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Seton Hall University

SHU Reads! Award Winners  

Students talking and walking on campus. The SHU Reads! Committee, in collaboration with the Division of Student Services, is delighted to announce the winner of the inaugural SHU Reads! First-Year Teaching Award is Faculty Associate, Professor Tara Wager.

Seton Hall University's First-Year Teaching Award honors outstanding professors who are distinguished by their ability to communicate to first-year students as classroom teachers. Individuals nominated for the award have a proven record as an extraordinary teacher with a positive, inspiring, and long-lasting effect on students. A record of distinguished scholarship is a plus, but is not required. Current first-year students were invited to send a short statement of nomination. The Committee received 23 nominations this year.

Since 2017, Professor Wager has taught in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in courses such as Developmental Math, College Algebra, College Algebra Co-requisite, and Business Finite classes. Professor Wager earned both her degrees from Seton Hall University (M.A. in 2017 and B.S.E. in 2015).
The nominations describe Professor Wager as "warm and welcoming", explaining that "she is really dedicated to her students and committed to instructing them so that they may be able to move on to the next math." Nominators also say she "takes the time out of the end of each class to explain … the assignments and tasks that must be done prior to the next time class meets. In addition, she truly cares about her students' academics' standings and will take the time to check up on her students as needed. Furthermore, she encourages her students by informing us about review sessions prior to each exams."

SHU Reads! Student Winners

Since 2003, all incoming first-year students have read a common book over the summer to introduce them to academic and student life at Seton Hall. The SHU Reads! nominated text presents a shared experience intended to foster thoughtful discussion and engagement in University Life, the first-year English classes, and throughout the academic year. The 2021 SHU Reads! Selection was Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson. Stevenson's book is the powerful true story of his life as a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to promoting justice and defending the poor, mistreated, and wrongly condemned. Students were asked to present a written or visual arts submission to express and share lessons learned from our SHU Reads! text.

Thank you to our SHU Reads! contest judges from the First-Year Writing Program, Department of English - Prof. Kelly Shea, Prof. Debjani Banerjee, Prof. Christine Hamm, Dr. Kyle McAuley, and Dr. Sharon McGrady.

Congratulations to our student winners who received Seton Hall Bookstore gift cards for their achievement. Thank you to the student’s English 1201 professors for encouraging participation in the contest.

Fall 2021 SHU Reads! Contest Winners

  • "Make a Change, Be the Change" by Disha Patel (Prof. Shahzadi)
  • "Just Mercy: The Need for Reform Regarding Mental Health in Prison(s)" by Sofia A. Diaz (Prof. Wagner)
  • "Discomfort Can Shape the American Justice System" by Daisy Calderon Arredondo (Prof. Ferrante)

Fall 2021 SHU Reads! Visual Content contest

Please join us in congratulating Prof. Tara Wager and our SHU Reads! Contest winners!

The SHU Reads! Committee

  • Dr. Monica Burnette (Student Services)
  • Dr. Nancy Enright (English)
  • Ms. Colleen Dallavalle (Student Engagement)
  • Ms. Lisa Hawryluk (Center for Academic Success)
  • Msgr. Dr. Dennis Mahon (Communication and the Arts)
  • Ms. Bernadette McVey (Office of the Provost)
  • Ms. Jeel Patel (Student, College of Arts & Sciences)
  • Mr. Gerard Shea (University Libraries)
  • Dr. Kelly Shea (English)
  • Mr. Majid Whitney (Student Services)

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