Ten faculty members have been chosen to receive this year’s Distinguished Teaching Awards, an honor given out since 1953 to recognize the university’s finest educators. Two of the award winners, Anna Andrzejewski, professor of art history and Sara McKinnon, associate professor of communication arts, are also Educational Innovation (EI) grant recipients.
Andrzejewski received funding in 2014 to begin redesigning the Department of Art History’s 200-level gateway courses as part of a larger curriculum revision plan. New blended components and online sections were added to the courses as part of the redesign. The effort focused on enhancing student learning outcomes, offering greater flexibility and accessibility, and serving more learners, both traditional and non-traditional.
McKinnon has been awarded multiple EI Small Grants since 2016 to develop and enhance both blended and online courses within the Department of Communication Arts. The efforts have focused on more actively engaging students to ensure deeper learning, providing greater flexibility and access, and meeting consistently high enrollment demands. Mckinnon has also played a vital role in the department’s participation in the REACH Initiative, which aims to transform large, introductory, lecture-based courses into sustainable, active learning environments that increase students’ engagement in their own learning.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf will present the Distinguished Teaching Awards at a 5 p.m. ceremony April 10 at the Pyle Center. The ceremony, sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of the Faculty, is free and open to the public.