John Jay College proudly names Professors Madhura Bandyopadhyay (English) and Jerry Lim (Art & Music) the winners of the John Jay 2023 Distinguished Teaching Prize. 

The honor is given to professors who exhibit an exceptional commitment to student-centered, experienced, skilled and justice focused teaching. This year’s pool of nominations was the largest ever.

Bandyopadhyay has been a Doctoral Lecturer in English at John Jay since 2019. Many of her students have been published in college and departmental publications, received awards and presented their writing at college events. Bandyopadhyay is an award-winning blogger herself and says what she teaches and why has changed dramatically since the pandemic. “Teaching has to happen as the world shakes, quite literally, through earthquakes and wars and environmental disasters and metaphorically as people demand equity and justice standing up against brutality even as the pandemic still remains with us.”

Lim has been an Adjunct Assistant Professor, Arts & Music at John Jay since 2019. He teaches graphic design and photography and is an artist, musician, creative director and designer for projects that span healthcare, software, and fashion. “I think a lot about the future of my students…My guidance is based on the concept that learning continues outside and beyond their lives as students, and to be comfortable in spaces of ambiguity and change. Meeting them where they are is indispensable.”