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Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm Presented 2024 Libby & Hiter Harris Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award
VFIC honor bestowed annually for commitment to undergraduate education
University News | November 7, 2024
Dr. Elizabeth Malcolm, Batten Professor of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences and Director of Sustainability, has been honored with the prestigious 2024 Libby & Hiter Harris Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award by the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges, according to Locke Ogens, VFIC President. Dr. Malcolm was honored at the Harris Family Faculty Awards and Luncheon at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture in Richmond today. 
The Libby & Hiter Harris Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award is presented to a faculty member who demonstrates an unwavering commitment to undergraduate education within the liberal arts and sciences. In addition to a plaque, Malcolm received a cash stipend from VFIC.
“Dr. Malcolm’s ambitious vision for environmental education and sustainability has positioned Virginia Wesleyan as a national leader among liberal arts institutions,” said VWU President Scott D. Miller. “Her plan was bold and has left an indelible impact on our entire institution that will benefit future generations of students.”
Key outcomes of her actions include new facilities, the Environmental Guiding Principles, an endowment invested in an environmentally and socially responsible way, and an honors college with the environment as the core of its mission. Additionally, she has led the creation of a campus forestry plan supported by the Virginia Department of Forestry, community heat mapping projects funded by multiple grants, and the development of an Environmental Studies master’s degree program, to name a few.
“I am so honored to have received this award and appreciate all the support that I have received from my colleagues and students who inspire me to be a better teacher every day,” said Dr. Malcolm.
Dr. Miller, Dr. Susan Larkin (Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs), Trustee Gary Bonnewell ‘79 H’16, and her husband Jim Saunders joined her at the awards luncheon. Other honors presented included the Hiter Harris III Excellence in Instructional Technology Awards and H. Hiter Harris Rising Star Awards.
Dr. Malcolm earned her BA in Environmental Sciences from Earlham College and a PhD in Atmospheric Science from the University of Michigan. Before joining the VWU faculty in 2005, she was a postdoctoral research associate at Princeton University.
The VFIC represents 17 independent liberal arts colleges and universities in Virginia.