Dr. Elizabeth Nelson awarded Costello Award for Excellence in Teaching.
ISAIAH MINAZ /THE QUADRANGLE
Isaiah Minaz, Staff Writer
Elizabeth Nelson, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at Manhattan University (MU), was named the recipient of the 2026 Costello Award for Excellence in Teaching during the university’s 22nd annual Costello Lecture.
The event also featured a presentation by MU history professor, Jennifer Edwards, Ph.D., on the use of classroom simulations to help students better understand history.
The Costello Award recognizes excellence in teaching and honors the legacy of Brother Casimir Gabriel Costello, who emphasized the importance of a liberal arts education and its role in developing students beyond their professional careers.
Brian Chalk, Ph.D., associate dean of the Kakos School of Arts and Sciences and professor of English, opened the event by discussing Costello’s contributions to the university and his commitment to education.
“As dean, he insisted that every student receives a liberal education, whatever their major,” Chalk said. “In his words, the college exists primarily for the cultivation of intellectual virtues, and these can never yield primacy to either functional or vocational.”
Chalk then announced Nelson as this year’s award recipient, recognizing her academic accomplishments and contributions to teaching.
“It is my pleasure to award this year’s Costello Award for excellence in teaching Nelson,” Chalk said.
Nelson holds a doctorate in political science from the CUNY Graduate Center and a law degree from Columbia Law School. Her research focuses on international politics and international law, particularly state secession, human rights and international criminal law.
Nelson, who is in her 11th year at MU, expressed her appreciation for the recognition in a separate interview with The Quadrangle, emphasizing the importance of teaching throughout her career.
“It means a whole lot to me,” Nelson said. “I love teaching. The reason that I came to this school is [because] teaching is really, really important to me, and this school values it.”
Nelson also explained how receiving the award reflects the university’s continued commitment to education.
“Receiving this is just another indication of the importance that MU puts on teaching in the classroom,” Nelson said. “So, that makes me very happy.”
Following the award presentation, Paul Droubie, Ph.D., assistant professor of history, introduced this year’s guest speaker, Jennifer Edwards, Ph.D., whose lecture was on “History in Practice: Classroom Simulations and Medieval Scholarship.”
Edwards discussed how her research on medieval women, gender and political authority has influenced her approach to teaching. Her presentation explored how classroom simulations, also known as “reacting games,” allow students to participate in historical debates by assuming the roles of individuals from the past.
“I wanted to talk about how scholarship and pedagogy inform each other,” Edwards said. “How do our students learn from what it is that we study, and how does what we study come into the classroom?”
Throughout the lecture, Edwards emphasized how interactive learning can encourage students to participate in discussions and develop a deeper understanding of historical events.
“Reacting builds community in the class,” Edwards said. “It helps break the tension and encourage new people to participate, and it makes a meaningful difference in student recall of historical information.”
Edwards also explained how her teaching methods connect historical scholarship to issues students encounter today.
“I teach you the really distant past,” Edwards said. “But what I teach is really relevant in the present, and so I wanted to have stories that made students think about where they are in the world, as well as what was going on 1,500 years ago.”
During the event, Edwards invited students and members of the history club executive board to demonstrate one of her classroom simulations in front of the audience.
Molly Gilmartin, senior history and peace studies double major and president of the history club, participated in the demonstration and reflected on the experience.
“We’ve never had microphones [during reaction games] before,” Gilmartin said. “I thought it was really fun [to participate in the lecture].”
The lecture concluded with a question-and-answer session, allowing audience members to engage in further discussion about Edwards’ research and teaching methods.
Edwards reflected on the importance of the annual lecture in bringing the university community together to recognize academic achievement and the value of education.
“The lecture is an opportunity for us to remember who we are, and to come together to celebrate research and scholarship and teaching all together,” Edwards said.
Editor’s Note: Maddie Rosado contributed to reporting*