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Meet Mark Henn, principal lecturer in the Â鶹Éç psychology department, who was named the recipient of the 2025 Jean Brierley Award for Excellence in Teaching - Â鶹Éç's highest level of recognition for excellence in the classroom. Henn has been a part of the psychology department at Â鶹Éç since 1984, first as a graduate student and now as a principal lecturer.

His enthusiasm remains as vibrant as ever, as highlighted in his nomination for the award: "Walk past one of his classrooms and you might see him climbing on tables, dramatically yelling 'yes!' in response to a student insight, drawing connections between course content and that day’s headlines, or even lying on a bed of nails. His teaching is dynamic, engaging, and deeply human. He challenges students to think critically, stay curious, and be better citizens. He embodies the very best of what college teaching can and should be," the nomination says.

The Jean Brierley Award was established when Brierley created an endowed fund in 1973 to recognize teaching in any field or discipline at the Â鶹Éç. The fund was completed upon her death "as a tribute to those members of the Â鶹Éç faculty who have distinguished themselves as teachers. One award is given each academic year as our highest level of recognition for excellence in teaching."