Hillyer, Mandiberg: Top Teachers

Each year, students from the College of Arts and Sciences and Lewis & Clark Law School reflect on the extraordinary teaching of their respective professors and select one for top teaching honors.

Reiko Hillyer: Undergraduate Teacher of the Year

In April, students in the College of Arts and Sciences named Reiko Hillyer, visiting assistant professor of history, Teacher of the Year.

“Professor Hillyer exemplifies that rare conjoining of intellectual prowess with the dedication and commitment that marks true educators,” said senior Charles Halvorson, who introduced Hillyer at the Teacher of the Year ceremony. Maile Speakman CAS ‘10 added that Hillyer is an exceptional professor “who believes in the intellectual capabilities of her students and listens to what they have to contribute to the classroom.”

Hillyer joined Lewis & Clark in 2004 as the college’s first minority scholar in residence. She earned her BA from Yale University and her MA, M.Phil., and PhD from Columbia University.

The Teacher of the Year is named each year by members of the Pamplin Society of Fellows, who solicit nominations from undergraduate students.

Susan Mandiberg: Law School’s Leo Levenson Award

Susan Mandiberg, professor of law, won the law school’s Leo Levenson Award for Teaching Excellence.

“Professor Mandiberg goes above and beyond as a teacher and mentor, spending time in and outside of the classroom supporting students in every way,” said a student nominator. “She is also the smartest professor I’ve had, as evidenced by her efforts to weave threads through cases and provide analysis of current and past court decisions. She is a model and an inspiration.”

Mandiberg earned her BA from Oberlin College, her MA from the University of Illinois, and her JD from the University of California at Berkeley (Boalt Hall). Her teaching areas are criminal law and procedure, environmental enforcement, and federal courts.

The law school’s teaching award is named for Leo Levenson, who was a distinguished Oregon attorney and a highly respected instructor at the law school for many years. It is presented annually to a faculty member selected by the graduating class.