Eugene Asher Award Recipients
Established in 1986, the Eugene Asher Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes outstanding teaching and advocacy for history teaching at two-year, four-year, and graduate colleges and universities. The award is named for the late Eugene Asher, for many years a leading advocate for history teaching. The Society for History Education (SHE) shares with the AHA sponsorship of the award. It recognizes inspiring teachers whose techniques and mastery of subject matter made a lasting impression and substantial difference to students of history. Members of the AHA and SHE submit nominations to the Committee on Teaching Prizes.
2017 Asher Award
Laura M. Westhoff, Univ. of Missouri-St. Louis
Laura Westhoff has advanced the teaching and learning of history in venues ranging from her university classroom to committee work and conferences at all levels, from the local to the national. In her classroom, Westhoff has clearly focused on empowering her students through shared responsibility for learning and inquiry. As a master educator and advocate of best history teaching practices, she has presented at and organized sessions focused on expanding knowledge and mastery of effective classroom practices since 2001.