Faculty Award for Exceptional Support of Students with Disabilities
Dr. Sarah Friedman
Assistant Professor of Earth Science
Department of Biological and Physical Sciences
Recognized for going above and beyond supporting students in need of extra support,
Dr. Sarah Friedman has been awarded with a Faculty Award for Exceptional Support of
Students with Disabilities.
When a student needed extra help learning information and completing lab work for a physical geography class, Friedman was as persistent in her teaching methods as the student was dedicated to grasping the concepts.
“Dr. Friedman provided three different ways of explaining the information to me,” the student wrote. “She wouldn’t give up until I understood.”
Sarah said that because she is slightly dyslexic herself, she can better understand where her students are coming from.
“I’ve opened up how I’m teaching my materials in a number of ways,” she said. “Some students excel visually, or in the lab, while others excel via hearing.”
If students need extra support, they’ll likely find Sarah in the lab or in her office, with the door open.
It’s this level of commitment expressed by the student who nominated Sarah for the award.
“I have greatly appreciated her support, patience and encouragement. It is such a great moment sharing with her the excitement and relief when something clicks,” the student wrote.
She is a deeply committed, dedicated professor who provides transformative, exceptional opportunities for students with disabilities.
Sarah teaches many introductory level physical geology classes as well as courses on weather and climate. She also serves as being a student advisor and is working on a rock sample preparation laboratory and organizing sample storage rooms for future electron microscopy training and use.
In both the lab and classroom, Sarah has had a profound influence on her students needing additional support.