Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching

Eligibility:
Nominee must be a current, full-time, tenure-track or non-tenure track, faculty member with at least five years teaching service at UMSL.

Criteria:
Nominees must show evidence consistent with the priorities and goals outlined in the UMSL Strategic Plan, demonstrating effective teaching and commitment to high standards of excellence, and one or more of the following:

• Effective advising
• Student learning and success
• Service to the University community

Submission Materials and Format:
All nominations must include the following materials:

• Cover page with name, position, academic address of nominee and nominator, and a checklist of included documents
• Nomination letter
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of courses taught
• Nominee’s philosophy of teaching statement, explicitly outlining teaching goals, teaching strategies and methods of bringing one's current research, scholarship, or creative activity into the teaching process. Statement should not exceed three (3) double-spaced pages
• Evidence supporting nomination criteria 
• Representative syllabi (2) from the nominee’s courses
• A summary of course evaluations (qualitative and quantitative data). Include a copy of the evaluation(s) used with an explanation of the scale for quantitative data.  
• Letters of support (no more than five) from students, alumni, colleagues, administrators and community leaders. Include at least two letters from students and one letter from a colleague invited to observe in the faculty member’s classes

Nomination Procedure:
The Senate Faculty Teaching and Service Awards Committee receives and reviews all nominations and presents its recommendation to the chancellor for final approval. The Committee requires submission through electronic format. These nominations should be a single file in MS Word or pdf format, and should be emailed to the Senate office (senate@umsl.edu) no later than 5 pm on the deadline.

Deadline for Submission:
Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. is the deadline for submission of nomination and completed materials packet.

Previous Award Winners:

2023 - 2024
Name: Aimee Dunlap
Associate Professor,
Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences

2022 - 2023
Name: Kate Votaw
Associate Teaching Professor
Honors College

2021 - 2022
Name: Alina Slapac
Associate Professor,
Department of Educator Preparation and Leadership,
College of Education

2020 - 2021
Name: Bruce Hamper
Assistant Teaching Professor,
Department of Chemistry and BioChemistry,
College of Arts and Sciences

2018-2019                                                                         
Name: Ann Torrusi                                          
Assistant Teaching Professor,
Honors College

2017-2018                                                                        
Name: Suellynn Duffey                                          
Associate Professor, Department of English,
College of Arts and Sciences

2016-2017                                                                       
Name: Laura Westhoff                                          
Associate Professor, Department of History,
College of Arts and Sciences

2015-2016                                                                      
Name: Timothy Maher                                         
Teaching Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice,
College of Arts and Sciences

2014-2015                                                                    
Name: Ronald Dotzel                                        
Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science,
College of Arts and Sciences

2013-2014                                                                    
Name: Marc Spingola                                       
Associate Teaching Professor, Department of Biology,
College of Arts and Sciences

2012-2013                                                                    
Name: Ann M. Steffen                                      
Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology,
College of Arts and Sciences

2011-2012                                                                    
Name: Joyce Mushaben                                  
Professor, Department of Political Science,
College of Arts and Sciences

2010-2011                                                                    
Name: Sonya Bahar                                      
Associate Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy,
College of Arts and Sciences

2009-2010                                                                  
Name: James Henry                                     
Associate Professor, Department of Music,
College of Fine Arts and Communication

2008-2009                                                                    
Name: Virginia Navarro                                   
Associate Professor, Department of Music,
College of Fine Arts and Communication

2007 - 2008                                                                    
Name: Judith Maserang                                   
Clinical Professor,
Nursing

2006 -2007                                                                     
Name: Gregory Geisler                                  
Associate Professor, Accounting,
College of Business Administration

2005 - 2006                                                                    
Name: Elizabeth Vining                                  
Senior Lecturer,
Marketing

2004 - 2005                                                                  
Name: Paul Paese                                  
Associate Professor,
Psychology

2003 - 2004                                                                
Name: Helene Sherman                                  
Associate Professor,
Teaching and Learning

2001 - 2002                                                             
Name: David Robertson                                  
Professor,
Political Science

2000 - 2001                                                           
Name: Richard Pacelle                                  
Associate Professor
Political Science

1999 - 2000                                                          
Name: Rudolph E. K. Winter                                 
Associate Professor
Chemistry and Biochemistry

1998 - 1999                                                        
Name: Bob Henson
Professor,
Physics and Astronomy

1991 - 1992                                                         
Name: Charles R. Granger                              
Professor,
Biology and Education