Kirk Stark, a professor at the UCLA School of Law, is known by his students and his colleagues to turn mundane subjects into an interactive learning experience.
As a result of his accomplishments in the classroom, Stark, who has taught tax policy and public finance at the law school since 1996, will be honored with the 2009 Rutter Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The award recognizes excellence in teaching at the law school and is chosen by a committee of students, donors and past winners.
Michael Schill, dean of law school, said Stark has proven to be a highly valued faculty member.
“Faculty admire him, students love him; they sing praises for him after graduation. He constantly scores high in teaching evaluations,” Schill said.
Schill added that Stark’s presence has stood out because he demonstrates both scholarship and strong teaching capabilities.
“Teaching and scholarship don’t always go hand in hand, and Stark really does both,” Schill said.
Steven Bank, vice dean of the law school, said the award is a testament to Stark’s effectiveness at using current events to demonstrate the relevance of important facts, concepts and theories.
“He’s a terrific teacher, scholar and colleague. He is particularly good at using current events to demonstrate the relevance of important tax concepts and theories,” Bank said.
Stark said he felt honored about receiving the award and added that he was following in the footsteps of many great teachers.
“It’s humbling to receive the award at UCLA, since it is an institution that places a special emphasis on high-quality teaching,” Stark said.
He added that the award shows that the School of Law’s culture values its commitment to teaching students.
Zachery Jones, a third-year law student, said that whenever he encounters a student trying to find which courses to enroll in, he always recommends Professor Stark.
“What makes Professor Stark truly fantastic at his job is that he does all the things a great instructor should: He gives simple explanations, provides examples that the students can relate to, and is enthusiastic about the subject,” Jones said.
Stark said that tax law can be a conversation stopper, but it can also lead to heated debates.
He also said he enjoys teaching tax law because it moves from “technical and arcane material” to “important questions of distributive justice.”