TACOMA, Wash. – David Tinsley, distinguished professor of German at University of Puget Sound, is to be presented with the annual Certificate of Merit Award from the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) and the Goethe-Institut New York.

Tinsley is one of four recipients of the 2011 award for outstanding achievement in furthering the teaching of German in schools of the United States. The award has been presented annually since 1978 to a select group of educators in the field of the German language.

Tinsley was nominated by the Washington Association of Teachers of German. A panel of AATG and Goethe-Institut representatives selected the winners from those nominated.

"The Washington German teachers deserve all of the credit,” Tinsley said. “It has been a real privilege to work with such a talented and dedicated group. They are keeping the study of German alive under very challenging circumstances."

Tinsley, author of the recent book The Scourge and the Cross: Ascetic Mentalities of the Later Middle Ages, served for 20 years as testing chair for the Washington association, administering the AATG national exam, personally interviewing high school students, and visiting high schools to present awards.

This summer he was among 20 recipients of a Fulbright grant that took a group of U.S. educators to Baden-Württemberg, Germany, for two weeks in late June. He met with scholars and state officials and visited high school, vocational, and university classes.

The presentation ceremony for the merit award will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19, during the AATG's annual meeting in Denver. It will be attended by about 400 AATG members.

For more on the AATG visit: http://www.aatg.org

For more on the Goethe-Institut New York visit: http://www.goethe.de/ins/us/ney/enindex.htm

Photos of Professor David Tinsley are available upon request.

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