Newsmaker: Liann E. Tsoukas

Noteworthy: Tsoukas received the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excellence Award from the University of Pittsburgh. It recognizes outstanding and innovative undergraduate teaching in arts and sciences.

Age: 50

Residence: Fox Chapel

Family: Husband, Scott Beasley; children Sia, 16, Lee, 14, and Diana, 12

Occupation: Tsoukas joined Pitt's faculty in 1999 and teaches modern American history, social movements, African-American history and women's history. She has taught in the Department of Urban Studies, the Office of Freshman Programs and at Pitt's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.

Background: Tsoukas taught history at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Missouri- St. Louis and as a visiting assistant professor at Washington University in St. Louis. She was nominated as an outstanding teacher at Missouri and for CMU's Elliot Dunlap Smith Teaching Award. She received Pitt's School of Arts and Sciences Student Choice Award in 2004.

Education: Bachelor's degree from Amherst College; master's degree in history and education, Indiana University; doctorate in history, Indiana University

Quote: “I'm not a tenure-stream professor, which means I'm here purely to teach. The satisfaction comes from the daily experience.”