Honor roll call
Get to know Temple’s 2025–2026 faculty award winners
As a premier research institution leading excellence in higher education, Temple features world-renowned faculty who mentor, inspire and collaborate with students and lead breakthroughs in their fields.
Each year, the university formally recognizes its remarkable professors and scholars for their accomplishments and contributions to teaching, research, service and creative activity. Current and former students as well as colleagues nominate the recipients. Temple celebrated this year's awards ceremony on March 16.
Learn more about the 2025–2026 faculty award winners.
Great Teacher Award
Jan Fernback
Associate professor, media studies and production
School/college: Klein College of Media and Communication
Areas of focus: The impact of information and communication technologies in urban revitalization efforts, the institutional uses of information and communication technologies, issues of privacy and surveillance online and in mobile technologies, the meaning of virtual communities in contemporary culture
Years at Temple: 26
Inspiration for teaching
What inspires me most in teaching is helping students realize that the questions they ask can be just as important as the answers they find. I want them to approach the world with curiosity and a healthy skepticism—to analyze ideas, reflect on their assumptions, and develop their own voices as thinkers and creators.
Because I teach courses on media law and ethics, I’m especially motivated to help students understand the relationship between their rights and their responsibilities. As future media producers and communicators, they will help shape public conversations, so it’s important that they learn to think critically about the ethical and cultural implications of the media they create. At the same time, teaching is never a one-way process.
“Temple students are sharp and fearless—they bring diverse perspectives and experiences into the classroom, and those interactions continually challenge me to rethink ideas and refine my own work. In that sense, teaching is an ongoing intellectual exchange that benefits everyone involved.”
I try to model what I hope my students will carry forward: a commitment to questioning, reflection and engagement with the world. Ultimately, I believe that teaching with curiosity and delight helps students discover that questioning the world is the first step toward understanding it. That’s how to ensure a sustainable collective future.
Proudest accomplishments
Teaching has always been the most meaningful part of my professional life, so receiving the Great Teacher Award is profoundly significant to me. There is nothing more rewarding to me than helping students discover their own ideas and voices, and I’m grateful to be recognized by my peers for work that I care about so deeply. Additionally, seeing my book, Teaching Communication and Media Studies: Pedagogy and Practice, be adopted in PhD curricula and used by new and future faculty has brought a great sense of purpose to my life as a scholar.
Memorable moments
Temple’s mission and culture are distinctive, and so many memorable moments for me have grown out of that distinction. I feel proud to be a part of our tolerant and welcoming environment. Working with so many engaged, warm and entertaining students and colleagues makes this career choice so fulfilling. Also, since I teach a lot of graduate students, my teaching involves deep mentorship. I’m awed by the theses, dissertations and creative projects students craft, particularly when I’ve been a part of their entire Klein journey from day one.
Faculty Award for Creative Achievement
Amze Emmons
Professor, art
School/college: Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Areas of focus: Wandering and noticing; the politics of architecture; vernacular design; everyday evidence of community; games, play, and generative systems; tracking the ways print and material cultural history inform our current digital age
Years at Temple: 13
Inspiration for teaching and research
My teaching is really inspired by my students and co-workers. The students always bring such amazing energy and fresh ideas. Their input always steers my classes in great new directions. And my colleagues in the Art Department and across Temple are such dedicated and innovative teachers.
My research often starts by going on walks around Philadelphia and making time to pay attention to mundane moments or overlooked histories. These observations often lead to research into the politics of architecture and material culture.
Proudest accomplishment
My professional field is printmaking, a creative discipline that only thrives in collaboration and community. With that in mind, I am most proud when I think about the way my reputation in that community reflects the work I’ve done to expand the critical discourse around the fine art of print, the work I’ve done mentoring younger artists and former students onto professional success, and when my artwork is accepted into museum collections and imagining how it might inspire someone in the future.
Memorable moment
There have been so many memorable moments in the time I’ve been at Temple. I’d have to say my work on Access Tyler. It’s an ongoing initiative to assess and improve accessibility across the school. I’ve served on this committee since it started, and over the years we’ve accomplished so much. I keep being surprised and impressed by the positive impact it’s having on the student experience.
Paul W. Eberman Faculty Research Award
W. Geoffrey Wright
Professor, health and rehabilitation sciences
School/college: Barnett College of Public Health
Areas of focus: Motor control, gait and balance, perceptual motor disorders in both healthy and neurologically impaired individuals
Years at Temple: 19
Inspiration for research
My research and development inspiration comes from a desire to see basic research translated into solutions that can have real impact, either through interventions that can lead to improved health and wellness outcomes, cost-effective clinical tools, or time-saving alternative treatments to standard of care. While I often feel a jolt of endorphins when a study of mine shows a statistically significant effect, it gives a deeper sense of accomplishment when someone says, “That’s an amazing invention. I can see just how I can use this to improve my patient treatments.”
Proudest accomplishment
One that comes to mind is when our Temple spinout company UprightVR finished its minimum viable product, and our first customers at a retirement community excitedly reported that their balance was improving and their confidence in performing their daily activities increased. I remember feeling proud to have been a part of eliciting that response. These were people’s parents and grandparents who joyfully talked about getting to play virtual reality rehab games with their grandchildren.
Memorable moment
Temple’s Tech Transfer office introduced me to a serial entrepreneur who wanted to start a company with me based on the intellectual property developed in my Temple lab. It took a while to gather a core group of people to start moving the company forward, but in our first in-person company meeting that took place here at Temple there were a handful of successful senior business executives who had agreed to join and were there because they believed in the same vision that I did. But it was when one of them said, “We’re all here because of your vision, Geoff,” that I realized just how important our academic research can be to others. I remember feeling very humbled.
Temple University Faculty Research Award
Xiaofeng Yang
Professor, cardiovascular sciences, immunology and pharmacology; associate director of the Lemole Center for Integrated Lymphatics and Vascular Research
School/college: Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Areas of focus: Epigenetic pathology; the interface of immunology, cardiovascular biology, metabolism, chronic disease
Years at Temple: 21
Inspiration for teaching and research
What drives me is the belief that chronic diseases are not isolated conditions—they are interconnected through the immune system. Cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, obesity, neurodegeneration—these disorders share common inflammatory pathways. If we can understand how the immune system becomes dysregulated, we can transform how we treat multiple diseases at once rather than addressing them one by one.
I am especially inspired by the idea that cells we once thought were “structural,” such as blood vessel cells, are actually active participants in immune defense. Discovering that vascular cells function as innate immune sensors changed how we understand inflammation in heart disease and beyond. That kind of paradigm shift—where you look at something familiar and realize it behaves in a completely different way—is what makes science exciting.
Equally important is teaching. I see mentoring as an extension of discovery. Watching students and postdoctoral fellows develop their own scientific identity, publish their first papers, secure funding and build independent careers is deeply rewarding. Science advances through people, and training the next generation is one of the most meaningful parts of my work.
Proudest accomplishments
While I am proud of the scientific discoveries—particularly establishing vascular structural cells as active immune regulators and advancing the concept of trained immunity in chronic disease—my proudest accomplishment is building a research and mentoring environment that has sustained excellence for two decades at Temple.
Over the years, my laboratory has trained more than 70 scientists, including many women and underrepresented trainees who have gone on to secure competitive fellowships and faculty positions. Seeing them succeed is more meaningful than any citation metric.
Scientifically, I am particularly proud that our work helped reshape how inflammation is viewed in cardiovascular disease. Our studies, published in American Heart Association journals such as Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology and Circulation Research, as well as JCI Insight, contributed to a shift from viewing blood vessels as passive structures to recognizing them as active immune organs. That conceptual change opened new therapeutic possibilities.
But ultimately, the impact on people—trainees, collaborators and patients who may benefit from future therapies—is what I value most.
Memorable moments
One transformational moment came early in my time at Temple. When I arrived in 2005, I proposed that vascular structural cells act as innate immune cells—an idea that challenged conventional thinking. At that time, many investigators viewed blood vessels primarily through the lens of physiology, not immunology.
Publishing our first major papers on this concept and seeing the field begin to engage with the idea was a defining experience. It validated the importance of interdisciplinary thinking and confirmed that Temple was a place where bold, high-risk ideas could flourish.
Another deeply meaningful moment was serving as president of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine Medical Faculty Senate. It allowed me to contribute not only scientifically but institutionally—strengthening mentoring programs, supporting faculty development and helping shape Temple’s research environment.
“Moments like these reinforce why I have spent 20 years here: Temple supports innovation, values mentorship and fosters a collaborative spirit that makes long-term impact possible.”
Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award
John A. Dern
Professor of instruction, Intellectual Heritage Program
School/College: College of Liberal Arts
Areas of focus: Edgar Allan Poe, rhetorical analyses, science and literature
Years at Temple: 28
Years at Temple: 28
Inspiration for teaching
The material I teach and the students inspire me. As a faculty member in the Intellectual Heritage Program since 2004, I have had the opportunity to teach a wide variety of interdisciplinary texts, many of which I may not have read had I not encountered them in the Intellectual Heritage curriculum. The diversity of texts I have taught has made me a more rounded teacher and scholar. I have published a few papers, such as one linking Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Black Cat” and the Genesis creation story, whose inspiration came directly from my teaching. In addition, although I have been teaching several of the texts in my curriculum for a very long time and have become very familiar with them, students still see things in them that I have not seen. Learning from my students in this way is very inspiring.
Proudest accomplishments
I can’t say that one specific thing would be my proudest accomplishment. Rather, I would say that when students succeed, whether in my classes or beyond them, that is what gives me a feeling of accomplishment. When a student writes a wonderfully insightful essay in one of my classes, for instance, or when a student goes on to achieve remarkable things in life, these things inspire me, particularly if I have been able to help in some small way. One of my former students, who was also a former Diamond Peer teacher in one of my classes, went on to an MD/PhD program. The student kept in touch with me over the years, including inviting me to the public seminar portion of their dissertation defense. Every update from the student made me smile! The same is true whenever I hear good news about any of my former students.
Memorable moment
I have had many memorable moments here at Temple! However, one that still stands out took place in August 1991. It was the first day I ever taught a class. I was a graduate student at Temple at the time, and my mentor, Dennis Lebofsky, had enrolled me in his teaching practicum course and had hired me to teach a composition class. The class was held in a building called Curtis Hall, which stood where Alter Hall is now. I remember sitting on a stoop along what is now Liacouras Walk as I waited for class time. I was so nervous that I was shaking. I’m sure my voice was shaking a bit, too, as I began the class. Still, I channeled that nervous energy into my teaching and made it through. I also realized I had found my career.
Jamie L. Garfield
Professor, thoracic medicine and surgery; associate professor, biomedical education and data science
School/college: Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Areas of focus: Pulmonary critical care, pulmonology
Years at Temple: 15
Inspiration for teaching
Everything inspires me. My teaching is fueled by the world around me. Stories in the news; conversations with family and friends; complex patient cases in the ICU; and the lived experiences of my students, residents and fellows all become part of the classroom. Medicine does not exist in isolation, and neither does teaching. When a novel treatment becomes available, when a patient’s story reveals the impact of social determinants or when a trainee reflects on a moment of uncertainty, I see opportunities to connect science to humanity. Those connections energize me.
Proudest accomplishment
My proudest accomplishment is having been a part of the fellowship of clinicians at Temple University Hospital and educators at Lewis Katz School of Medicine who stood together during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am deeply proud to have contributed to the cutting-edge science and tireless clinical care we provided to the people of North Philadelphia and equally proud of how our medical school rapidly reimagined pre-clerkship education to ensure continuity, rigor and relevance. That period demanded adaptability, humility and collaboration, and it remains the moment I am most proud to have shown up fully—as a physician and an educator.
Memorable moment
In 2024, I was invited to throw out the first pitch at Phillies Pride Night, a special game that honors the LGBTQ+ community. Standing on the mound at Citizens Bank Park, looking out at a stadium filled with colleagues, friends, family and strangers, I felt an overwhelming sense of pride—not for a clinical achievement or academic milestone but for the opportunity to represent Temple and my community so publicly. It was silly. (I hugged the Phanatic!) It was intimidating (I am much more comfortable with a bronchoscope than a baseball). But it was also deeply meaningful. In that moment, I was reminded that education is not confined to lecture halls or hospitals; it is also about modeling authenticity, inclusion and belonging. That pitch felt like another kind of teaching—one rooted in visibility and community.
Abby Ryan Guido
Position: Associate professor and chair, design and illustration
School/college: Tyler School of Art and Architecture
Areas of focus: Collaboration, leadership, the evolving role of the designer in education and practice
Years at Temple: 17
Inspiration for teaching
Every year brings a completely new group of students. They come in with different strengths, anxieties, experiences and ambitions. That means I cannot teach on autopilot. I am constantly adjusting assignments, rethinking critique structures, updating tools, and reflecting on what worked and what did not. That continual renewal keeps me engaged and honest.
“I am especially inspired by helping students recognize their own growth. In creative practice, confidence matters. I want students to leave understanding that their value is not tied to one project or one critique but to their ability to think critically, adapt and become lifelong learners.”
I keep a file of thank you cards from former students. When I look through them, each one brings back a specific memory. Often it was not a major milestone but a conversation. A moment of listening. A small piece of advice. I tell my own kids how lucky I am to have a job where something seemingly small can matter in a lasting way. That responsibility is not something I take lightly.
I also find energy in building systems that support growth. Rethinking curriculum, developing shared teaching resources and creating more intentional critique structures are ways of making sure students have both freedom and support. Strong structures make it easier for creativity to thrive.
What makes me feel fortunate is that I get to experience moments of transformation every year. A student finds their voice and takes a risk. Years later, I am invited to a wedding or meet a former student for coffee as they navigate a new chapter in their life. The specifics change, but the energy it brings me does not. That is what continues to inspire me.
Proudest accomplishment
It's hard to choose just one thing because most of the work I’m proud of has been collaborative and long term. But if I had to name one accomplishment, it would be the curricular overhaul I co-led in our department with Professor Kelly Holohan and later with the added help of Professor Matt Curtius.
We began that process in 2018. We were looking at a curriculum that had remained largely unchanged for almost 30 years. The field and technology had shifted, and our students had shifted. We knew we needed to rethink not just individual courses, but the entire structure of the program and how we scaffolded learning from first year through senior capstone.
The process was intense. It required research, benchmarking and a lot of honest conversations. It paused during COVID-19 and then resumed with even more urgency. Eventually, we redesigned the full curriculum, launched two new BFA degrees and introduced three new minors. It was a significant lift, and it changed the trajectory of our department.
Then the University of the Arts (UArts) closed.
Because we had already been building the new illustration and emerging media degree, we were able to accelerate its launch and accept transfer students entering at any year, including their final year. That meant we were welcoming seniors who had just lost their academic home. We worked very hard to make the landing soft.
We added a dedicated studio course just for UArts transfer students so that they would have one space that was entirely their own while also placing them throughout our other courses so that they could integrate into the broader Tyler community. We opened additional course sections. We added more advising touchpoints. Our advising team was incredible in helping students navigate requirements and feel supported. Faculty were intentional about making sure these students knew they were welcome and that they belonged here.
At graduation, one of those transfer students, Noelia Ortiz de la Rosa, was selected as a Tyler Commencement speaker. She spoke about belonging. She talked about arriving in a moment of uncertainty and leaving feeling like she had found a community that valued her. Sitting there and listening to her say that is something I will carry with me for the rest of my career. That moment reminded me that curriculum is not just structure. It is a way of creating stability and community when students need it most.
Memorable moment
One transformational moment in my time at Temple began with me being a student. While I was teaching, I enrolled in and completed my MBA at Fox. One of my favorite courses was a negotiation class with Art Hochner. It completely shifted how I thought about advocacy, preparation and professional confidence. I remember thinking that this was something our students needed.
Wendy L. Magee
Position: Professor, music education and music therapy
School/college: Boyer College of Music and Dance
Areas of focus: Disorders of consciousness, measurement, evidence-based music interventions in health, identity, new and emerging technologies used in healthcare
Years at Temple: 15
Inspiration for teaching and research
Temple’s music therapy program has a long legacy and is internationally renowned. I am driven to maintain this legacy while also being open to innovation in health and research to ensure that students are getting the most up-to-date education in practices that the modern workplace demands and that can propel them forward in their careers. Without a doubt, the students who come into our program inspire me with their enthusiasm, thirst for knowledge and hard work.
Proudest accomplishment
As I see students rise in their careers—whether that is getting jobs in major teaching hospitals, disseminating their research in impact-factored journals or celebrating professional achievements (such as National Institutes of Health grants or invitations to give international keynotes)—I feel that my work has had an impact and made some contribution to their trajectories. My students’ successes are my proudest moments.
Memorable moments
The most memorable moments in my time at Temple have been when students from marginalized communities have helped me see how classroom practices I viewed as neutral were experienced as exclusionary and can perpetuate inequity. This has reminded me that cultural humility is an ongoing practice, not a destination, requiring commitment and staying attentive to the subtle ways oppression can surface in academic spaces. Their insight continues to shape how I design and facilitate inclusive learning spaces.
Crystal Reeck
Associate professor, marketing
School/College: Fox School of Business and Management
Areas of focus: Self-control, emotion and emotion regulation, social processes, choice architecture interventions
Years at Temple: 11
Inspiration for teaching
The best teacher I’ve ever had was Larry Hom, who was my fifth-grade teacher. His gift was that he made everyone want to come to school. We’d play games to learn vocabulary, or he’d cook us calamari after we dissected squid. It was amazing, and it taught me the value of positivity and experiential learning, two key things that fuel my teaching. In my classroom, I try to make every student feel seen. I teach quantitatively heavy classes, and some students have told themselves they’re not good at it or don’t like math. As a result, I spend a significant amount of time building enthusiasm by linking key quantitative concepts to real-world data students can relate to. I work to leverage their intuitions about something to bootstrap their quantitative knowledge. For example, when teaching about chi-square tests, I use data on passenger survival from the Titanic, and when teaching regression, I use data on the outcomes of March Madness basketball games. Once students start thinking about how gender relates to survival or how team fouls are associated with winning a playoff game, they are motivated to understand the relevant statistics and mathematical concepts. Wherever possible, I try to incorporate hands-on experiences for my students, even if I can’t cook them calamari.
Proudest accomplishments
This award is definitely up there. Teaching well is important to me, and I feel so honored by this recognition.
I was also very honored when I received tenure from Temple several years ago. The recognition from my peers and the university really impacted me.
Memorable moments
One of the things I really enjoy about teaching doctoral students—both in our full-time and executive programs—is that I usually meet them when they’re just in the first or second year of the program. That gives me the opportunity to watch and contribute to their progress over the following years of their careers. It’s so exciting for me when a previous student reaches out to ask for help with an experimental design or support with data analysis. And I’ve been honored to serve on several dissertation committees.
The other experience that makes teaching special for me is when I see a student who has been struggling to truly engage with the material and excel in the second half of the semester. That growth and new belief in their own abilities make teaching really special for me.
Brian Thomson
Associate professor of instruction, electrical and computer engineering
School/college: College of Engineering
Areas of focus: Controls systems, signal processing, autonomous vehicles, navigation systems, robotics, magnetic systems and magnetic resonance
Years at Temple: 10
Inspiration for teaching
I'm driven by the challenge of continually rethinking how we teach electrical and computer engineering—at both the course and curriculum level. Rather than making small adjustments to existing teaching models, I’m especially motivated by evidence‑based, systemic changes to instruction and curriculum design. I enjoy drawing on research about how students learn, implementing meaningful changes and then refining those approaches based on what I see working best for our students.
A major source of inspiration is the opportunity to modernize the curriculum. Because technology in electrical and computer engineering evolves so quickly, I’m motivated to help build curricula that are flexible and responsive to those changes. I’m particularly interested in exploring how new technologies, instructional models and assessment strategies can improve the rate and depth of student learning.
In my courses, this philosophy translates into getting students engaged in active learning as early as possible. I emphasize hands‑on problem-solving, laboratory work, and design projects that connect theory to real‑world applications drawn from industry and research. I aim to move the focus away from content delivery alone and toward engaging students in a learning feedback loop—measuring learning through assessment and feedback and then providing opportunities for students to iterate on their work through revision and reassessment.
What I find most rewarding, though, is the ability to make long‑term, systematic changes that benefit students beyond a single class. Working collaboratively with colleagues to redesign courses and curricula—and then seeing those changes lead to stronger learning outcomes—is incredibly fulfilling. Those efforts are most meaningful when I see students grow throughout our program, arriving in our introductory electrical and computer engineering courses and progressing to graduation with strong preparation for industry or graduate study.
Proudest accomplishment
I’m always proud to see students grow over the course of a semester, especially those who begin a course struggling and finish with confidence and strong technical skills. I relate closely to that experience myself, and it’s deeply meaningful to watch students persevere and succeed.
That said, my proudest professional accomplishment has been helping lead a major curricular transformation in the department early in my time at Temple. Just two years after I was hired, I was asked to help develop a new curriculum designed to better engage students and prepare them for both capstone design and post‑graduation electrical and computer engineering work. The goal was ambitious: to integrate concepts across multiple courses, expand project‑based and application‑driven learning, and provide students with more frequent and meaningful design experiences throughout the curriculum.
At first, gaining momentum was challenging. While there was enthusiasm for improvement, it took time to consolidate ideas and build consensus. Progress accelerated when I began meeting individually with faculty, listening to their feedback, and incorporating their expertise into the evolving curriculum and shared vision.
The process took four years—from the first draft to launching the new curriculum in fall 2022—but it was well worth the effort. We are graduating the first cohort this academic year, and student feedback has been very positive. I’m especially proud of this accomplishment because it required stewarding a significant program update, building trust and grounding decisions in evidence‑based teaching models. It also gave me the opportunity to collaborate closely with colleagues across the department and reinforced how deeply committed our faculty are to student learning and development.
Memorable moment
One of the most transformational moments in my time at Temple came early in my career. In my first year of teaching, I experimented with several changes to my courses that weren’t as successful as I had hoped. Those experiences pushed me to reflect more deeply on my teaching and to think carefully about how instructional design and student engagement shape learning outcomes.
Soon after, in fall 2018, I implemented a flipped classroom for the first time, a significant redesign that overhauled the course structure. What stood out immediately was the energy in the room—students were actively engaged in problem-solving, asking questions and working through concepts together. Upon seeing these significant teaching changes lead to stronger engagement, it reinforced for me that approaches grounded in the learning literature and evidence‑based practices can yield promising results for student learning.
That experience gave me confidence—not only in my classroom practices but in my ability to pursue larger instructional and curricular innovations. It showed that approaches centered on active learning and student engagement had the potential to scale beyond a single course. With that confidence, I helped lead the curriculum revision project that followed, ultimately informing the departmentwide redesign we launched in 2022. Over time, that moment helped shape the way I design my classes today, which now feature integrated lecture and laboratory experiences; hands‑on learning; and a learning feedback loop that emphasizes reflection, iteration and growth over time.
“More broadly, that experience reflects what I value most about teaching at Temple: a department and institution that supports experimentation, collaboration and student‑centered education.”
I’m grateful for the opportunity I was given early on to try new approaches, and that moment continues to influence how I think about teaching, curriculum design and program‑level improvement.
Provost's Award for Teaching Excellence in General Education
Jessica S. Reinhardt
Professor of practice, psychological studies in education
School/college: College of Education and Human Development
Areas of focus: Mental health of children and adolescents, culturally responsive counseling in schools, trauma-conscious teaching and consultation, assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders
Years at Temple: 7
Inspiration for teaching
At the heart of my work as a psychologist and educator is curiosity—curiosity about people, about what they are capable of, and about which knowledge and skills will make a meaningful difference in their professional and personal lives. I am fundamentally inspired by the students I mentor and supervise. Their authenticity, their hunger to grow and their eagerness to move toward their career and personal goals energize me daily. I find that when I approach each trainee with genuine curiosity about their developmental level, their intersecting identities and their unique aspirations, I am a better supervisor, a better teacher and a better partner in their growth. My individualized developmental approach to teaching and supervision is rooted in the belief that when we are curious about our students, we create the conditions for them to be curious about themselves and those they will serve.
I am equally inspired by the ever-evolving landscape of the helping professions and the students who are preparing to enter it. The modern demands placed on school psychologists, counselors and mental health professionals—including the ongoing need for trauma-informed approaches, culturally responsive practice and advocacy—push me to continuously grow and have fun alongside my trainees. It is not enough to teach the field as it was; I feel a responsibility to prepare students for the field as it is and as it must become. When I witness a trainee shift from uncertainty to confidence or when a former student reaches out to share how a skill developed under my supervision has taken root in their practice, I am reminded of why I do this work. That moment of transfer, of something learned becoming something lived, is what drives me most.
Proudest accomplishments
When asked about my proudest professional accomplishment, I find myself pausing. I have been fortunate to hold meaningful roles in service to the field, and each has shaped me in ways for which I am grateful. But the accomplishments that fill me with the deepest sense of pride are the ones that do not appear on my CV.
I am most proud of my trainees. Watching students I have supervised get into graduate school or provide skilled, culturally responsive psychological services to children, families and communities is the accomplishment I return to when I need to remember why this work matters. I am proud of the quiet, informal mentorship relationships built over time and of creating spaces where early career psychologists and students could be seen and celebrated, such as the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 16 (School Psychology) Student Poster Competition and our Temple School Psychology, Counseling Psychology and ABA Conference. Although I am humbled to serve as the director of the school psychology program at Temple and president-elect of APA Division 16, I hold those roles in the same spirit: as an opportunity to elevate others. I believe in the brilliance of others around me. If I have done my job well, it is evidenced not in what I have achieved but in what those I have grown alongside have gone on to do. That, to me, is the measure of a career worth having.
Memorable moments
Two moments define my time at Temple in ways I return to often. The first happens every so often, and it never gets old. Some students in my General Education course, Interpersonal Communication, are young adults with intellectual disabilities enrolled in Temple’s leadership and career studies program. They are some of the most enthusiastic and genuine learners I have had the privilege of teaching. When I run into them on campus and they call out to me “Jessica!!!,” wave or stop to chat, I am reminded of what teaching is really about. Those interactions are unscripted and unrehearsed, and they mean more to me than I can adequately express.
The second is more specific: the first in-person graduation ceremony after the pandemic. I had taught many of those students entirely through a screen, building relationships across semesters without ever being in the same room. To finally stand together, hug families I was meeting for the first time and cheer loudly for people I had come to care so deeply about was overwhelming in the best possible way. I am so fortunate to do this work, and that afternoon reminded me of that completely.
Part-Time Faculty Excellence in Teaching and Instruction Award
Christine Marie Borelli
Adjunct associate professor, policy, organizational and leadership studies
School/college: College of Education and Human Development
Area of focus: Educational leadership
Years at Temple: 5
Inspiration for teaching
My inspiration stems from a personal understanding of the transformative power of a great teacher. As a student who didn’t always thrive in traditional settings, I am driven by the memory of the children—like my younger self—who rely on brilliant educators to unearth their inner potential. Whether I am in the field as a leadership coach for school principals in the School District of Philadelphia or in the classroom at Temple, my priority remains the same: transforming educational opportunities for our children.
I believe education is a fundamental right and the ultimate escape from poverty. This belief drives me to prepare future educators and leaders to be unapologetic advocates for high-quality instruction and safe, inclusive schools regardless of a student’s zip code or background. My dual role allows me to bridge the gap between today’s real-world leadership challenges and the preparation of the next generation. I am motivated by the knowledge that through my students at Temple I am helping build a more equitable future where every child is seen, valued and empowered to succeed.
Proudest accomplishment
My proudest professional accomplishment is not a personal award but the success of my former students. Recently, I was contacted by a former student who had taken two of my courses while pursuing his master’s in school administration. He shared that, at the time, he never truly saw himself moving into a principalship. However, he reached out to tell me that he was now an award-winning principal.
He credited the discussions and projects from our time at Temple with inspiring him to step into leadership and giving him the tools to build a dynamic team. Under his leadership, his school was recognized for exceeding key performance goals after just two years. Hearing how he implemented strong, goal-aligned systems to drive school transformation is the ultimate reward. It reinforces why I teach: Without visionary leaders who are prepared to navigate the complexities of modern education, true transformation is not possible. Knowing that my work at Temple directly contributes to the success of school communities is what I value most.
Memorable moment
One of the most transformational experiences of my career was the opportunity to teach my Change Leadership course in Mandeville, Jamaica, through Temple’s partnership with Church Teachers’ College (CTC). Stepping into an international classroom required me to adapt my teaching practices to a new culture and an unfamiliar environment, but it quickly became a profound learning experience for me as much as it was for my students.
What struck me most was the universal nature of our work. Despite the geographic and cultural differences, I realized that the core challenges of school leadership are remarkably similar across borders. Whether in Philadelphia or Jamaica, the fundamental need for strong systems, visionary leadership and a relentless focus on student outcomes remains the same. This experience reinforced my belief that effective leadership is a universal language. Engaging with the dedicated graduate students at CTC reminded me that while our contexts may differ, the heart of our mission—transforming lives through education—is a global calling that transcends zip codes and borders.
Michael Norris
Adjunct instructor, music education and music therapy
School/college: Boyer College of Music and Dance
Area of focus: Music student teaching
Years at Temple: 21
Inspiration for teaching and research
Many of my earliest memories of growing up had something to do with music. Music was a part of our family. My father was a big band drummer, and my mother was a singer. There were always people coming to our home to play or listen to music. I recall my mother singing the American Song Book, and her piano player accompanist could play any tune in any key without written music on our piano stand. I thought this was magical. I wanted to be him. I must have been 5 years old. My father always had his friends at our home to listen to new records and rehearsed with them to work out new arrangements of great music. I noticed at an early age that music was fun, and the people involved in music were always happy and enjoying each other with big smiles on their faces. It made people happy in our neighborhood to just stop by and listen to all the fun happening in our house. I felt proud of our home and knew at a young age that I had to be a part of this thing called music. Why wouldn’t I? Why wouldn’t anyone? I grew up in a supportive diverse community with open arms and hearts believing that this is the way life is.
I was fortunate to have mentors along my journey who noticed my talents, believed in me, and motivated and challenged me to grow deeper in my musicianship. This was my introduction to what teaching is all about. I was not always a good student in school. I recall becoming curious as to why some teachers had a greater impact on me than others. What did they do? What do the best teachers do that can make a profound difference to many? This became a strong motivator to me. I wanted to be among the great teachers to provide the best learning environments possible for all. I remain a student of exploring research and my pursuit for learning how to motivate, inspire and remove all barriers that come in the way of the learning process.
Proudest accomplishment
I am driven each and every class to create the most positive, safe environment for all to provide hope, confidence and courage to fulfill their vision and dreams. Hope for each student to find the tenacity to excel. Confidence that each student will find their path. Courage for each student to trust their ability to figure it out.
I have been most fortunate and honored to collaborate with a team of colleagues at Boyer who are among the finest nationally and internationally in our profession. My proudest moments are when we all share the accomplishments of our former students as new colleagues in music education. There are many, and the list continues to grow.
Memorable moment
I attended the 2010 Winter Faculty Conference presented by the Teaching and Learning Center (now the Center for the Advancement of Teaching) at Temple. The conference title was What the Best College Teachers Do. I listened attentively and took many notes in the many breakout sessions presented by Temple professors during the day.
The transformative moment happened with the keynote speaker Ken Bain, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at New York University and author of What the Best College Teachers Do. I recall him speaking to the leading questions of what makes a teacher great and who are the professors that students remember long after graduation. His responses were surprising to me as the discussion focused not on what the teachers do but what they understand as well as how to engage and challenge students and provoke impassioned responses to questions in a natural, safe learning environment. This was a profound moment of inspiration and motivation that has provided me with constant renewal each semester in connecting and preparing pre-service teachers for the challenges in our wonderful profession in creating positive, safe learning environments with a focus on student-centered instruction.
Stephen Butler
Adjunct instructor, media studies and production
School/college: Klein College of Media and Communication
Areas of focus: Radio programming and production
Years at Temple: 7
Inspiration for teaching
I’m constantly inspired by student creativity—both in my classes and my role with the student radio station WHIP. It brings hope to the medium that was “home” in my first career. The enthusiasm for radio programming appears at the start of every term with many dozens signing up for shows on WHIP and now with an associated practicum. It offers a glimpse of what the radio industry should be taking note of.
Proudest accomplishments
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I was asked to help with a WHIP restart including some new equipment being offered through a grant. I've worked closely with Managing Director of Student Media John DiCarlo, and the station has come back on sturdier and more reliable footing to keep the airwaves flowing.
And, more recently, seeing a student in the first journalism class I taught become full-time Temple faculty. Kristina Hammerschmidt is now assistant professor and executive producer of Temple Update on TUTV.
Memorable moment
As I approached retirement from KYW Newsradio, Lew Klein invited me to his house for lunch, where we talked about what my future as a member of the adjunct faculty might look like. With a father who was a school district administrator and two uncles who were professors, I had been giving it a lot of thought. I decided to follow in their footsteps along with Lew and my KYW boss Roy Shapiro (Lew and Roy co-taught a course), and it has been a rewarding second act.
Excellence in Graduate Stewardship Award
David Futer
Professor, mathematics
School/college: College of Science and Technology
Areas of focus: Low-dimensional topology and geometry
Years at Temple: 18
Inspiration for research and teaching
My research in the mathematical areas of geometry and topology is driven by the quest to understand the geometry of potential mathematical shapes of our physical universe. We know our universe is three-dimensional, but we do not know what happens when you go in some direction for a very long time. Do you come back from some other entirely different direction like a sailboat going around the earth east to west? What are all of the ways that the universe connects back to itself? It is only in the last two decades that mathematicians have obtained a complete list of three-dimensional shapes that our physical universe can take. There are a ton of open questions about how the topology of interconnectedness influences geometric features like area and curvature. I’ve been lucky to have some amazing collaborators to explore these questions with me.
On the teaching front, I am constantly inspired by the way that Temple students persevere through obstacles to master challenging ideas. In undergraduate courses, we are always looking for ways to think more critically and more rigorously about abstract ideas. I have also really loved working with graduate students to explore three-dimensional geometry and discover beautiful new forms of symmetry.
Proudest accomplishment
I am particularly proud of the reforms to our graduate programs that led to this graduate stewardship award. As graduate chair of our department, I worked hard to make our graduate program more vibrant and more supportive. We launched a professional development seminar to prepare students for the PhD and provided better mentoring by both peers and faculty. All these efforts showed up in retention: The completion rate of our PhD program increased dramatically, as did the proportion of degrees granted to women. In the end, the reforms to our program made it a better experience for everyone.
Memorable moment
In fall 2021, right when the university returned to in-person learning, I taught a senior capstone course for math majors. The topic, focused on the geometry and symmetry of tiling patterns, was visually appealing but completely new to everyone in the class. In addition, this was the first time I had taught a class in an inquiry-based style in which students discover what’s true instead of being taught the information through a lecture. This was an amazing experience for all of us. Everyone was so excited to work together in the physical classroom, and everyone really leaned into the exploration. With lots of hands-on drawing and doodling, as well as some hard thinking, the group of students learned a ton of geometry and abstract algebra. This experience really transformed the way I think about teaching.
Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentorship
Lauren B. Alloy
Laura H. Carnell Professor of Psychology
Department: Psychology and Neuroscience
School/college: College of Liberal Arts
Areas of focus: Depression; bipolar disorder; developmental psychopathology; cognitive, psychosocial, developmental and neurobiological processes in mood disorders
Years at Temple: 37
Inspiration for teaching and research
In my teaching and mentoring, I am inspired by my students’ enthusiasm, creativity and motivation. I am particularly passionate about mentoring and strive to bring out the best in my students and help them develop into leaders in psychological science. I provide my students with much of my time and support as well as many opportunities. My core mentoring goal is to encourage my students to take intellectual ownership of their research and to help them develop their own signature scientific style and areas of expertise. I try to be generous in allowing my students to have the limelight.
“I always strive to keep the best interests of my students foremost in my mind and to promote their careers and visibility beyond what might be best for my own visibility.”
In my research, I am driven to advance the field of mood disorders both by promoting my students’ research and by finding answers to questions of who is most vulnerable to developing depression and bipolar disorder, why they are vulnerable (i.e., causal mechanisms), and when they are most vulnerable (developmental processes). My theoretical models and empirical findings supporting these models have had significant impact as well as translational implications for early identification of adolescents at risk for mood disorders and well-timed, scientifically grounded interventions that can help prevent or treat the ‘epidemic’ of mood problems during the vulnerable period of adolescence.
Proudest accomplishments
In general, my proudest professional accomplishments are when my doctoral students experience major successes such as getting their first author papers published, receiving their PhDs, winning major research awards, being hired as tenure-track assistant professors, and becoming major leaders in their fields and knowing that I have contributed to their successes. My proudest personal accomplishment was becoming the first woman and youngest full professor in the history of the Psychology Department at Northwestern University when I was 30 years old.
Memorable moments
Two highly similar memorable moments occurred several years apart after years of conducting two prospective, longitudinal, National Institute of Mental Health grant-funded studies. My colleagues, students and I found that we could predict: 1) which adolescents with no prior history of major depressive disorder would, in fact, develop a first onset of major depression (those with negative cognitive styles) and 2) which adolescents with no prior history of bipolar disorder would, in fact, develop a first onset of bipolar disorder (those who are hypersensitive to rewards). After many years of hard work, these findings were extremely exciting and groundbreaking and had profound implications for early identification and intervention with adolescents at risk for mood disorders.
Faculty Senate Outstanding Faculty Service Award
Michael McCloskey
Professor, psychology and neuroscience
School/College: College of Liberal Arts
Areas of focus: Aggression, intermittent explosive disorder, suicide, nonsuicidal self-aggression
Years at Temple: 17
Years at Temple: 28
Inspiration for research and teaching
With regard to my research, my early experiences working with individuals who were aggressive towards themselves and others made me want to better understand the myriad of factors involved that facilitate and maintain these maladaptive behaviors to help those who are struggling with aggression and self-harm. As for my teaching, I want to make learning engaging and fun for my students. I love what I do, and I want to transfer that enthusiasm for clinical psychology to them.
Proudest accomplishment
My proudest accomplishment is probably the number of students I have taught and mentored who have gone on to successful careers in psychology, be it in academia/research, clinical practice or some other area of psychology. I see my job as an educator and mentor as helping others acquire the skills to get to where they want to go in their careers, so when my students are able to achieve that goal, it makes me very happy.
Memorable moment
I remember attending a conference where one of my students was going to give a talk. She had prepared a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation, but just as she went to start the presentation, the computer in the conference room stopped working. After about five minutes of conference IT unsuccessfully trying to fix it, my student said “don’t worry about it,” and proceeded to give an absolutely outstanding presentation just off the top of her head. I was (and am) so proud of her!
Jill May Swavely
Professor of instruction, teaching and learning
School/college: College of Education and Human Development
Areas of focus: Language comprehension and development, language processes, literacy
Years at Temple: 25
Inspiration for teaching
Thirty-five years in the same academic institution—first as a graduate student and teaching assistant in 1991 and now as a faculty member completing my 25th year—has afforded me the opportunity to notice patterns. The pattern that has guided my teaching, research and service is my commitment to helping students feel seen, supported and capable of success.
My own path through Temple’s College of Education and Human Development shaped this commitment. I completed both my master’s and doctorate here while working as a teaching assistant, and like many graduate students, I experienced significant financial strain during those years. At that time, stipends were modest, and healthcare coverage was nonexistent; for several years I did not have health insurance at all. Those experiences gave me an appreciation for the resilience required to pursue advanced education while managing financial uncertainty. As I look back on my years as faculty, I’ve realized those years also helped me recognize how many of our students carry similar burdens. Because of this, I have often felt a strong connection with so many of the students I teach. I grew up in a working-class town, and although I was not a first-generation college student, my background has given me a perspective that aligns closely with those of many of my students. As my confidence as a teacher has grown, I have become more comfortable sharing excerpts from my own journey with them, and I truly believe some students’ knowledge that I can truly empathize with them has offered them hope. This perspective informs what I describe as a relationship-first teaching philosophy.
My experiences as a graduate student also shaped my approach to service. When efforts began to organize a graduate student union at Temple, I joined the steering committee because I understood firsthand the challenges that graduate assistants faced. While I completed my doctorate before the new contract benefits took effect, I remain proud of the role I played in helping establish a union that has since improved working conditions and healthcare access for many graduate students. Supporting that initiative was an early example of how I see service: as a way to strengthen the academic community for those who come after us.
Temple has been the professional home where I developed as a teacher, scholar and colleague. The opportunities I have received here have created a strong sense of responsibility to contribute to the continued growth of the institution and its students. Now that I have the experience and perspective to help guide initiatives within the College of Education and Human Development, I view leadership not simply as a professional role but as an extension of that commitment.
Proudest accomplishments
With 35 years at Temple, my unwavering and long-term commitment and contributions to the work of this institution are really what I’m most proud of. While there are benefits to experiencing multiple institutions throughout one’s career, there is also significant benefit to reflecting upon one’s growth within a single institution. I was raised with a strong work ethic and am very proud to have carried that forward here at Temple. I’ve experienced Temple from multiple angles over the years: student, teaching assistant, faculty member and leader. Taken together, my proudest accomplishment is consistency during which I have worked so hard to strengthen various aspects of the Temple community—both inside and outside the classroom.
Memorable moment
One of the most memorable and transformative experiences during my time at Temple occurred in 2017 when I was selected to participate in a two-week faculty and administrator delegation to China, led by the Confucius Institute. The trip was designed to strengthen institutional partnerships between Temple and one Chinese university and to deepen our understanding of educational and cultural contexts in China. It turned out to be the most significant professional experience of my career. Some of the most memorable experiences during our first week were visits to museums dedicated to everyday, seemingly mundane objects: an umbrella museum, a scissors museum and a fan museum. These visits broadened my perspective on how culture and ingenuity can be expressed through objects that are often overlooked in daily life.The second week of the trip was spent at Zhejiang Normal University, where I had the opportunity to meet with faculty who, like me, specialize in language education.
Despite differences in educational systems and classroom environments, we found common ground in our commitment to helping students develop academically and personally. Looking back, the trip was memorable not only because of the beautiful places we visited but also for the perspective it provided. It convinced me of the value of global education and that engaging with colleagues and cultures beyond our own institutions can challenge our assumptions, expand our thinking and ultimately enrich the work we bring back to our students and our university. I still frequently tell stories about that experience.
Stauffer Award for Distinguished Faculty Service
Ellen M. Unterwald
Professor and chair, neural sciences; professor, Center for Substance Abuse Research
School/college: Lewis Katz School of Medicine
Areas of focus: Cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in drug addiction; neuroadaptations in specific receptors, signal transduction pathways, and transcription factors that result from exposure to psychostimulants and opiates
Years at Temple: 28
Inspiration for research and teaching
At the heart of both my research and teaching is a deep curiosity about the workings of the brain and a commitment to sharing the thrill of discovery with others. My research focuses on understanding how the brain responds to external stimuli and how these responses shape behavior. In particular, I investigate the molecular mechanisms through which exposure to drugs can take over neural circuits involved in decision-making, learning and behavioral control—processes that, when disrupted, lead to addiction. Understanding these mechanisms is essential for developing better strategies to prevent and treat substance use disorders. My teaching is driven by the desire to share the excitement of discovery with our students and to instill in them the quest for new knowledge. I am inspired by the intellectual curiosity and talent of our students whose enthusiasm drives me to be a better teacher and mentor. The interplay between discovery in the lab and curiosity in the classroom reminds me daily of why I chose and love this career—to explore the unknown and help the next generation of scientists to do the same.
Proudest accomplishment
One of my proudest professional accomplishments is having served for 15 years as the director of the Center for Substance Abuse Research at Temple’s medical school—an experience that shaped both my professional path and personal growth. This role allowed me to work alongside exceptional faculty, staff and students united by a shared goal of discovering new treatments for substance use disorders and pain. Directing the center challenged me to grow as a leader as I aimed to foster an inclusive, collegial environment where everyone felt valued, supported and empowered to succeed. It has been a true privilege to work with such extraordinary individuals. Some of the most rewarding moments have been watching our early career faculty establish impactful research programs and be rewarded with academic promotion and tenure.
“To me, leadership is a form of stewardship—using one’s experience, influence and effort to build stronger communities, expand opportunities for others and create a more equitable academic environment.”
Memorable moments
Some of my most memorable and fulfilling moments at Temple have been watching our graduate students defend their doctoral dissertations—the moment when years of dedication, creativity and discovery come together in a single, defining presentation. It marks the culmination of their hard work in mastering new skills, absorbing vast knowledge and developing independent, original ideas that push the field forward. The day of the defense is both joyful and transformative—not only for the student, who becomes a colleague, but also for us as faculty, who see the lasting impact of mentorship come to life. It is a shared moment of reflection, pride and genuine celebration that captures the very spirit of Temple’s academic community.
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