CATA researchers receive UC Teaching Excellence Recognition Award

The researchers of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies, Patricia Tissera (Principal) and Viviana Guzmán (Associate) were recognized by the Pontificia Universidad Católica with the Teaching Excellence Award, given to professors and lecturers who perform outstanding work within their areas.

On April 25, astronomers Patricia Tissera (Principal Investigator) and Viviana Guzmán (Associate Researcher) of the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA), both professors at the Pontificia Universidad Católica, were awarded the Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence, granted by this university during the inauguration of its academic year.

This recognition is an initiative that rewards and values those academics who carry out teaching work of excellence. To choose the winners, each year a variety of evidence is analyzed, including a teaching survey, course syllabi, participation in training spaces on teaching, among others, in order to have a global perspective of each applicant.

The award has three categories: General, for professors with five or more years of continuous teaching experience at the UC; Initiation, for those who have been teaching for a maximum of 5 years; and Part-time, for those who have been teaching up to 22 hours. Thus, the astronomers of our Center were awarded in the General category.

Patricia TisseraThe Principal Investigator of our Center and who will take over as Director of the CATA Basal Project as of May 1st, expressed her gratitude for the award, noting that “receiving this award represents a profound honor. As an academic, my commitment goes beyond teaching content in Astrophysics: I seek to inspire students to question themselves, to challenge their own limits and, ultimately, to become their own teachers. This recognition encourages me to continue facing the challenge of awakening interest, creativity and motivation in a constantly changing educational context. Being a university teacher implies continuous learning, a permanent adaptation to technological advances and the exploration of new ways of communicating with students. But, above all, it is an exceptional opportunity to contribute to the development of critical thinking in each of them,” said the researcher.

For her part, Viviana Guzmán, Associate Researcher at our institution, valued the work recognized as a teacher within the university: “I feel very grateful and happy. I am especially moved by this recognition because it shows that the effort we put into preparing quality classes, designed with dedication and affection, is valued. I always try to give classes like the ones I would have liked to have when I was a student, so receiving this award is very meaningful to me. This award encourages me to continue refining my sensitivity as a teacher: to be attentive to how students learn, to create spaces where they feel comfortable to ask questions, and to get them excited about what they are learning. That connection is what motivates me the most to keep improving”.