Approachable and Patient | Eastern North Carolina Now

Publisher's note: The author of this post, Jules Norwood, is a contributor to ECU News Services.


    Dr. William E. Allen, associate professor of organic chemistry, has been named East Carolina University's recipient of the 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award by the UNC Board of Governors.

    Allen's enthusiasm for the subject matter and teaching techniques are hailed by his colleagues in the Department of Chemistry, while students note his unique ability to not only explain the concepts but also to inspire confidence and interest in chemistry.

    "Dr. Allen does not simply teach chemistry, he teaches his students to actually enjoy it," said a graduate student who first took a class with Allen as an undergraduate and discovered a passion for chemistry. "The enthusiastic, patient and approachable nature of Dr. Allen's teaching method encourages his students to have confidence in this subject that he loves, not be defeated by it."

    Allen - Toby to his colleagues and friends - is known for taking the time to work with students individually and for making large lecture classes feel like small group seminars. Whether it's a 1000-level course for non-majors or advanced organic chemistry, he tailors the material so that students feel they can use what they've learned.

    "I always try to remember that this might very well be the one and only science class they take at ECU," he said. "And there's just such a built-in kind of feeling that the class is going to be difficult, and people kind of go in with a presumption of failure. And so I try very hard to let them know that if you're accepted at ECU, you've got all the tools you need to be successful. It's just a question of maybe applying them in a little different way than you already have."

    Allen, who started his undergraduate studies intending to major in English, said that after changing his major, his chemistry instructors took it upon themselves to help him get up to speed and to make him feel valued and confident. He tries to remember that and do the same for his students at ECU.

    Another former student said, "Dr. Allen was the first professor that spoke the language of chemistry in a way that made sense to me. His lectures were informative without becoming overwhelming. He took time to explain the complicated pathways, multiple times if necessary, and often tried to relate what we were learning in class to real-life examples."

    There are so many inspiring and innovative teachers at ECU and in the field of educators put forward for the Excellence in Teaching Award, Allen said. "So to be chosen for this was pretty stunning. And I'm very flattered."

    In the lab, Allen's research is focused on understanding and enhancing the function of small proteins with medical importance.

    "So-called 'antifreeze peptides' found in polar fish, for example, may be useful in the long-term cryopreservation of donated blood," he said. "We are also working to integrate research into the standard curriculum for chemistry and biology majors."

    Allen graduated magna cum laude in 1990 from Washington and Lee University, where he met his wife-to-be and teaching role model, Catherine. Following graduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, he completed an American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Texas at Austin. He returned to North Carolina in 1998 to take a position as an assistant professor of chemistry at ECU.

    He was named a Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching in 2001, received a Harriot College research award in 2003, and was granted permanent tenure and promoted to associate professor in 2004. More than 20 students have earned Master of Science degrees from his laboratory.

    Allen said there is such a powerful connection between the city of Greenville and the university that he could never go anywhere else.

    "Anyone I meet, when I tell them that I work at ECU, you know, they're so proud to have ECU here as an institution; it's just wonderful," he said. "The students are terrific. They're incredibly appreciative of what we do. I just love it here."

    The UNC Board of Governors established the Excellence in Teaching Award in 1993 "to underscore the importance of teaching and to encourage, identify, recognize, reward and support good teaching" within the universities of the UNC System. Each year the board recognizes one educator from each university with a $12,500 stipend and a bronze medallion.

    "Teaching - instilling curiosity, feeding a thirst for knowledge, and creating lifelong learners - is the foundation of our mission as a university," UNC System Interim President William Roper wrote in his letter to this year's recipients. "I am grateful for the effort, passion and talent you bring to your craft every day."

    Visit the UNC System website for the full list of recipients of the 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award.