Brian Murphy wins Diggs Teaching Scholar Award
The Diggs Teaching Scholar Award honors teachers who forge exceptional, innovative, and mutually-beneficial connections between a department's academic mission and the teacher's own pedagogy, and between an individual's teaching and scholarship. Professor Brian R. Murphy is a winner of the 2007 Diggs Teaching Scholar Award, one of just three campus-wide.
Brian is an outstanding instructor, who makes valued contributions to the science, practice and teaching of pedagogy. Dr. Murphy has taught 22 different courses at three universities. These are heart-of-the-curriculum courses, such as Introduction to Renewable Natural Resources Management, Principles of Fisheries and Wildlife Management, Fisheries Techniques, our capstone course - Fisheries Management, and a variety of graduate classes. Recently, Brian has voluntarily taken on an overload, teaching a new graduate class in pedagogy and a global issues seminar. The pedagogy course is specifically aimed at our senior graduate students who are considering the possibility of going on to careers with significant commitment to teaching. Brian co-edited Fisheries Techniques, the largest selling fisheries textbook in the world.
Brian has introduced international content to his teaching, including materials from travels and research in China, Mexico, Nicaragua, Brazil, Australia, and Cuba. Brian has lead study abroad courses for Virginia Tech students to Belize, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Panama. Dr. Murphy also has taught courses in natural resources management to foreign nationals in Belize, China, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Dr. Murphy has exhibits outstanding commitment to mentoring new faculty in the College of Natural Resources in pedagogical issues.
Dr. Murphy's research and teaching program has led to significant recognition. He received the Outstanding Education Award from the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. He received the Distinguished Professor Award from Texas A&M University three times. He was awarded the Certificate of Teaching Excellence from Virginia Tech. Brian received the Award for Excellence in Fisheries Education from the American Fisheries Society.