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Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards presented
June 26, 2008—Three faculty members from the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) received the 2008 Outstanding Teacher Awards, which were presented to them during the School’s commencement ceremony on May 11, 2008.
Dr. Deborah Barreau, associate professor, and Drs. Thomas Nixon and Pam Sessoms, adjunct assistant professors of practice, were nominated by their students for their "exceptional performance in the classroom and their dedication as teachers of information and library sciences."
“The person selected [Barreau] has been called a brilliant professor, committed to students, and known for kindness and dedication," said Diane Kelly, assistant professor andrecipient of last years’ award. "An exceptional mentor, this person offers time and advice when students need it. It seems this person’s door is always open . . . and indeed it is, as I walk past this person’s door everyday on the way to my own office. This person is able to enliven classroom discussions and helps students develop a deeper understanding of assigned materials. One student says that this person ‘creates a safe classroom environment that encourages creativity tempered by a strong foundation in the classic works that define our field.’”
Dr. Barreau has been a member of the SILS faculty since 2002, specializing in design, development and use of information systems; organizational behavior; organizational communication; and personal information systems. She earned her B.A. and M.A.T. in Sociology, and M.S.L.S. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and she received her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland at College Park.
This year’s Outstanding Teacher Award for adjunct faculty was awarded to a team of 
teachers, Drs. Thomas (Tommy) Nixon and Pam Sessoms. The recipients are described as demonstrating a “commitment to teaching excellence and a genuine consideration for students,” and having the “dedication to prepare students for success and leadership in the profession.” Teaching together these professors “provide what has been termed by one student as the creation of ‘a learning experience that is in the top tier of information and library science instruction,’” said Ronald Bergquist, recipient of the 2007 award for adjunct faculty.
As a team, Drs. Nixon and Sessoms teach “Information Resources and Services.” Dr. Nixon received his A.B. in English and an M.S.L.S. from the UNC Chapel Hill, and he serves as the Humanities Reference Librarian at UNC at Chapel Hill’s Davis Library. Dr. Sessoms received her B.A. and M.S.L.S. from UNC at Chapel Hill and is the Electronic Reference Services Librarian at UNC at Chapel Hill’s Davis Library.
Pam Sessoms is the Electronic Reference Services librarian in the Reference Department of Davis Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her professional interests include virtual reference services and assistive technologies for library users with visual disabilities. She has a BA and an MLS from UNC at Chapel Hill and has been with the Reference Department since 1994.