KOKOMO, Ind. — Six Indiana University Kokomo faculty members received 2021 IU Trustees Teaching Awards, as recognition for excellence in the classroom.
Ghadah Alshuwaiyer, Stephanie Medley-Rath, Mark Meng, Stephanie Pratt, Natalie Schelling, and Joseph Waters earned the award, which is given each spring to honor faculty who have had a positive impact on student learning, especially for undergraduates.
Mark Canada, executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, commended and thanked the recipients for their outstanding contributions to the campus mission.
“Teaching is our number one priority at IU Kokomo,” he said. “These individuals not only make it a priority in their own professional lives, but also excel at it. Our students deserve teaching that inspires them and enriches their lives. I am pleased we can recognize faculty who have served our students this way.”
Department chairs and deans identify candidates, who are then recommended by a selection committee.
Honorees include:
Ghadah Alshuwaiyer, assistant professor of health sciences, was noted for providing high-impact practices to her students and evaluating learning through practice and inclusion. She encourages discussion and activities to promote civic engagement and community involvement.
Stephanie Medley-Rath, associate professor of sociology, was recognized for her philosophy that teaching revolves around compassion and equity, and that her courses are designed so all students have a voice and are given an opportunity to learn. When transitioning her classes to virtual learning because of the COVID-19 pandemic, she used the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to inform strategies for student success.
Mark Meng, assistant professor of hospitality and tourism management, was commended for bringing the Kokomo Experience and You (KEY) travel experience to life in his courses. He focuses on active learning, designing classes to allow students to learn through real-world examples and cases. During the pandemic, he worked with businesses to provide safe, onsite experiences for students.
Stephanie Pratt, clinical assistant professor of nursing, earned recognition for providing students to construct their own learning experiences, and for seeking out creative learning experiences to provide students with hands-on, minds-on learning She was a leader in bringing the disaster triage day and poverty simulation to campus. In the last year, she presented at two national conferences and was elected to the state board of directors for the Indiana League for Nursing.
Natalie Schelling, assistant professor of educational psychology, was recognized for using educational psychology to inform her teaching philosophy and ground her decisions for course design and instruction on strong empirical evidence. Her courses focus on active learning techniques and providing a safe space for student voices.
Joseph Waters, clinical assistant professor of psychology, was commended for participating in many conferences and workshops in the last year and using what he learned to enhance his courses with clearer assessment, mid-semester feedback, video analysis posts, and multicultural competency. He was intentional in creating measurable learning outcomes and making those explicit to his students. He also supervised two students on their undergraduate research project.
Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.