Deans’ Award for Teaching
One of the highest honors bestowed to full-time faculty at the university level, the Deans’ Award for Teaching recognizes three faculty annually who are nominated by their peers for demonstrating exceptional dedication to teaching and teaching-related activities. Each spring, every school and college submits one nominee each, with AddRan College of Liberal Arts submitting two, one from Humanities and one from Social Sciences. From among more than 700 full-time faculty at TCU, it is a notable honor to be nominated. Nominees are reviewed and honorees are selected by consensus of all academic deans and announced each spring.
Contact your Dean’s Office to submit nominations.
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2024
Robin Griffith
Professor of Literacy and Department Chair of Teaching and Learning Sciences
College of Education
What colleagues say:
- A former elementary teacher, reading interventionist and literacy coach, Dr. Griffith is an outstanding teacher-scholar who promotes student learning through meaningful, authentic assignments and high levels of support.
- Her reputation as a beloved professor among students in the College of Education, her sought-after expertise as a researcher in the field of literacy, and her remarkable capacity to seamlessly blend scholarship and teaching make her highly deserving of this award.
What students say:
- Dr. Griffith is not only an amazing professor, but an inspirational mentor. She worked hard to make a connection with all students in her classroom.
- She is a perfect example of the type of teacher we want to be when coming into a classroom of our own.
In her own words:
“When I think about my professional identity, teacher is the first thing that comes to mind. Yes, I am a researcher, a scholar, and a leader, but teaching is my heart work. It’s my calling. Whether I am in the classroom with undergraduate preservice teachers or offering extensive written feedback on a literature review to graduate students, I am fully present to the learners in front of me. I see their gifts, their talents and their potential. we unlock something beautiful together. The students and I create something that wasn’t there a semester, a week, an hour before. We create a community of learners who care for and about each other, the work we’re doing together and the knowledge we are building and refining.”
Emily Herzig
Instructor II, Mathematics
College of Science & Engineering
What colleagues say:
- Dr. Herzig works tirelessly at an array of activities aimed at providing educational opportunities, especially for nontraditional, underrepresented and at-risk students.
- Her teaching is stellar, beginning with her thorough and careful preparation and continuing through boardwork that is crystal clear and well-organized.
What students say:
- Students describe her as “awesome,” “calm and kind,” “supportive,” “phenomenal,” “welcoming,” “gracious,” and “brilliant.” They write about her patience and laud her course structure as helping them to learn.
- At TCU, there is one clear marker of the success of a teacher: the waitlist for their available classes. Every semester I find that Dr. Herzig’s classes fill up, max out the waiting list, grow in size to the max capacity, and are still full.
In her own words:
“I focus on creating a more inclusive and effective learning environment for all students. This means allowing a high degree of flexibility in how students demonstrate their understanding of course material for successful completion, incentivizing perseverance in the learning process, and curating a sense of community in and out of the classroom. My guiding philosophy is to foster a culture of active learning and productive failure. Students are asked to challenge themselves and are rewarded for persistence and eventual success. A prevailing belief is that some people have ‘math brains’ and some don’t. I aim to combat this idea with active learning and productive failure.”
Santiago Piñon
Associate Professor of Religion and Ethics
AddRan College of Libera Arts – Humanities
What colleagues say:
- Dr. Pinon has been a beacon of light, hope and social transformation for Latina/o/x students, faculty and staff at TCU. His teaching and scholarship, and more precisely his leadership, have raised TCU’s DEI mission to new heights.
- Dr. Pinon’s teaching, mentoring, Liaison role with Latinx communities in Texas, and scholarship are impactful, innovative and exponentially increase TCU’s social capital.
What students say:
- He has been my most influential teacher, not only academically but also how he exemplifies a man of exceptional character.
- He allowed us to discuss and argue topics, allowing a natural flow of conversation and critical thinking.
In his own words:
“My understanding of the art of teaching is to move the student experience to a deeper understanding of the classroom material. The focus of assessment is on the evaluation of student’s understanding of various concepts. Questions that are posed at this point include:
“Are students learning what we are teaching?” and “Is there a way to increase teaching efficacy to foster better student learning outcomes?” As an ethicist in the Religion Department at TCU the goal is have students understand ethical theories by demonstrating how these theoretical frameworks play out in everyday life.”
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2023
Jan Lacina, College of Education
Jacqueline Lambiase, Bob Schieffer College of Communication
Katie Lauve-Moon, Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Nominees
Gary Boehm, College of Science & Engineering
Chantel Carlson, AddRan College of Liberal Arts
Rosemarie Fike, AddRan College of Liberal Arts
Elizabeth Plummer, Neeley School of Business
Amy Stewart, College of Fine Arts
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2022
Ashley English, Bob Schieffer College of Communication
Alex Lemon. AddRan College of Liberal Arts
Jennifer Smith, College of Education
Nominees
Ann Bluntzer, Neeley School of Business
Tracy Burger, Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Rhiannon Mayne, College of Science & Engineering
Thomas J. Walsh, College of Fine Arts
Amina Zarruch, AddRan College of Liberal Arts – Social Sciences
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2021
Michelle Bauml, College of Education
Beata Jones, Neeley School of Business
Penny Maas, College of Fine Arts
Nominees
Robert Bittle, College of Science & Engineering
Phil Esposito, Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Alex Lemon, AddRan College of Liberal Arts – Humanities
Paul Witt, Bob Schieffer College of Communication
Amina Zarrugh, AddRan College of Liberal Arts – Social Sciences
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2020
Cynthia Savage, College of Education
Carol Thompson, AddRan College of Liberal Arts -Social Services
Jean Marie Brown, Schieffer College of Communication
Nominees
Janice Cobb, Neeley School of Business
Sally Fortenberry, College of Fine Arts
Lynn Jackson, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Stacie McCormick, AddRan College of Liberal Arts – Humanities
Robert Bittle, College of Science & Engineering
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2019
Richard Curby Alexander, College of Education
Jan Marie Ballard, College of Fine Arts
Ariane M. Balizet, AddRan College of Liberal Arts – Humanities
Nominees
Renee M. Olvera, Neeley School of Business
Mike Putnam, Schieffer College of Communication
Stephanie Jevas, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Emily M. Farris, AddRan College of Liberal Arts -Social Sciences
Becky L. Johnson, College of Science & Engineering
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2018
Jessica Zeller, College of Fine Arts
Irmgard Payne, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Lisa Vanderlinden, AddRan College of Liberal Arts -Social Sciences
Nominees
Laura M. Meade, Neeley School of Business
Paul Witt, Schieffer College of Communication
Curby Alexander, College of Education
Layne Craig, AddRan College of Liberal Arts – Humanities
Allison C. Owen, College of Science & Engineering
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2017
Moved to Spring
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2016
Dusty Crocker, College of Fine Arts
Teresa Gonzalez, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Clark Jones, College of Science & Engineering
Nominees
Stacy Landreth Grau, Neeley School of Business
Debi Iba, Schieffer College of Communication
Marla McGhee, College of Education
Lisa K. Vanderlinden, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Social sciences
Rima Abunasser, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Humanities
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2015
Suzanne Carter, Neeley School of Business
James Petrovich, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Steven Weis, College of Science & Engineering
Nominees
Stephen Levering, Schieffer College of Communication
Mike Sacken, College of Education
Lori Diel, College of Fine Arts
Charlotte Hogg, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Humanities
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2014
Robert T. Rhodes, Neeley School of Business
Suzanne Huffman, Schieffer College of Communication
Cecilia Silva, College of Education
Nominees
Martin Blessinger, College of Fine Arts
Sharon Canclini, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Carrie Currier, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Social Sciences
Ariane Balizet, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Humanities
John Horner, College of Science & Engineering
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2013
Gregory Mansur, Schieffer College of Communication
Lewis Glaser, College of Fine Arts
Rob Garnett, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Social Sciences
Nominees
Nancy Nix, M. J. Neeley School of Business
Amber Esping, College of Education
Diane Hawley, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Mark Dennis, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Humanities
John Horner, College of Science & Engineering
Deans’ Award for Teaching 2012
Linda Moore, Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Theresa Strouth Gaul, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Humanities
Efton Park, College of Science & Engineering
Nominees
Gregory K. Stephens, Neeley School of Business
Frank Thomas, College of Education
Jennifer Engler, College of Fine Arts
Lisa K. Vanderlinden, AddRan College of Liberal Arts-Social Sciences
For a complete list of Dean’s Award for Teaching nominees and honorees from 1986 to present, contact the Provost’s Office.