Gov. Jim Doyle joined the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents Friday in recognizing the system’s top educators.

Regent Danae Davis introduced the three award winners in the presentation of the 2004 Regents Teaching excellence awards.

“These awards represent an opportunity for the board to recognize and honor some of the UW System’s most outstanding teachers, departments and programs,” she said. “I think all of us in this room understand what a valuable resource we have in our faculty and academic staff, who teach day in and day out with dedication, creativity and passion, and to whom we entrust the education and enlightenment of the citizens of the future.”

The first award honored Eric Anderson, a wildlife professor at the University of Wisconsin Stevens-Point.

Some of Anderson’s students offered words of praise for the instructor on the UW System website.

“Dr. Anderson’s teaching style can be summed up with one word, ‘enthusiastic,'” said Jamie L. Nack, a 1999 UW-Stevens Point graduate. “Teaching with such emotion, encouragement and energy should flat out exhaust him, but it doesn’t.”

Denise Scheberle, UW-Green Bay professor of political science, received an award for her tirelessness and creativity in teaching.

“Most of my classes deal with public policies–areas where thoughtful people disagree,” Scheberle said in a statement on the system web page. “I try to get my students to think through why they hold the opinions they do. We talk about informed opinions and where to go for more information. Then, we go there.”

The UW-La Crosse Physics department received the departmental award this year.

Regent Jesus Salas noted this is a remarkable turnaround from a few years ago, when the department was nearly eliminated due to poor performance.

The department’s Chair Gubbi Sudhakaran accepted the award on the department’s behalf.

Doyle — who said the state will continue to invest in the system despite recent budget cuts — thanked the board for the appointment of Kevin Reilly, the new UW System President.

Reilly congratulated a diverse group of UW faculty and students, including UW-Madison associate professor Jeff Johnson. Johnson has been working closely with student Thor Stein in researching Alzheimer’s disease and Reilly congratulated the two on recent breakthroughs.

Reilly also commended several UW campuses for high rankings in this year’s edition of “America’s Best Colleges” by the US News and World Report.

Reilly and Regent Brent Smith congratulated UW-Lacrosse senior Andrew Rock and UW-Madison student Carly Piper, who each won a gold medal in this summer’s Olympic games in Athens.

Finally, Reilly congratulated UW-Green Bay professor of Humanistic Studies Denise Sweet on her appointment as the state’s new Poet Laureate.

The board approved a range of other items, including amendments to the UW-Madison Faculty Personnel Policies and Procedures. They also voted for the appointment of a new UW-Extension chancellor.

The Regents also approved the Report on Base Salary Adjustments to Recognize Competitive Factors, according to the UW System website.