The Department of Communication honored two faculty members with the Teaching Excellence Award at a ceremony held on May 1 at the Janelle Y. Hembree Alumni House. In addition to $1,000 in Research Incentive Funds, the recipients of this award are recognized by having their names added to a forever plaque that hangs in the Department of Communication's main office in Kimpel Hall.

Amy Bradley was recognized as a 2025 recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award. Bradley has served as a full-time instructor at the university for seven years. Within the department, Bradley is known as a versatile teacher and selfless team player, who covers both fundamental and advanced courses in the media emphasis area.

As one of her nominators wrote, "She stands out from others in that she teaches such a wide variety of courses: lower-level media classes, upper-level media classes, online and in-person, small and large classes." Beyond the quantity and diversity of courses she offers, Bradley was also recognized for the consistent quality of her pedagogy, as her courses are always highly rated by students.

John Wayne Morris was also honored as a 2025 recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award. Morris began teaching at the university in 2016 and has served as a full-time instructor since 2021. By teaching large lecture sections of a popular core course on campus (COMM 12303: Media, Community, and Citizenship), Morris plays a pivotal role in the department.

Morris also stands out for his commitment to pedagogical development. In addition to commendations from the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center, Morris has earned certification in effective college instruction from the Association of College and University Educators and completed an SEC training series titled, "Teaching with AI." As one nominator summarized, "I would be thrilled to see us recognize his excellence not only in the classroom (as he's one of our most gifted instructors) but also his involvement in departmental and university culture."

Praising the honorees, department Chair Matthew Spialek said, "Because the Department of Communication has no shortage of dedicated and talented teachers, selecting just two winners for this award each year is a challenge and speaks to how truly exceptional Amy Bradley and John Morris are. We hope this recognition serves to communicate how much we as a department value their commitment to our program and to students."