JAIMIE FRANKLIN
News Assistant
Dr. Stephen Davis of the Natural Science Division, recipient of the 2008 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching, spoke to a crowded Smothers Theatre on Monday evening about the importance of undergraduate research and what he referred to as “the spice of science.”
“It’s painful to admit this but science can be kind of bland,” he said in his speech. “What it needs is a little spice.”
Davis suggested that the classroom environment should be “spiced up” by challenging undergraduate students to use their ingenuity and insight to discover new things about our environment.
“It’s really a thrill to ask these questions and see what students come up with,” he said in his speech. “I’m learning right along with them.”
Students responded well to the lecture.
“I definitely felt a certain sense of pride being able to call Dr. Davis my professor after his speech on Monday night,” said sophomore Lindsey Murphy. “He is an amazing teacher and mentor and has been one of the most influential people in my life.”
Using the concepts of transformative ideas and interdependence in the classroom, Davis has researched with undergraduates since coming to Pepperdine in 1974.
Most of his research has centered on Chaparral brush, which is the dominant vegetation on the Pepperdine campus and in the surrounding area.
Davis and his students have studied the effects of drought, freezing and wildfire on native vegetation, and in recent years have been increasingly interested in the effects of climate change.
“It’s not about me, and it’s not about the textbook — it’s about science,” he said. “We’re all studying together and there is still a lot of mystery and complexity.”
Davis said science was something he found he loved over time while studying at Abilene Christian University.
While in college, Davis also studied religion, and said he has always been inspired to challenge the perceived conflict between science and faith.
“I am a firm believer that God has created us and called on us to take care of our environment,” he said. “It’s a calling that is really clear to me.”
Students described his class as relaxed, challenging and fun.
“He definitely deserves it,” said Jay Osborne, a biology major who graduated Pepperdine last year. “He’s a great teacher and a great researcher and you can learn a great deal from him in the lab. It’s one of the best undergraduate research programs in the country.”
The Cherry Award is presented by Baylor University to a single professor nominated worldwide. Out of 118 nominees and three finalists, Davis was awarded the distinction.
Davis will receive $200,000 for personal use and $25,000 for Pepperdine’s Natural Science Division.
In exchange for the award, he will teach two courses at Baylor in the fall.
Davis said he was shocked when he learned of his nomination and added that “surprise is putting it mildly.”
Davis expressed excitement over his teaching position in the fall and the opportunity to have access to Baylor’s new biology building, which he described as one of the best in the country.
Davis said the $25,000 given to the Natural Science Division will be allocated by the Department Chair to promote education and pedagogy in science. As far as his own cash reward, Davis simply alluded to “the spice.”
“A large proportion of it will be invested in spice,” he said.
02-14-2008