Excellence in Teaching Awards

2001-2002 Award Winners

 

Jason Paladino is a licensed Physical Therapist and Athletic Trainer Consultant and part time faculty member for the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Mr. Paladino teaches Athletic Training Rehabilitation classes for the school part time. He is also the Clinical Manager of Community Rehab Physical Therapy, Inc. About his teaching philosophy, Mr. Paladino writes, 'I believe it is imperative that students take an active approach in their education. I like to use small group presentations, open forum discussions, and ‘thinking out of the box’ concepts.'

One of Mr. Paladino’s supporters wrote, 'Jason Paladino’s efforts are not limited to the classroom. He has been active in the community by volunteering to cover local sporting events and is currently forming a non-profit organization to
improve the quality of patient care in the Omaha area. I don’t believe anyone can argue with Jason Paladino’s dedication as a teacher and healthcare professional.'

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Rusty McKune is currently a Joint Appointment faculty member teaching Athletic Training courses in the School of HPER. Mr. McKune has had extensive experience with aquatic therapy and rehabilitation and is also a First Aid and CPR Instructor for the American Red Cross. When asked about his philosophy in education, one of the comments Mr. McKune makes is, "I feel that I owe it to the students in my classes, the future of our profession, to instill in them a desire; a desire to yearn for information, for proof, for new found ways of solving the same old problems."

Head Athletic Trainer for UNO, Tom Frette, writes about Mr. McKune, "Russell is an excellent instructor. He varies his strategies in lecture to allow for cooperative learning as well as individual and group projects. Russell has the unique ability to entertain while providing the students with the essential elements of the subject matter. His students not only enjoy his class, but also are able to retain the information due to the connections made during his delivery. This award represents an instructor’s dedication and excellence in
teaching. Russell McKune is an example of both of these qualities."

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