Amy D’Unger Wins Eichholz Teaching Award

Posted March 25, 2021

Amy D’Unger, senior academic professional and associate director of undergraduate studies in the School of History and Sociology (HSOC), has been named a recipient of the prestigious Geoffrey G. Eichholz Faculty Teaching Award from Georgia Tech’s Center for Teaching and Learning.

This annual award recognizes faculty who provide outstanding teaching to students in core and general education undergraduate courses.

“I am deeply honored to have been selected for this award,” D’Unger said. “I love having the opportunity to expose students across all majors to the concept of the ‘sociological imagination’ and how they can view the world through the context of the social, cultural, political, and economic forces that shape our individual lives.”

“Sociology teaches students how to think critically about the world around them, as well as their place in it, which is a valuable skill for students in any major and an important part of a college education,” she said.

Eric Schatzberg, school chair, congratulated D’Unger and noted she joins colleagues Johnny Smith and Doug Flamming in earning the award, which was established in 2005 through a gift from School of Mechanical Engineering’s Regents Professor Emeritus Geoffrey Eichholz.

“This is an amazing record for a small school,” Schatzberg said. “I continue to be impressed by the dedication to teaching among all HSOC faculty.”

Other past Ivan Allen College recipients include Robert Kirkman and Gordon Kingsley in the School of Public Policy and Carol Colatrella in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication.

D’Unger, who has been at Georgia Tech since 2005, specializes in the study of race, class, and gender; inequality; social policy; social control and eugenics; and crime.

She has taught courses including SOC 1101, Introduction to Sociology, HTS 3017 Sociology of Gender, and HTS 3071 Sociology of Crime.

In addition to the Eichholz Award, D’Unger also was named to the Course Instructor Opinion Survey (CIOS)Honor Roll for fall 2020 and won the Student Recognition of Excellence in Teaching: Class of 1934 CIOS Award for 2020.

The School of History and Sociology, the School of Public Policy, and the School of Literature, Media, and Communication are units of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts.