Classroom Champs CAS professors bring GenEd teaching to new levels of excellence A s the largest source of general education courses at Oklahoma State University, the College of Arts and Sciences welcomes students from all colleges and disciplines into its classrooms. For CAS instructors, this presents a unique opportunity to engage majors and non-majors alike while equipping them with skills that carry into future classes and careers. These efforts are regularly recognized, from positive student feedback to university and nationallevel awards. Drs. Haridas Heitz, Ashley Burkett and Reanae McNeal are three of the many CAS professors who engage students in notable ways, helping shape successive cohorts of OSU Ideal Graduates. Each offered their perspective to CONNECT magazine on not just how they teach, but why. HARIDAS HEITZ — PHILOSOPHY Recipient of the 2024 CAS Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching, Dr. Haridas Heitz traces his teaching methods back to a formative moment at age 12 — an experience that sparked a passion for living beyond mere existence. “I remember I was bored in shop class,” Heitz said. “As I watched the sunlight shining through the sawdust in the air, I was struck by the realization that I am! That everything is but might not have been. It was an intense feeling of the wonder of Being. That feeling lingered for several weeks and set me on a path of spiritual exploration.” Heitz explained that that experience bolstered his natural curiosity and love for science, especially astronomy, leading him toward experiential wisdom and the world of philosophy. It was also the catalyst for his soon-to-be-published book, “Heart of Wonder”, and directly informs how he works with students. “My style of teaching is about guiding students toward a sense of wonder,” Heitz said. “Using a Socratic approach, I aim to ‘sting’ and ‘poke’ students into questioning what they know — or think they know — in order to spark deeper investigation.” In his course “Who Do You Think You Are?” Heitz uses various teaching techniques, including the “Game of Life.” The purpose is to encourage students to find contentment in the present moment instead of only focusing on future goals. “I want my students to be curious about their own lives, to be more of an explorer of what life is about, by being present here and being aware,” he said. For Heitz, an OSU Ideal Graduate isn’t just someone equipped to make a living, but one who possesses the wisdom to live well. It’s about finding joy in the present rather than being consumed by worry about the future. “What keeps me motivated is my own sense of wonder and the opportunity to share that with students,” Heitz said. “They teach me too; I discover more through them and by helping them discover themselves.” ASHLEY BURKETT — GEOLOGY Dr. Ashley Burkett, whose course on dinosaurs has an outstanding reputation across campus, centers her teaching on making science accessible by connecting it to students’ lives. “A lot of students make it up in their minds that they’re not good at math or biology because of the tower of knowledge they feel they can’t access,” said Burkett, winner of the CAS Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching in 2021. “What I STORY ADEOLA FAVOUR | PHOTOS JASON WALLACE AND PROVIDED Dr. Haridas Heitz explains some of the philosophies behind his teaching method. 26 CONNECT 2025
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