Congratulations to our 2025 Mary Frances Early College of Education Faculty Award recipients

The following faculty members have been recognized with Mary Frances Early College of Education Faculty Awards. These awards will be presented at the College’s 2025 Celebration of Excellence event, which will be held on Friday, April 4.

Along with Faculty Senate, we would like to congratulate all nominees and thank the nominators, departments, Jonathan Bemid and Zu Reuter with the Office of Faculty and Staff Services, and the Mary Frances Early College of Education Awards Committee: Ai-Chu Elisha Ding, Lenoir Gillam, Erin Hamel, and Juanita Johnson-Bailey.

Please join us in congratulating the recipients:

Ira E. Aaron Award for Teaching Excellence and Collegiality: Melissa Freeman, professor, Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy
Aderhold Distinguished Professor Award: Amy Ellis, professor, Department of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Education
Ocie T. Dekle Excellence in Teaching Award: Lauren Bagdy, assistant professor, Department of Workforce Education and Instructional Technology
Carl Glickman Faculty Fellow Award: Ashley Johnson Harrison, associate professor, Department of Educational Psychology
Arthur M. Horne Faculty Award for Community Engagement and Research: Sycarah Fisher, associate professor, Department of Educational Psychology
Jenny Penney Oliver Inclusion and Belonging Award: Tisha Lewis Ellison, associate professor, Department of Language and Literacy Education
Faculty Senate D. Keith Osborn Award for Teaching Excellence (Assistant Level): Giovanni Dazzo, assistant professor, Department of Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy
Faculty Senate D. Keith Osborn Award for Teaching Excellence (Associate Level): Jill Stefaniak, associate professor, Department of Workforce Education and Instructional Technology
Donald O. Schneider Mentoring Award: Ilse Mason, principal lecturer, Department of Kinesiology
Russell H. Yeany Jr. Research Award: Xioaming Zhai, associate professor, Department of Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies Education