[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 19]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 26549]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   HONORING DR. PHILIP KESTEN, 2005 CALIFORNIA PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 16, 2005

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate Dr. Philip Kesten, a 
professor from Santa Clara University, who was selected as the 2005 
California Professor of the Year this week.
  The United States Professors of the Year awards, sponsored by the 
Council for Advancement of Teaching and the Carnegie Foundation for the 
Advancement of Teaching, are the only national awards that recognize 
college and university professors for excellence in undergraduate 
teaching and mentoring. Dr. Kesten was one of 42 state winners to 
receive this honor.
  After receiving his Bachelors degree in Physics from the 
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Kesten went on to earn both 
his Masters and Doctorate in Physics at the University of Michigan. It 
was here that Dr. Kesten began his career as one of the nation's top 
educators. As a teaching assistant and head varsity crew coach, Dr. 
Kesten discovered not only his passion for teaching and mentoring 
students, but his ability to do it well--he won a teaching award from 
the Department of Physics.
  Dr. Kesten has since gone on to an outstanding career in academia. In 
addition to his teaching experiences at Michigan and MIT, Dr. Kesten 
has taught at Brandeis University and is currently an Associate 
Professor of Physics at Santa Clara University. He is also the current 
Chairman of the Physics Department and Director of the Ricard Memorial 
Observatory.
  This is not the first time Dr. Kesten has been recognized for his 
teaching excellence. In 2000, he was awarded the David E. Logathetti 
Teaching Award from the Santa Clara University College of Arts and 
Sciences. Seven years prior, the same College of Arts and Sciences 
recognized Kesten with the Certificate for Exceptional Teaching, 
Advising, and Curriculum Development.
  While his formal education and accolades noticeably highlight his 
remarkable career, his most honorable work is found in his dedication 
to the comprehensive development of the student. As the Director of the 
Residential Learning Communities Program and the Faculty Director of 
the da Vinci Residential Learning Community, Dr. Kesten has succeeded 
in integrating the social, residential, and academic facets of a 
college student's experience.
  I deeply appreciate all that Dr. Philip Kesten has done to improve 
the lives of this nation's students and extend my congratulations to 
him as the 2005 California Professor of the Year.

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