Aug. 21, 2024
Northwest Missouri State University honored six individuals Wednesday as recipients of its annual Faculty Excellence Awards in recognition of their teaching, scholarship and service during 2023-24.
Northwest Provost Dr. Jamie Hooyman (right) congratulates Dr. Shelly Hiatt after she was announced as the University's Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education recipient. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)
Continuing the institution’s long-standing tradition of naming one of the honorees as Northwest’s Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education recipient, the University announced Dr. Shelly Hiatt, a professor of counseling in its School of Health Science and Wellness, will receive the 2025 award. Hiatt, who joined the Northwest faculty in 1997, teaches courses related to psychology and school guidance and counseling.
“We’re here because we’re dedicated to student learning; we’re here to help students achieve their dreams and become our next leaders,” Northwest Provost Dr. Jamie Hooyman said. “Our faculty share that passion, and it is my pleasure every year to recognize these outstanding individuals.”
The Governor’s Award is sponsored by the Missouri Council on Public Higher Education and presented annually to an outstanding faculty member representing each of Missouri’s four-year public institutions. Northwest’s recipient is chosen from faculty members who receive the University’s Faculty Excellence Award for teaching and exemplify the Governor’s Award criteria for effective teaching, effective advising, innovation in course design and delivery, service to the university and community, and a commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement.
For Northwest’s Faculty Excellence Awards, one recipient is selected in each of the three categories of teaching, scholarship and service from nominees representing Northwest’s six professional schools, and one recipient is selected in each category from nominees representing the five academic departments comprising the College of Arts and Sciences, for a total of six award winners.
All full-time faculty holding a Board of Regents-approved appointment at the University are eligible for Faculty Excellence Awards.
This fall’s Faculty Excellence Award recipients and summaries of their nominations are provided below.
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Dr. Rachel Day, assistant professor of music in the Department of Fine and Performing ArtsDay has conceptually revolutionized instruction in applied vocal lessons. Her research-based teaching methodology promotes the necessity of consideration of the whole body as an instrument, not just the voice. Highly respected by students, colleagues and the music community, her teaching methods significantly improve singing, movement and confidence. Student evaluation comments focus on themes of significant improvement of the use of voice in singing but also her patience, compassion, dedication and non-judgmental focus. The music students she teaches are largely in the Bachelor of Music Education program, and her modeling is instrumental to their success as future professionals. |
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Dr. Shelly Hiatt, professor of counseling in the School of Health Science and WellnessHiatt has demonstrated a relentless commitment to teaching excellence throughout her career. She works diligently to use best practices in curriculum development, pedagogy, delivery format and student support. Students describe her classroom experience as informative, understanding and compassionate. A graduate student in the school counseling program stated Hiatt “models the behaviors and methods she expects from her school counseling students.” Undergraduate students consistently remark on the hands-on experiences they have in her classroom and that her feedback motivates them to work hard on the work she assigns. During the 2023-2024 academic year, student feedback repeatedly praised her organization, engagement, communication and ability to provide enlightening information without overwhelming students. |
Faculty Excellence Award for Scholarship |
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Dr. Tina Ellsworth, assistant professor of professional education in the School of EducationEllsworth demonstrates habits of highly effective scholarship, research productivity and mentoring to students. She has produced nine peer-reviewed works since the start of 2023, including in top journals, and has co-authored three grants totaling $210,000 since 2022. Ellsworth has published or presented her research in Middle School Journal, Social Studies Research and Practice, Social Studies and the Young Learner, Social Education, Theory and Research in Social Education, and The History Teacher. She authored book chapters in 2023 for publications of the Library of Congress and the National Council for the Social Studies. She has 12 peer-reviewed national presentations since 2022 and seven invited presentations. Ellsworth takes Northwest undergraduate students to social studies conferences and teaches them the art of scholarship, a high-leverage practice worthy of acclaim for its impact on student retention. She also has shown extraordinary leadership, which includes her election to the executive board for the National Council for the Social Studies as its vice president. |
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Dr. Sarah Naramore, assistant professor of history in the Department of Humanities and Social SciencesNaramore has shown excellent progress in scholarly activity. She published a book, “Benjamin Rush, Civic Health, and Human Illness in the Early American Republic” with University of Rochester Press in June. She also authored a chapter about Yellow Fever in an edited volume on American Disasters. Naramore presented at two conferences, wrote two blog posts and gave two invited talks. She had an article accepted for publication in Pennsylvania History about the influence of war on Benjamin Rush’s medical theory. She also continued work on a book project on the history of endemic goiter in the U.S. Her 2021 article, “Making Endemic Goiter an American Disease, 1800-1820,” was the recipient of the 2023 Stanley Jackson Prize for the Journal of History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. |
Faculty Excellence Award for Service |
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Dr. Elyssa Ford, professor of history in the Department of Humanities and Social SciencesFord has been exceptionally active in regard to service. She directs the University’s public history lab and established an archival project with the Missouri State Archives that is providing unique opportunities and internships for students. Ford is a member of Faculty Senate and serves as the chair of the Faculty Welfare and Budget Committee. She also is a member of the Culture of Well-Being Committee and the Archives Advisory Board. She serves as the organizer for the LGBTQIA employee affinity group at Northwest and the Campus Museum Advisory Board. She serves as advisor for the Fulbright program and directs the University’s growing Honors Program. Ford also is active in service to her discipline within the community. She is president of the Nodaway County Historical Society and a member of the executive board for the Missouri Association of Museums and Archives. She serves on the development committee for the National Council of Public History, as a public history liaison for the Coordinating Council of Women’s Historians and as co-chair of the Public History Committee for the Western History Association. |
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Dr. Bayo Joachim, professor of communication in the School of Communication and Mass MediaJoachim serves as the School of Communication and Mass Media’s assistant director and on its Communication Scholarship Award Committee and the Communication 102 committee. He also advises communication majors and minors. Joachim serves as the advisor of the African Students Organization and last spring received the Northwest award for Outstanding Organizational Advisor. He also serves on the University’s Committee on Rank and Tenure and the Student/Faculty Disciplinary Committee. Outside of his duties as a faculty member and committee roles, Joachim models selfless service by volunteering to assist students who need transportation, making countless trips to Kansas City throughout the year. He also provides meals and counsel to students in need. |