2025 Dr. John and Mrs. Lois Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching and Student Mentorship

The University of Arkansas Teaching Academy recently recognized the 2025 Dr. John and Mrs. Lois Imhoff Award honorees for Outstanding Teaching and Student Mentorship at a ceremony held on Dec. 1, 2025. This year, the winner is Richard Cassady of the Department of Industrial Engineering.

Finalists for this year's Imhoff Award were recognized and include Dave Bostwick of the School of Journalism and Strategic Media and Leigh Southward of the Apparel Merchandising and Product Management Program in the School of Environmental Sciences.

To be considered for the award, a faculty member must be nominated by their peers and endorsed by a member of the Teaching Academy, teach an introductory course and be recognized for mentoring students. The award recipient is chosen from three finalists selected by a committee within the Teaching Academy. Past Imhoff Award recipients can be viewed on the Teaching Academy website.

The Imhoff Award Winner

Richard Cassady is a University Professor of industrial engineering in the College of Engineering. He has taught multiple, different courses across all levels, from introductory engineering to graduate seminars. In addition, Cassady developed and has taught Introduction to Industrial Engineering, which is the gateway course for students interested in joining the program. He was the founding director of the first-year engineering program and served in this role from 2006 to 2023. He also coordinates the senior capstone experience for his department.

Cassady is a former recipient of the Charles and Nadine Baum Faculty Teaching Award and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers' Albert G. Holzman Distinguished Educator Award. He is a former co-director for the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center.

Cassady was inducted in the U of A Teaching Academy in 2006. Beyond academia, he has coached youth robotics teams in numerous competitions.

The Imhoff Award Finalists

Dave Bostwick is a teaching associate professor and associate director for the School of Journalism and Strategic Management in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences. He has taught and developed numerous courses for his department, including introductory courses. He has developed three open-educational resource textbooks used at the U of A and other colleges focusing on ethics, journalistic writing skills and the mass media landscape, with over 30,000 page views for chapters within the books. He maintains and improves online courses for his department, even those he is not tasked with teaching. He has been teaching at the U of A for eight years but has been teaching for 37 years.

Bostwick has received the Paul Cronan Technology Teaching Award, the ACUE Certificate for Online Teaching Practices and numerous commendations for teaching development from the Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center.

Bostwick is heavily involved in advising and mentoring. He meets with all students in his program that have advising concerns. He attends all sections of JOUR 10303 each semester to provide career advice. He also volunteers for the Lemke Journalism Project, a high school program in the School of Journalism aimed at mainly first-generation college students. In his interactions with these potential students, he discusses AI and journalism, brainstorms with students on stories and takes on any other task that is needed for success.

Leigh Southward is an associate professor in the Apparel Merchandising and Product Management Program in the School of Environmental Sciences. Southward teaches Introduction to Clothing Concepts, which is a foundational course. Southward has been teaching a variety of apparel courses for 18 years.

Southward has received the Academic Advising Council's Silo Busting Award for Advising and the Bumpers College Alumni Association's Outstanding Advising Award. She has mentored several honors students in research projects. She leads a student group, the American Association of Textile's Chemists and Colorists, which has won national recognition for their projects.

Southward advises over 50 students each semester. She has developed a comprehensive, developmental advising model that prioritizes understanding students' career aspirations, academic challenges and personal needs. Southward meets individually with all advisees with in-person appointments.

About the Imhoff Award: The Imhoff Award was created by a gift from the John and Lois Imhoff Trust to the University of Arkansas. John Imhoff was the first chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering. An engineering educator for more than 50 years, Imhoff's vision encompassed the undergraduate, graduate and teaching levels. This award was created to recognize outstanding teaching and mentoring on the University of Arkansas campus in introductory courses. Imhoff was a founding member of the Teaching Academy and was the recipient of numerous teaching and mentoring awards. Lois Imhoff was his supportive wife to whom he provided much credit for this success.

About the Teaching Academy: The Teaching Academy was established by Daniel Ferritor, the university's third chancellor, in 1988 and consists of faculty members who have been recognized by their peers, colleges and the university for excellence in teaching. The Teaching Academy holds monthly meetings for its members, provides teaching resources and workshops, recognizes faculty for teaching excellence, and supports student learning initiatives across campus to further student success. For more information or to view a list of members, visit teaching-academy.uark.edu.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas' economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.