Judge Stephen Shannon Honored With George Mason’s “Teachers of Distinction” Award

Judge Stephen Shannon, Adjunct Professor of Criminal Law at Scalia Law School, recently received the “Teachers of Distinction Award” from The Stearns Center for Teaching and Learning at George Mason University. Teachers of Distinction are faculty members who are recognized for their exceptional teaching and commitment to students.

“I feel very honored that the law school nominated me for this award, and I appreciate that the university has recognized my approach to teaching,” said Judge Shannon.

He congratulates the Stearns Center for its emphasis on interdisciplinary scholarship.

“It’s important to interact with different departments and schools; it makes the university stronger.”

Judge Shannon says he looks forward to learning from examples of other award winners, faculty from across George Mason noted for their successful teaching styles.

“There’s a lot we (law faculty) can learn from other disciplines and vice versa,” he said.

Students in Judge Shannon’s class recognized his excellent teaching long before he received this award.

One student wrote this to Professor Shannon:

“I was really impressed by the level of organization and clarity that is so apparent in your classes…your students truly appreciate your attention to structure, detail, and grounding your work in tangible examples.”

The Stearns Center’s Teaching Excellence Awards acknowledge the work that faculty members devote to course planning and preparation; curriculum development; and innovative teaching, advising, and mentoring.

The annual Celebration of Excellence was canceled this semester due to COVID-19. There are plans to reschedule the event as soon as possible. In the meantime, please congratulate Judge Shannon on this distinguished honor.