Faculty Recognized for Outstanding Teaching at Annual Reception

The Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center and the University of Arkansas Teaching Academy co-hosted their annual Faculty Awards Reception on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at the Hembree Alumni Center. The reception was held in celebration and recognition of faculty who earned university-level teaching awards or certifications during the 2023-24 academic year. The full program for the event is available here. Photos from the event are available here. 

The program began with recognition of faculty who received their awards or certifications at prior events. These awards and recognitions include the ACUE Certificate for Effective College Instruction (fall, spring), TFSC Wally Cordes Chairs (September, October, November, February, March, April), induction into the Teaching Academy, the Daniel E. Ferritor Award for Departmental Excellence in Teaching, the Outstanding Contributions to Service-Learning Teaching Award, the Dr. John and Mrs. Lois Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching and Student Mentorship, and the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award. 

Following this recognition, three individuals were recognized for their dedicated service to TFSC and the Teaching Academy. Carole Shook (Information Systems) was recognized for her three years (2021-2024) of service as a TFSC faculty co-director. Paul Calleja (College of Education and Health Professions) was recognized for his three years (2021-2024) of service as president of the Teaching Academy. Lori Libbert (Office for Faculty Affairs) was honored for her decades of service to TFSC and the Teaching Academy with the renaming of the TFSC New Faculty Commendation to the TFSC Lori Libbert New Faculty Commendation. 

During the next portion of the program, TFSC presented certificates to faculty who completed the three, 2023-2024, TFSC commendation programs.  

New Faculty Teaching Portfolios  

These faculty completed a teaching portfolio project that involved responding to prompts based on attending at least four TFSC New Faculty Luncheons. Portfolios were reviewed by members of the Teaching Academy.    

Alexia Angton, Sociology and Criminology  
Christa Anne Bentley, Music  
Ginger Blackstone, Journalism & Strategic Media  
Maria L. Carreon, Chemical Engineering
Morgan Denzer, Food Science  
Natalie Edwards, Curriculum and Instruction  
Robert Foster, Management  
Sarah Grace, Marketing  
Kenny Grifno, Information Systems  
Sarah West Hixson, Human Environmental Sciences  
Marshall Jones, Music  
Brian McGowan, History
Jacob Monroe, Chemical Engineering
Angela Prater-Mensah, Communication
David Reavis, Information Systems
James Roddy, Mathematical Sciences
Wyann Stanton, Curriculum and Instruction
Susannah Swearingen, Journalism & Strategic Media
Grace Vehige, Agricultural Education, Communications & Technology

TFSC Lori Libbert New Faculty Commendation  

New faculty, faculty with two years or less of service at our university, can receive commendation for participation in events sponsored or supported by TFSC.    

Ginger Blackstone, Journalism & Strategic Media  
Alexia Angton, Sociology and Criminology
Eric Button, Political Science
Cory L. Butts, Health, Human Performance and Recreation
Danqi Cai, Art
Jenn Campbell, Mechanical Engineering
Ryan Chamberlain, World Languages, Literatures & Cultures
Christianne Corbett, Sociology and Criminology
Morgan Denzer, Food Science
Will Doss, Agricultural Education, Communications & Technology
Natalie Edwards, Curriculum and Instruction
Amnee Elkhalid, Communication
Chris Farnell, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Lei Guo, Civil Engineering
Flint Harris, Marketing
Sarah West Hixson, Human Environmental Sciences
Sisi Hu, Journalism & Strategic Media
Austin Key Jones, Entomology and Plant Pathology
Rupesh Kariyat, Entomology and Plant Pathology
Joanna Kud, Entomology and Plant Pathology
Joomi Lee, Communication
Neelakshi Majumdar, Mechanical Engineering
Kamesh Mallampalli, Information Systems
Laura Mancheno-Yates, World Languages, Literatures & Cultures
Ruoyun Mao, Economics
Joshua E. McGee, Health, Human Performance and Recreation
Brian McGowan, History
Becca Muenich, Biological & Agricultural Engineering
Heather M. Offerman, World Languages, Literatures & Cultures
Rowena Pedrena, Journalism & Strategic Media
Christy Ralph, Health, Human Performance and Recreation
David Reavis, Information Systems
David Reed, Theatre
Joel Reed, Journalism & Strategic Media
Lekshmi Sasidharan, Civil Engineering
Wyann Stanton, Curriculum and Instruction
Susannah Swearingen, Journalism & Strategic Media
Lin Tan, Psychological Science
Megan Taylor, Nursing
Alexandra Vasile, Curriculum and Instruction
Grace Vehige, Agricultural Education, Communications & Technology
Sung Hye Yang, World Languages, Literatures & Cultures
Jian Zhang, Biomedical Engineering  

TFSC Faculty Commendation for Teaching Development  

Faculty with more than two years of service at our university, can receive commendation for participation in events sponsored or supported by TFSC.    

Lindsey Aloia, Graduate School and International Education
Dennis Beck, Curriculum and Instruction
Dave Bostwick, Journalism & Strategic Media
Molly Boyd, University Libraries
Susan Bristow, Information Systems
Margaret Miller Butcher, Communication
Brandon Crisel, Industrial Engineering
Ringo Jones, Communication
Jack Kern, Health, Human Performance and Recreation
Deborah Korth, Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
Faith H. Lessner, Biological Sciences
Jim Maddox, Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods
Meredith Neville-Shepard, Communication
Jinoh Park, Interior Architecture & Design
Rocio Paez Ritter, Sociology and Criminology
Heath Schluterman, First-Year Engineering Program
Craig Schmitt, Health, Human Performance and Recreation
Leslie Jo (LJ) Shelton, Counseling, Leadership, and Research Methods
Carole Shook, Information Systems
Tamara Snyder, Physics
Laura Tain Gutierrez, World Languages, Literatures & Cultures 

During the final portion of the program, three faculty were presented with university-level teaching awards. 

GSIE Outstanding Mentor Award 

Eunjoo Cho, Human Environmental Sciences, won the 2023 Outstanding Mentor Award from the Graduate School and International Education. The Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award celebrates demonstrated success at graduate student mentorship that includes positive role modeling as a professional, establishment and maintenance of high academic standards, a reputation for facilitating student learning, and success as a mentor over a significant portion of the candidate's career. 

Paul Cronan Technology Teaching Excellence Award 

Named for one of the faculty co-founders of TFSC, the Paul Cronan Technology Teaching Excellence Award is presented annually to faculty members who have excelled in using technology to enhance their teaching. The 2023-24 recipients are Dave Bostwick, Journalism & Strategic Media, and Lance Cheramie, Human Environmental Sciences. 

Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award 

Named for one of the faculty co-founders of TFSC, the Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award is presented annually to faculty members who have demonstrated outstanding service to TFSC. The 2023-2024 recipients are Neil Allison, Chemistry & Biochemistry, and Lindsey Aloia, Graduate School and International Education. 

About TFSC and the Teaching Academy: The TFSC invests in faculty excellence, promotes innovation in teaching and learning, and supports programs to advance student success. The center provides educational opportunities such as faculty luncheons, teaching symposia, and new faculty orientation. TFSC offers competitive teaching and learning grants for faculty, celebrates effective teaching with several awards and an awards reception, and promotes faculty-to-faculty mentoring through classroom observation. TFSC is led by three faculty co-directors: Hope Ballentine (Nursing), Richard Cassady (Industrial Engineering), and Edward Holland (Geosciences). More information about TFSC can be found at their website or by following us on LinkedIn. 

The Teaching Academy's mission is to advocate and represent teaching interests, promote and stimulate an environment of teaching-and-learning excellence, and encourage recognition and reward for exceptional teaching. They consist of faculty members who have been recognized by their peers, colleges and the university for their excellence in teaching, including excellence in classroom teaching. The Teaching Academy is led by its faculty president, Susan Bristow (Information Systems).   

All TFSC and Teaching Academy events are coordinated by Lori Libbert.