The 2015 George V. Kidder Outstanding Faculty Award by the UVM Alumni Association has been given to Barry Guitar.

The award recognizes excellence in teaching, advising and generating student motivation in the classroom and beyond, according to the UVM Alumni Association’s webpage.

“He’s so willing to get student input and constructive feedback to make his class better and more engaging and get students involved,” graduate student Claudia Abbiati said. “I think because he does this, it allows students to go farther not only in their academic studies, but also in their professional studies.”

Guitar has worked in the department of communication science and disorders at UVM since 1976 and was named a full professor in 1986, according to the press release. Guitar pursued a career in the department of communication science and disorders because he had a severe stutter as a child, he said.

He has published over 100 papers, and soon a fifth edition of his textbook, “Stuttering: An Integrated Approach to Its Nature and Treatment,” will be published, according to the press release. Guitar teaches undergraduate and graduate classes. He said that he tries to engage students in the learning process and provide hands-on experiences.

  “I break the class into teams to work with these adults who stutter over the semester,” Guitar said. ”  The Kidder Award has provided Guitar time to reflect on what he feels is important in teaching, and what he wants to do more of, he said. Guitar said that he feels humbled and gratified to have won this award.

“He’s the most humble, supportive and selfless person I have ever worked with,” Clinical Assistant Professor Danra Kazenski said. “He’s incredibly well respected by colleagues and students. I’ve learned everything I know about working with people who stutter from him.”

The award has been given annually since 1974 to a full-time faculty member who has worked in one position for at least five years.