The UConn Early College Experience (UConn ECE) Program has awarded the 2021 UConn ECE Jan Pikul Award for Continued Excellence in Instruction to Greenwich High School teacher Aaron Hull in recognition of his dedication and commitment to excellence in teaching.
“I am so honored to receive this award,” Hull said. “It’s really a tribute to all of the hard work my students put in to create additional opportunities for themselves, as they earn transferable credit for UConn or other prestigious institutions.
“I am truly fortunate to get to work with such driven, talented, and focused students year after year,” Hull added. “My own family also deserves credit, as they are always so supportive of my efforts and of those of my students.”
Hull teaches University of Connecticut POLS 1602, American Government/Advanced Placement United States Government; University of Connecticut POLS 1202, Comparative Politics/Advanced Placement Comparative Politics; Honors Civics; Civics; and Honors American History.
He is also certified for ECE Political Philosophy and International Politics and is completing certification for ECE Sociology. Mr. Hull also coaches the We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution team, which competes in civics-centered competitions at the State and National level.
GHS Principal Mr. Ralph Mayo said, “I’m so proud of Mr. Hull for the recognition that he has received for his unyielding commitment to his students and their education. While this recognition is much deserved, it is not surprising that UConn has awarded Mr. Hull for his work, as he truly exemplifies their mission and delivers on the goals of this program.”
According to the UConn ECE program, “The instructor certification process is an essential program component and represents a high level of professional trust and respect…Becoming a UConn ECE Instructor is a scholarly achievement that may require several interactions. The academic cultures found within secondary and post-secondary educational settings vary in many substantive ways which is why we take this process seriously. While teaching an AP course at a college level is an important general achievement, teaching specific university courses for a particular institution is a unique accomplishment.”
Annually, the Office of Early College Programs sponsors eight awards recognizing professional achievement in the UConn ECE community.
• Thomas E. Recchio Faculty Coordinator Award for Academic Leadership (formerly the Faculty Coordinator Award for Excellence in Curriculum and Adjunct Faculty Development) (one awarded)
• Site Representative Award for Excellence in Program Administration (one awarded)
• Instructor Award for Excellence in Course Instruction (three – five awarded)
• “Rookie of the Year” Award for Excellence in First-Year Course Instruction (two awarded)
• Principal Award for Program Support and Advocacy (one awarded)
• Award for Outstanding Research in the Field of Concurrent Enrollment (one awarded)
• Library Media Specialist Award for Excellence in Enrichment and Collaboration (one awarded)
• Additionally, an eighth award is given out by the discretion of the selection committee to an UConn ECE Instructor who has shown continued excellence over and over again: The Jan Pikul Award for Continued Excellence in Instruction (one awarded).
Nominations for awards may be made by UConn ECE Instructors, UConn ECE Site Representatives, principals, Faculty Coordinators, or UConn ECE Students in February each year. Awards are determined by a selection committee made up of the Office of Early College Program Staff and former award winners. Awards are presented at a reception hosted by UConn Early College Experience in April each year.