UF graduate student wins national civics award

April 20, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Anthropology doctoral student Edward Gonzalez-Tennant has become the first winner of the new Eleanor Roosevelt Global Citizenship Award presented by the Center for a Public Anthropology.

The award recognizes introductory anthropology teachers who go beyond talking about global citizenship to helping students develop the actual skills needed – in respect to critical thinking, objectivity, and effective communication – to be effective global citizens in the world today.

The center examined introductory courses at hundreds of schools seeking to evaluate which courses embedded the above skills in their courses.

Rob Borofsky, director of the Center for a Public Anthropology at Hawaii Pacific University, commended Gonzalez-Tennant on his commitment beyond the classroom to actively engaging the community.

“He acts as a role model for educators to move beyond talking about improving the world around us to taking concrete steps toward doing so,” Borofsky said.

Gonzalez-Tennant credits the enthusiasm and participation of his students for helping to win the award. Last semester 22 of his students had editorials published on the center’s website, and this semester 20 students sent op-eds to various news sources.

“This award reflects as much on me as it does on the quality of UF’s undergraduates at a national level,” Gonzalez-Tennant said.