Lynn Meade Receives the 2026 Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award

Lynn Meade, teaching associate professor of Fulbright Student Success in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, received the 2026 Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award. Meade will be recognized at the Faculty Awards Reception and will receive a recognition plaque and a $500 teaching enhancement grant. 

The Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award, named in honor of former Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and co-founding co-director Ro Di Brezzo, recognizes an individual who has provided outstanding service to campus teaching through programs conducted by the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center (TFSC). 

Meade says, "I can't think of any higher honor than to receive an award named after Ro Di Brezzo, a leader in faculty development. Ro has influenced my thinking in so many ways—she was a fierce advocate for faculty and for making pathways where faculty could thrive. I am forever impacted by her advice to always let students know what is expected and what they can expect from you."  

Service to TFSC  

Meade is a frequent contributor to TFSC programming, including luncheons, Teaching Camp and other events. She has delivered more than 80 campus presentations on teaching and learning topics such as active learning, artificial intelligence in the classroom, assessment, study abroad, ePortfolio development, self-regulated learning, curiosity and collaborative assignments. "Lynn contributes to the professional development of teachers as much or more than anyone else on the U of A campus. Even those of us who have been teaching for a long time always learn something by spending time with Lynn. She consistently supports TFSC not only through developing resources and leading workshops, but also by providing the co-directors with the newest evidence and insights available," says Hope Ballentine, TFSC co-director. 

Meade is also a trained peer mentor and has been instrumental in connecting faculty and students to resources in her work with the High Impact Practices Collaborative and the ePortfolio Initiative.  

Her innovative approach to faculty engagement is evident in programs like a Teaching Camp session in which faculty created painted butterflies as a reminder of the transformative power of teaching. Anyone who has been to one of Meade's sessions knows she will make sure to get everyone talking by saying, "I've noticed that..."   

According to Kathryn Zawisza, associate CIO for Campus Partnerships and the 2021 Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award winner, "What stands out most about Lynn's teaching is the way she creates space for students to explore, experiment and truly own their learning. She helps students reflect on their growth and tell the story of their learning in meaningful, lasting ways... Just as importantly, she brings that same spirit to the faculty she works with, challenging and supporting them to create more reflective, creative and human-centered learning experiences. Lynn doesn't just inspire her students; she elevates teaching across our entire community, whether it is with her OER book on ePortfolios, the learning community she started in Fulbright, her presentations at the Lilly Conference or her meaningful individual conversations about teaching with all of us, Lynn is wholly deserving of the Ro Di Brezzo Service to Teaching Award." 

Meade has also expanded access to practical teaching resources. She co-developed Peer Observation of Teaching: A Practical Guide for College Teachers and its accompanying Blackboard course, enabling U of A faculty to become certified peer observers through TFSC. She also co-authored the Coaching Connections course and an accompanying open educational resource (OER) book, Coaching Connections: Helping Students Navigate Their College Experience, to support faculty working toward student success initiatives. Because of these resources, the University of Arkansas Libraries launched the first of its kind OER Faculty Support Series.  

A strong advocate for collaboration, Meade represents the U of A in regional and national faculty development networks on behalf of the TFSC, including the SEC Teaching and Learning Center Developers groups and the Southern Innovation Roundtable. 

More About Meade 

A look at Meade's portfolio reflects her goal to nourish and support others by helping them do their best work. She carried that approach into her term as a TFSC co-director and now through the Fulbright Learning Community (FLC), an initiative designed to foster faculty collaboration and professional growth. On campus, Meade has promoted faculty development resources through TFSC, Faculty Affairs and TIPS programming. She earned her certificate in Effective College Instruction, supported early cohorts of the ACUE program, provided support and training to teaching development groups across multiple departments and colleges, and speaks annually at the graduate teachers training as part of the Graduate Student Teaching Enhancement Project.  

Meade's commitment to teaching earned her numerous honors for her student-centered approach to education, including the Imhoff Award for Outstanding Teaching, the Fulbright Master Teacher Award and the Wally Cordes Chair Award. She received two TFSC faculty commendations, won the Golden Tusk Award from Student Affairs and was twice voted the Game Day Professor by University Athletics. The TFSC is thrilled to further recognize her commitment to improving teaching on the U of A campus with the Ro Di Brezzo Award.  

Her dedication to supporting colleagues has also been recognized with the Provost's Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award. For her broad impact, she was named Alumni of Distinction by the College of Education and Health Professions and was inducted into the Teaching Academy.  

Beyond the university, Meade is recognized for contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning through keynote addresses, invited presentations, a national Teaching in Higher Education podcast feature on ePortfolios and a teaching training video for Starlink.  

About the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center: The Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center was founded in 1992 by Wally Cordes, Ro Di Brezzo and Paul Cronan. TFSC invests in faculty excellence, promotes innovation in teaching and learning, and supports programs to advance student success. The center provides educational opportunities for faculty such as teaching and learning workshops, 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. More information about TFSC can be found on their website or by following them on LinkedIn. 

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.