Surprised and humbled...

Yesterday at the University of Washington year-end Awards Ceremony, I was honored with the Teaching Excellence Award, the University’s top teaching award.  It surprised and gratified me.  First the distinction is special in itself, but perhaps more importantly, I have been rewarded so much already by seeing my students go out into the business and non-profit worlds and make a difference in public relations and strategic communications.  They number in the hundreds now. Every once in a while I meet someone and can’t remember where from, until they tell me they took one of my classes. All I can do is smile.

At the beginning of my career, teaching was never on the radar.  Even when I was asked to help structure a new year-long PR-focused program for UW, I have to admit I didn’t think about teaching in it. However, once I taught my first class, I think I was hooked.  I so enjoy the interaction, the focus and ideas that the students bring and the effort to keep on the cutting edge of the communications business.  I’ve never forgotten that I am not a trained teacher so many of my colleagues and friends have come to speak to my classes and they have always gotten the highest marks.  I appreciate them sharing their insights into this business very much. Their participation has given texture to the courses I teach. And, as always, I give special thanks to my lovely “teaching assistant” Jane, who keeps me on the straight and narrow.

What a happy surprise this award was. In my classes, I still use clips from the television show “West Wing” that took place in the communications office of the White House. In one important scene, several departments are involved in crafting and coordinating a special event with school children from around the country. After several failed attempts, the President asks his primary wordsmith to give it a try.  The words spew out in an intelligent, effective and conversational way which impresses everyone in the room.  The President turns to the person next to him and says, “He got it right.” That’s what I aspire to in my professional life and as a teacher. “Getting it right” in whatever you do is the biggest rush there is. This award will always hold a special place in my heart.

The UW Brief:

Dan McConnell, founding advisory board member and longtime instructor in the University of Washington’s Public Relations and Strategic Communications Certificate Program, has been recognized with the University’s highest award for teaching. At UW’s Professional and Continuing Education Awards Ceremony, McConnell was presented the Excellence in Teaching Award for his skills and commitment as a teacher from the business community.

McConnell was called into service to the University when the state cut funding of the school’s communications department.  He was instrumental in developing the year-long curriculum that touches all aspects of the public relations and strategic communications profession.  He has taught every course in the program over the years and has been integrally involved in keeping the courses current in today’s fast-paced communications world.

Presently, he is President and CEO of DMCPR specializing in the development of effective communications strategies, solutions to difficult crisis communications problems and experienced storytelling for a small group of clients spread all over the world. McConnell’s celebrated career has found him consistently on the cutting edge of strategic communications and digital media and his programs are perennial winners of major industry awards from the national public relations society’s Silver Anvil to American television’s national Emmy Award.