Assistant Professor of Health Care Sciences Ellen Costello received a 2009 Bender Teaching Award for her novel use of technology in her instruction, including digitized breathing sounds and music that help students remember various breathing patterns and pathological sounds. Dr. Costello, who teaches in GW’s Physical Therapy Program, was one of five GW faculty award recipients this year.
Endowed by a friend of the University Morton Bender and GW, each award provides a $500 prize to be used by the recipient for faculty development activities. The recipients are selected by a committee of faculty each year based on letters of support from students and faculty, student teaching evaluations, and examples of teaching materials and completed student work.
Dr. Costello says she was honored by the award and “especially moved” by the nominations from her colleagues and current and former students. “I have always loved teaching and the excitement that students bring to the classroom,” says Dr. Costello. “I am fortunate I am just as excited to teach a new class each fall as I was the first year I was a teaching assistant. The students have higher expectations of their educational experience compared to a decade ago and this pushes the faculty to a higher level of engagement and hopefully better outcomes!”
In addition to teaching in GW’s Physical Therapy Program since 2004, Dr. Costello co-chairs both the program’s admissions and research committees and is a member of the curriculum and the health sciences evaluation committees. Dr. Costello also is the course director for the Physical Therapy Program, has published a variety of articles, is co-principal investigator on a grant from the National Collaborative on Aging, and is a consultant to Iona Senior Services in Washington, D.C.
In their nominations, students remarked upon Dr. Costello’s “warmth,” “humor” and affection for students. One commented, “One of her greatest gifts is teaching even after the exam has passed…she helps you find trends in mistakes you made and then helps you create strategies so you can be successful on the next exam.” Another praised Dr. Costello for her attention to all her students, stating: “One of the best measures of a teacher is how well they can reach all of their students while making each student feel like an individual. Dr. Costello certainly passes this test with flying colors and inspires people to be intellectually curious, which is one of the highest compliments that can be paid to any teacher.”
Although she grew up “well before any type of computer technology,” Dr. Costello says new advancements can be highly effective teaching tools, especially in her field. “As physical therapists so much of our understanding of our patient is gained through analyzing their movements, so I have made a conscious effort to incorporate use of video clips to augment our class sessions,” she says.
“Overall, I have been incredibly fortunate to choose a profession that has provided me with so many opportunities,” she says. “I have worked with many talented faculty and staff members at a variety of institutions over the years, but I truly feel that the collegial nature that I have experienced at GW has helped me grow immensely.”