Quinnipiac Honors Six with Center for Excellence in Teachinng

Pictured from left, Janice Surato of Cheshire, Noreen Bashta of Hamden, Robert Engle of Southbury, Catherine Takizawa of Cheshire, Ruby ElKharboutly of Glastonbury and Heather Stegmaier of Southington.

Quinnipiac University honors six with Center for Excellence in Teaching and Service to Students Awards

HAMDEN - Quinnipiac University has recognized three faculty members and three staff members as recipients of the 2022 Center for Excellence in Teaching and Service to Students Awards.
This year’s recipients of the Excellence in Teaching awards are Ruby ElKharboutly, associate professor of software engineering; Robert Engle, professor of international business; and Catherine Takizawa, associate teaching professor of biology.

In her more than nine years at Quinnipiac, ElKharboutly, of Glastonbury, has made a lasting impact on the students that she has taught. She strives to engage students with her lessons so that they are able to get the most out of them.

“I am honored and humbled to be among fellow colleagues who embody excellence in teaching and education,” she said. “I have experienced a journey of growth as an educator during my years at Quinnipiac. My courses have drastically changed over the years as I constantly reflect on my teaching practices, accommodate students’ feedback as well integrate technology and innovation in each course.”

Engle, a QU alumnus from Southbury, has worked at the university for 20 years. He said winning this award is the honor of a lifetime and hopes that his efforts can positively impact his students.
“I hope I can contribute to not only their career success in whatever field they choose, but that they move forward in life with self-confidence as well as knowing that their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which I together with my colleagues here at Quinnipiac worked to develop, will continue to successfully guide them through all of life’s challenges,” said Engle.
Takizawa, of Cheshire, has impacted many students’ educational experiences throughout her 11 years at Quinnipiac and has many thank-you notes from students to show for it.

Takizawa had to adapt to the changing classroom environment during the COVID-19 pandemic and made it her goal to create a space where students could reach their potential amid the turbulence that they were facing socially and educationally.

“I work very hard to create an inclusive and equitable classroom where students are treated with respect by myself and their peers. I view each interaction with a student as an extension of my teaching philosophy, which is to make each student feel like a valued member of the Quinnipiac community,” said Takizawa.
This year’s honorees for the Excellence in Service to Students awards are Noreen Bashta, assistant director for student accounts; Heather Stegmaier, director of donor relations and fund management; and Janice Surato, talent acquisition support specialist.
On a day-to-day basis, Bashta, of Hamden, primarily handles undergraduate student accounts, including billing, posting of funds, and reviewing and issuing student refunds. She also applies waivers and adjusts payment plans. From helping someone understand or pay a bill to explaining how to log into an account, Bashta loves to help however she can.
In her almost 30 years at Quinnipiac, Bashta has built a reputation of treating everyone she meets with respect.
“I try to just listen, let them express their concerns, then assess the situation and try to best solve the issue,” she said. “I try to de-escalate the situation and then if needed, call on my many contacts to help solve the dilemma. I like to follow through to the end to be sure we resolved the problem and the student or parent is satisfied.”

For Stegmaier, of Southington, helping others and the community in any way she can comes naturally.

When asked to take on a leadership volunteer role in the university’s efforts to bring back students to campus for the Fall 2020 semester during the COVID-19 pandemic, she immediately agreed.
This meant that on top of her full-time role overseeing donor-funded endowments as director of donor relations and fund management, along with other donation and alumni-related duties, she now was responsible for the student-testing process.

“This award signifies to me that Quinnipiac places a high value on community, service and lifting each other up, especially during challenging times,” said Stegmaier. “It also reinforces to me that the Quinnipiac community extends far and wide to include faculty, staff, alumni, parents and friends who care deeply about Quinnipiac’s students and their well-being. I’m blown away that my efforts are recognized to this degree from the university community. It feels amazing, and I am extremely humbled and grateful.”

In her position, Surato takes on many responsibilities, including approving and posting student jobs, reviewing student applications and student offers, entering HR information, monitoring students’ onboarding and much more.

“What inspires me is having the opportunity to contribute to preparing our students for 21st-century careers and citizenship,” said Surato, a Cheshire resident. “Student employees are the lifeblood of the university. Everything we do is for the students. Providing them with a meaningful work experience only serves to make the QU community more vibrant.”

Recognizing its 20th year of honorees, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Service to Students bestows the highest level of employee recognition to members of the Quinnipiac community who provide extraordinary service to students. Award winners are nominated by students, alumni and colleagues within the university community.