April 7, 2008 

The College of Environmental Design is delighted to announce that Professor Nezar Alsayyad has been awarded a UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award for 2008. He is one of four recipients this year. The award is among the highest honors bestowed by the campus. It involves a preliminary nomination and then a rigorous evaluation process where the nominees' classes are visited by multiple evaluators. We are particularly proud that Nezar is following in the footsteps of only six previous CED winners: Ananya Roy (2006), Marc Treib (1987), Ray Lifchez (1977), Sam Davis (1973), Spiro Kostof (1971), and Richard Peters (1963).

Professor Alsayyad will be honored for his dedication to teaching and contributions to the CED community at the annual Distinguished Teaching Awards ceremony on Wednesday, April 23, at 5:00 p.m. at the Zellerbach Playhouse. The campus community is invited to attend. A reception at the Playhouse will immediately follow the ceremony. We congratulate Nezar on this prestigious achievement.

Nezar Alsayyad, Professor in the Departments of Architecture and City and Regional Planning as well as Chair of the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, has taught at Berkeley since 1985. In addition to being a teacher and scholar, he is a practicing architect and the founder of the International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments, among a seemingly endless list of accomplishments. A typical comment comes from former student, who says, "I can certainly say that Nezar's influence on my life is unmatched. He is a mentor, colleague, and friend. He has shown me how research, creative practice, teaching, and service can be integrated in a way that captivates students, expands the field, and engages the broader public." The Committee noted that Alsayyad is the model of a public intellectual whose list of achievements is spectacular, and who is "always teaching. "He provides unfaltering support to his students by being very generous with his time, his wisdom, and his expertise," says another former student. Committee members noted both his passion and his joy in his teaching.

Links 

Professor AlSayyad's Website
Professor AlSayyad's Statement of Teaching Philosophy
2008 Distinguished Teaching Award Recipients