Skobba named Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor

Kimberly Skobba, a professor in the department of financial planning, housing and consumer economics, is one of four University of Georgia faculty members who have been named Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors, the university’s highest recognition for excellence in instruction.

“This year’s Meigs Professors embody the University of Georgia’s commitment to exceptional instruction,” said S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “They create engaging experiences both inside and outside the classroom that challenge students to apply their knowledge in creative and meaningful ways.”

The other 2022-23 Meigs Professors are:

Tessa Andrews, associate professor of genetics in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences;

Sonia Hernandez, professor with a joint appointment in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and the department of population health in the College of Veterinary Medicine;

Maria Navarro, professor in the department of agricultural leadership, education, and communication in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, specializing in interdisciplinary education

Through her innovative teaching and commitment to service-learning, Skobba has transformed communities across Georgia into classrooms and provided students with valuable hands-on learning experiences.

Students in Skobba’s housing management and policy classes have learned how to assess neighborhood housing conditions, conducted focus groups with Lithonia residents on barriers to homeownership, collected stories from residents of Athens’ West Broad neighborhood and conducted a statewide survey on housing access for low-income citizens. By linking coursework to the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing, these projects benefit both students and the communities participating in the program.

“I seek to support students’ success by creating conditions for student learning and by building trusting, respectful relationships with them,” Skobba said. “I believe that career-long learning and growth are essential for me to be an effective teacher.”

A member of the UGA faculty since 2011, Skobba’s honors include the Russell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, the Service-Learning Research Excellence Award and Bill and June Flatt Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award. She is a Lilly Teaching Fellow and served as assistant director of the program from 2017 to 2020.

“Dr. Skobba is a fountainhead of ideas, a tremendous leader and a visionary,” wrote Swarn Chatterjee, head of the department of financial planning, housing and consumer economics in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “Her complete dedication to students and her enthusiasm for service learning while making a difference to the community make her an amazing mentor for all the students in our program.”

More information about the Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorships is at http://provost.uga.edu/resources/faculty-resources/professorships/josiah-meigs-distinguished-teaching-professorships/.

This article is excerpted from a piece written by Mike Wooten. The full article can be seen here.