Carlos Asarta, associate professor of practice in economics, was named the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska's Outstanding Educator of the Year for large classes. The award was presented during the ASUN new student government installation on April 3 in the Wick Alumni Center.
The award was decided by a write-in vote of UNL students during the March 6 ASUN elections.
Asarta, who is from Toledo, Spain, received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UNL's College of Business Administration. He teaches Principles of Macro and Microeconomics and Intermediate Microeconomic Theory courses.
“It is great to know students value the work I do in the classroom,” Asarta says. “I am honored to have received this award for the second time in four years.”
Asarta also won the large class category award in 2009. The category is for professors teaching courses with 60 or more students enrolled.
Asarta attributed the honor to interacting with students in a way that does not change with class size.
“I personally feel ‘at home’ in front of students, so the size of the classroom does not make a difference to me,” he said. “Everything I do in the classroom is designed to improve their understanding of economics and make them better students. Every example is carefully chosen; every problem has a purpose and every second is utilized to learn.”