versatility, teaching in both the classics and humanities programs on subjects as wide-ranging as Greek mythology, Latin, the cognitive science of religion, the Greek New Testament, the Copernican Lens (an honors course team-taught across the colleges), Greek and Roman religion, and humanities courses on evil, power, and responsibility.
Robertson is a dynamic and passionate instructor who is capacious in his thinking and generous in his collaboration with students and colleagues. He has mentored many undergraduate students, supporting their presentations at conferences, directing their independent studies (INCOs, SURFs, JROPS and IROPS), and co-authoring book chapters and peer-reviewed articles with them.
His passion, dedication, dynamic teaching, and deep commitment to student success are leaving a lasting impression on generations of students. One former student described him as “a celebrity on campus to anyone who has had the pleasure of meeting him, and the salesperson of classics and humanities majors.” He is known for “mak[ing] the ancient world feel alive through a variety of immersive activities” and for creating intellectually stimulating and inclusive environments that empower students to engage deeply with complex historical and theoretical material.
About this Award
Each year, the University selects a small number of its outstanding faculty for special recognition of their achievements in teaching, scholarship, and service. Awards for Excellence in Teaching are given in each college and school, and University-wide awards recognize public service, research, teaching, and engagement.
