OHIO honors faculty for outstanding teaching, research, commitment to student success

Ohio University honored faculty members from all across the University recently for their outstanding teaching, research, creative activity, service and commitment to student success.

The OHIO faculty members were recognized for their achievements at the 2026 Faculty Recognition and Awards Ceremony on March 25, 2026, in the Baker University Center Ballroom.

“Every day across our campuses, Ohio University faculty teach, mentor, conduct research and creative activity, and engage with communities near and far,” Vice Provost for Faculty Development Katie Hartman said to begin the ceremony. “Together, those efforts bring our mission to life—advancing knowledge, fostering critical thinking, and preparing students to contribute thoughtfully to an increasingly complex world.”

“That work also reflects the spirit of Ohio University’s Dynamic Strategy, strengthening learning, advancing discovery, expanding engagement, and supporting student success,” Hartman said.

The event honored the winners of numerous awards including the Presidential Teacher Award, Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and University Professor Award, while also recognizing faculty members who had taken part in professional programs throughout the year.

The Presidential Teacher Award is one of OHIO’s highest recognitions for teaching excellence. 

The winner of the Presidential Teacher Award is Christi Camper Moore, associate professor of dance in the Chaddock + Morrow College of Fine Arts. 

Camper Moore was recognized for her commitment to inviting students to participate fully, think critically, and engage across multiple modes of knowing. She aims to cultivate environments where curiosity, collaboration and creativity thrive in support of the academic and personal growth of students.

The Presidential Teacher Award celebrates faculty who embody the very best of teaching through a deep commitment to student success, innovative and engaging instruction, and a lasting impact on the lives of students. Each award recipient holds the title of Presidential Teacher for three years.

The finalists for this year’s Presidential Teacher Award were also honored at the ceremony. They are: 

• Adonis Durado, associate professor in the School of Visual Communication in the Scripps College of Communication.
• Mary Kate Hurley, associate professor in the Department of English in the College of Arts and Sciences.
• Saumya Pant, associate professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies in the Scripps College of Communication.

The Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes excellence in teaching and meritorious academic pursuits both inside and outside the classroom, as acknowledged by peers and students. Each award recipient holds the title of Provost Teacher for three years.

The winner of this year’s Provost's Award for Excellence in Teaching is Thom Stevenson, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Recreation, Sport Therapy and Consumer Sciences in the Patton College of Education. 

Stevenson is recognized for excellence in teaching and academic pursuits both inside and outside the classroom. Rooted in the belief that students learn best when they feel safe enough to take intellectual risks, Stevenson intentionally creates a learning environment where students feel valued, seen and empowered to contribute. 

The finalists for this year’s Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching are:

• Paul Benedict, associate professor of instruction in Management in the College of Business
• Tamanna Shah, assistant professor of instruction in the Department Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences

The University Professor Award recognizes outstanding teaching at Ohio University. Since its founding in 1970, the University Professor program has recognized more than 200 professors for their teaching excellence. 

Undergraduate students bestow the honor of University Professor on full-time, tenure-track or instructional faculty each year. 

This year, the student selection committee chose four faculty members to receive the University Professor Award. The University Professors and their proposed courses are:

Rebekah Crawford, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Public Health in the College of Health Sciences and Professions.  Crawford’s proposed course is titled "High-Control Religious Groups: Community Mental Health and Human Development. "

The course will examine high-control, high-demand religious groups and their impact on identity formation, family systems, and community-level mental health. Using a public health lens, students will analyze how systems of authority, belief regulation, behavioral control, and social isolation influence broader community functioning and health services utilization.

Geoff Dabelko, professor in the Environmental Studies Program in the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service. Dabelko’ s proposed course is titled "Navigating a New Era in International Environmental Diplomacy. "

In this course, students will debate and design strategies for adapting to a new era in environmental diplomacy, hunger and poverty alleviation, competition for critical minerals, and energy transitions. Students will engage with distinguished guest speakers from government agencies, think tanks, and UN agencies, gaining insider perspectives from the United States, Europe, and Africa.

Sam Kizer, assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Kizer’s proposed course is titled "Autistic Voices: Stories, Sounds, and Senses." 

In this class, learners will consider Autistic bodyminds as parts of a multimodal archive, exploring how autism is socially constructed through literature, music, visual and material art, and cultural discourse. The class will situate the fields of psychology, psychiatry, special education, and disability studies within and against Autistic contributions to society in order to more comprehensively analyze what it means to be Autistic in the 21st century.

Candice Rios Wenmoth, assistant professor of instruction in the School of Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication. Wenmoth’s proposed course is titled "My Analog Life: Community, Presence, and the Art of Slowing Down."

This course invites students to slow down and rediscover the textured, unhurried, human dimensions of everyday life. Students step away from screens to engage in analog forms of communication, then examine how attention, time, and value are shaped by contemporary culture and what changes when communication is no longer optimized, automated, or endlessly mediated.

The Rising Star Teacher Award recognizes excellence in teaching and academic pursuits both inside and outside the classroom, as acknowledged by peers and students. It acknowledges faculty early in their careers at OHIO.

The winner of the Rising Star Teacher Award is Rebekah Crawford, assistant professor of health communications in the College of Health Sciences and Professions.

The finalist for this year’s Rising Star Teacher Award is:

• Rachel Bican, assistant professor of physical therapy in the College of Health Sciences and Professions.

The Emerging Presidential Research Scholar Award recognizes outstanding, emerging tenure-track faculty who have demonstrated excellence in research, scholarship and creative activity.

This year’s winners of the Emerging Presidential Research Scholar Award are:

Edmond Chang, associate professor of English in the College of Arts and Sciences. Chang is also an affiliate faculty with Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and the Rhetoric and Composition program.  His areas of research include technoculture and digital humanities; video games and queer game studies; popular culture; and 20th and 21st century American literature, particularly ethnic futurisms and speculative literature of color.

Jean Forney, associate professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Forney is a highly regarded researcher in the field of eating disorders.

You can read more about the Emerging Presidential Research Scholars in this OHIO Today article.

In 2025, Presidential Research Scholars were selected from the subdiscipline of Physical Sciences and Engineering and the subdiscipline of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

For the Physical Sciences and Engineering category, the winners are:

Saw Wai Hla, professor of physics and astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences and a scientist in the Materials Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory.

Hee-Jong Seo, professor of physics and astronomy in the College of Arts and Sciences and director of the Astrophysics Institute.

For the Social and Behavioral Sciences category, the winners are:

Jim Montgomery,  professor of hearing, speech and language sciences in the College of Health Sciences and Professions.

Julie Suhr, professor of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences.

You can read about all Presidential Research Scholars in this OHIO Today article.

The MAC Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success recognizes one full-time faculty member from each Mid-American Conference (MAC) institution each year who has shown dedication to student success and inclusion.

Ohio University’s winner of the 2026 MAC Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success is Adam Rapp, who is the Ralph and Luci Schey Professor of Sales in the College of Business and executive director of the Schey Sales Centre in the College of Business.

You can read more about Rapp and the award in this OHIO Today article.

The Community-Engaged Faculty Award recognizes Ohio University faculty members who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community engagement through their teaching, research, and/or service.

This award highlights the critical role that faculty play in fostering community partnerships that enhance student learning and faculty teaching, research and scholarly activity, further institutional goals, and contribute to the public good by addressing community-identified priorities.

This year’s recipient of the Community Engaged Faculty Award is Pamela Kaylor, professor of instruction in the School of Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication. Kaylor teaches on the Ohio University Lancaster campus.

The Chairs and Directors Emerging Faculty Leadership Award recognizes outstanding probationary, tenure-track faculty who have demonstrated leadership attributes in their department/school, college, the university, and/or the broader community. 

The winner of the 2026 Chairs and Directors Emerging Faculty Leadership Award is Rebekah Crawford, assistant professor in the Department of Social and Public Health in the College of Health Sciences and Professions. 

The Provost Award for Excellence in Service was presented for the first time this year.

This honor will be awarded annually to an instructional faculty member to celebrate excellence in service as acknowledged by peers, students, and/or community members. Those awarded are recognized for their efforts and impact on the university, local, national, and/or global level through community engagement. Each recipient holds the title of Provost Service Award Winner for three years. 

The winner of the 2026 Provost Award for Excellence in Service is Pamela Kaylor, professor of instruction in the School of Communication Studies in the Scripps College of Communication. Kaylor teaches on the Ohio University Lancaster campus.

The Presidential Service Award, which was also presented for the first time this year, recognizes extraordinary leadership and a deep, sustained commitment to advancing Ohio University.

The Presidential Service Award is presented annually to a tenured Ohio University faculty member to celebrate excellence in service as acknowledged by peers, students, and/or community members.  Each recipient holds the title of Presidential Service Award Winner for three years.

This year’s recipient of the Presidential Service Award is Distinguished Professor Sarah Wyatt from the College of Arts and Sciences.

Faculty who were identified as a 2025 Faculty Newsmaker were also recognized at the event. For a full list of OHIO's newsmakers, visit the Faculty Newsmakers webpage. 

For additional information on awards for OHIO faculty members, see the Faculty Recognitions webpage.