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Six of the University of Kentucky’s passionate and accomplished educators were recently surprised by student nominators and the UK Alumni Association as 2020 Great Teacher Award recipients.

Robert “Lou” Hirsch is one of this year’s Great Teacher recipients.

Hirsch is a lecturer in the Department of Plant Pathology and the director of Undergraduate Studies of Agricultural and Medical Biotechnology (ABT) and Agricultural Individualized Curriculum in the UK College of Agriculture, Food and Environment.

“Hirsch is an animated, energetic lecturer who always keeps students laughing and learning. I remember he often used memes and other pop culture references in his lectures to help students learn and to be more relatable to students,” shared student nominator Katelyn Cox. “(He) lectures in an improvisational, personable manner that allows him to easily adapt to the needs of the classroom. I could not think of any other professor who does so much for his students while balancing so many other simultaneous responsibilities.”

To learn more about what makes Hirsch a “Great Teacher” and why agricultural and medical biotechnology senior Katelyn Cox nominated him, check out the video above.

The UK Alumni Association 2020 Great Teacher Award was recently bestowed upon six University of Kentucky educators. Initiated in 1961, UK’s Great Teacher Award is the longest-running UK award recognizing teaching. In order to receive the award, educators must first be nominated by a student. The UK Alumni Association Great Teacher Award Committee, in cooperation with the student organization Omicron Delta Kappa, then makes the final selection. Recipients receive an engraved plaque and stipend.

In the coming weeks, UKNow will share videos featuring this year’s Great Teacher Award winners.