Teaching and being an artist have both been called callings more than mere jobs. The SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching was given to one such man, John Gill, professor of ceramic art in the School of Art & Design at Alfred University, an award he was nominated for by his colleagues and former students. Gill's "innovative teaching methods and his unmatched, unbridled enthusiasm for the profession are an inspiration to all of us fortunate enough to be his colleagues," said the associate provost for Statutory Affairs at Alfred University, Dr. William C LaCourse. Some of Gill's former students wrote in to praise him as well. [Gill] "has the ability to connect with every one of his students on a personal level, which is one of the most powerful things about John that I remember as his student and later as his studio assistant," wrote Stephanie Rozene, who is now an instructor of art at Bowling Green State University. The number of teaching jobs in post-secondary education is predicted to grow significantly faster than the average job growth rate over the next several years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts 2,054,000 such jobs in 2016, an increase of 23% from 2006.  |