Teacher of the Year Chosen by Alpha Sigma Nu Students

A time-honored teaching award at The University of Scranton was recently presented to Christine Zakzewski, Ph.D., associate professor of physics and engineering.

Student members of the University’s chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu, the national honor society for students in Jesuit colleges and universities, selected Dr. Zakzewski as its Teacher of the Year. Formally known as the Gannon Award for Teaching, the award is named for Edward Gannon, S.J., a 22-year employee of the University who taught philosophy until his death in 1986.

Dr. Zakzewski accepted the award on March 30 at the Alpha Sigma Nu Honor Society Induction Ceremony. The student nominators touted Dr. Zakzewski as someone who’s gone above and beyond to ensure her students are comfortable in their abilities.

“Dr. Z makes a daunting subject manageable and relatable to each student,” said one nominator. “She is very open and cares for each of her students — the embodiment of cura personalis.”

A graduate of Rutgers University, where she earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees, Dr. Zakzewski has been a member of the University’s Department of Physics and Engineering since 1992. She was department chair from 2007 to 2017 and the engineering program director from 2017 to 2024, helping to develop the department’s mechanical engineering program while securing external ABET accreditation for its electrical, computer and mechanical engineering programs.

Dr. Zakzewski’s current research focuses on deploying personal space weather station instruments in Antarctica and among citizen scientists across the U.S. for continuous observation of space weather events affecting critical navigation and communication systems. She is the faculty mentor for the IEEE-HKN Engineering Honor Society and is a member of the University’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. A licensed ham radio operator, Dr. Zakzewski collaborates with University faculty and students to teach a ham radio licensing course for the blind and visually impaired at the Lackawanna Blind Association. She’s also a musician, serving as principal bassoonist for the SUNY Orange Community Orchestra.

The Gannon Award for Teaching was established in 1969. Dr. Zakzewski is the 56th recipient of the award, which recognizes outstanding efforts in educating students.

The Scranton chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu was founded in 1943 and is the oldest honor society at the University. Juniors, seniors and graduate students at the University who have distinguished themselves in scholarship, loyalty and service are eligible for membership.