Skip to main content

Gilbert Gonzales wins Jeffrey Nordhaus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Posted by on Thursday, December 8, 2022 in News.

On Tuesday, December 7th, MHS Professor Gilbert Gonzales won the Jeffrey Nordhaus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

The Jeffrey Nordhaus Award was established in 1982 by a gift from Katherine Stumb Nordhaus and George Nordhaus in memory of their son, Jeffrey, victim of an airplane crash in 1979. George Nordhaus, Jeffrey’s father, is a 1955 Vanderbilt University graduate.

The awards recognize Arts and Science faculty who have excelled in teaching undergraduates. Nominations are reviewed and ranked by student members of Phi Beta Kappa, after which the dean selects a winner. Each winner receives a cash award and an engraved Mississippi Julep pewter cup.

In 2004 the Jeffrey Nordhaus Award was expanded by the Nordhaus family to recognize excellence in teaching within each of the three main areas of Arts and Science–the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences.

Professor Gonzales’ research examines how public policies affect health outcomes, access to care, and health disparities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations. He also studies the role of health care reforms on vulnerable populations. Professor Gonzales teaches courses in health policy and research methods to undergraduate students at Vanderbilt. He also mentors undergraduate, graduate, and medical students interested in health equity research.