A Berry College professor has been named the winner of a competition in which students voted for instructors who have made the greatest impact on their education.
Assistant Professor of Spanish Julia Barnes is the winner of Questia’s first-ever “Most Valuable Professor Competition” out of 1,000 participants. Student submissions were narrowed down to a group of finalists before a winner was voted on by the public through Questia’s Facebook page.
“She set a new precedent for my expectations of what a professor should be like,” said sophomore Cari Voutila. “She is incredibly challenging yet incredibly caring at the same time and I’ve encountered few professors that are both of those things at once. I can’t think of another professor who would deserve it more.”
Barnes, who has taught at Berry since 2010, wins a $2,500 scholarship to be established in her name. She will be an integral part determining the criteria and recipients for the scholarship that will be awarded to three students. She credits her win to her students.
“I am so honored that my students thought enough of me to vote for me! I’m blown away by their enthusiasm, just as I am continually impressed by the considerateness of students at Berry,” she said.
Senior Lara Thomson said she’s learned so much from Barnes in a small amount of time.
“I’ve learned more Spanish in two semesters than I’ve learned in seven years of middle and high school. I am really glad she knows how much her students appreciate her and I hope she feels appreciated.”
Barnes has a doctorate in romance languages, with a concentration in Spanish literatures from the University of Georgia, a master of arts in Spanish from University of North Carolina, a master of arts in religion from Yale University and a bachelor of arts in Spanish from Davidson College.
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. Questia, part of Cengage Learning, is an online library that provides instant access to the world's largest online collection of books, magazines, journal and newspaper articles with a focus in the humanities and social sciences.
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Written by Student Public Relations Assistant Hayden Sloan