The College of Education and Community Innovation Outstanding Teacher Award honors an individual who excels at developing students in the classroom, preparing them to be well-rounded and high-quality professionals.

Award Eligibility

Full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty

Award Criteria

This award is based on the following criteria, which are not ranked by order of importance or exhaustive:

• Ability to demonstrate resourcefulness and expand on textual material, applying scholarly research to classroom instruction.
• Evidence of being current in the field and the ability to demonstrate the relevancy of course material.
• Ability to communicate effectively and demonstrate enthusiasm in the classroom.
• Demonstration of innovation and flexibility, an ability to stimulate intellectual curiosity and challenge students.
• Demonstration of a commitment to student learning as an instructor, role model, or positive influence on the career development of students.
• Reflects on past teaching experience and feedback to improve current practice.
   

Evaluation Rubric

2026 Outstanding Teacher Award Recipient

Mohammad (Didar) Hossain
School of Social Work

PAST RECIPIENTS
Lindsay Stoetzel (2025)
Literacy, Educational Foundations, and Technology

Naoki Kanaboshi (2024)
School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Legal Studies

Joshua Sheffer (2023)
School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Legal Studies