Professor
Daniel Makagon has been awarded the College of Communication Excellence in Teaching award for this school year.
As an extremely innovative instructor and a university leader in embracing the city as his classroom, Daniel’s teaching evaluations are consistently exceptional, often nearing solid fives in teaching effectiveness across his many courses. Since his arrival at DePaul in 2005, Daniel’s teaching evaluations have regularly ranked among the highest, both in his liberal studies program courses, as well as courses within the College of Communication. Designing multiple courses in Urban Communication, Intercultural Communication, and Audio Documentary, Daniel invigorates and contextualizes students’ learning by bridging communication theory with the lived engagement with subcultural spaces in Chicago. The award committee was particularly impressed with his continued leadership in the college in challenging traditional understandings of pedagogical context, experiential learning, and urban engagement. His students find the classroom experience he offers, unique. In the words of one, “everyone at DePaul should take a class like this - it greatly expanded my knowledge and views on Chicago and the rest of the world. Daniel's an unbelievable professor who really shapes his students’ outlooks on life.”
Also, Daniel is highly respected for his experimental, peer-minded, collaborative teaching by students and faculty alike. Students report leaving his class invigorated, challenged, more socially conscious, and appreciative of the respect and deep commitment Makagon extends to his students. Colleagues evaluate him as an out-of-the box, risk-taking, and deeply passionate instructor whose impact on students and appreciation from students is both evident and inspiring. Further, his communicative skills, community-driven learning models, forward-thinking pedagogy, passionate demonstration of Vincentian values, and deep student commitment reflect the outstanding teaching our institution continually aspires to provide.