Catholic Benedictine Educator Award

The Catholic Benedictine Educator Award recognizes creative engagement between the Catholic Benedictine tradition and teaching throughout the curriculum. This award affirms a CSB and SJU faculty member whose exemplary teaching successfully integrates the Catholic Benedictine tradition with courses in their academic discipline and/or the Integrations Curriculum. The recipient of the 2023 Catholic Benedictine Educator Award is Julie Lynch.

Julie Lynch

As a Communication professor, Julie Lynch creatively draws on her spiritual direction certification at the Monastery of St. Benedict in her teaching and work with students. Julie effectively integrates the Benedictine charism of listening with the ear of the heart with communication theory and research in her Communication and Learning Foundation courses. For instance, the purpose of her Listening for Justice course is “ to be attentive to another’s perspective. Listening well requires patience, thought, and empathy. If we can better understand and share our neighbor’s struggles and joys, we are able to grow in relationship and ultimately community.” In this course, students experientially connect the art of listening with the ear of heart with their weekly practice of lectio divina assignments. As one student wrote: “I enjoyed hearing everyone’s responses to the scripture reading. We all slowed down in order to take the time to notice what the scripture was saying to us. I think this patience is what it takes to listen with the ear of the heart.”

The Catholic Benedictine Educator Award recognizes creative engagement between the Catholic Benedictine tradition and teaching throughout the curriculum. This award affirms a CSB and SJU faculty member whose exemplary teaching successfully integrates the Catholic Benedictine tradition with courses in their academic discipline and/or the Integrations Curriculum.

We are delighted to present Julie Lynch with the Catholic Benedictine Educator Award. Congratulations Julie!