E. Phillips Knox Distinguished Teaching Award

Established by Miami alumnus E. Phillips Knox, a 1968 graduate, the award recognizes creative, innovative, and engaging teaching methods at the undergraduate level. This award is conferred upon faculty members whose achievements unequivocally merit the recognition for excellence in teaching. Award winners receive a professional expense allocation of $3,000 in support of their teaching and for professional activities related to the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Faculty candidates for the Knox Award are nominated by their peers. Faculty must be nominated by October 15. Faculty who are nominated and eligible will be invited to submit an application packet by January 14. Selection of finalists will be made by February 15. The Knox Distinguished Teaching Award will be awarded at the Spring University Awards Ceremony. The process is described below.

Nomination Process

The process to nominate a faculty member for the Knox Award can be completed by sending an email to cte@miamioh.edu. The nominee's name, rank, and department should be included in the email.

First Round Selection Process

Eligibility Criteria

“The recipient must have a minimum of two years of teaching service at Miami University, be in good standing within the department; and be recognized by students for disseminating knowledge, improving the learning experience while encouraging students to think critically, understand context and be engaged with the learning experience through creative and innovative teaching methods” (Knox Memorandum of Understanding).

Application Packet Requirements

Application packets are due January 14 to cte@MiamiOH.edu.

The application packet must include 3 components:

  1. At least two letters (no more than 5 letters). One letter should be from your nominator and discuss how your teaching meet the criteria (see below). The second letter should also address the criteria. At least one of the letters should be from a faculty or staff member at Miami.
  2. A teaching narrative or statement of 2000 words or less. Please reflect on your teaching and discuss how you met the criteria and definition of teaching excellence. Please reference materials provided in your supporting materials and documented evidence.
  3. Supporting materials and documented evidence supporting the aforementioned aspects of excellence in teaching. Evidence might include, but is not limited to
    1. letters from students;
    2. examples of assignments/ student work with professor reflection on the work;
    3. evidence of teaching innovation over time;
    4. video (limited to 15 minutes) of teaching or student work;
    5. course evaluations (summative, formative, peer review, SGID);
    6. rationale for the selection of course materials;
    7. examples of teaching artifacts (e.g., electronic teaching portfolio, links to game or website of teaching materials; syllabi; assessments).

Supporting materials and documented evidence cannot exceed 15 pages (12 point font; Times New Roman; 1 inch margins; single or double spaced). When non-written materials (e.g., videos) or links to additional materials are included, be mindful that the review time of the supporting materials and documented evidence should be commensurate with the review of 15 written pages.

Criteria

The Knox winner possess qualities of a creative and innovative educator with a demonstrated record of fostering critical thinking and engagement of undergraduates along one or more of the following dimensions:

  • learning through inquiry, experimentation, and discovery
  • heightened awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity and the importance of global contexts
  • active participation in experiential learning and community partnerships

With these qualities and dimensions in mind, the review committee will evaluate the applications based on the features of teaching excellence listed below:

  1. positive student-faculty contact
  2. effective active learning
  3. achievable and high expectations
  4. respects diverse talents and ways of learning
  5. effective communication skills
  6. commitment to teaching well
  7. documented evidence of student learning outcome.

Please note: Past winners of the Knox Teaching Award or the Distinguished Teaching Award are not eligible until 10 years after their Knox or DTA award date.

Second Round Selection Process

Around February 1, the committee will meet to discuss the applications. Finalists who are selected will be invited for an interview (30 minutes or less) with the selection committee. Interview questions will be standard and provide the selection committee an opportunity to explore the finalists' teaching achievements further.


Prior Knox Award Winners

The Knox award winner was selected by the CTE committee by examining the nominees’ teaching portfolios. Teaching portfolios require the nominee to write a reflective statement explaining their approach to teaching to teaching and provide appendix items which provide examples of and evidence for the reflective statement. This reflective process is often seen as valuable by the nominees.

2023—Meredith Erb, Chemistry and Biochemsitry
2022—John Reynolds, Architecture and Interior Design
2021—Megan Gross, Speech Pathology & Audiology
2020—Sarah Watt, Educational Psychology
2019—Kristen Budd, Sociology and Gerontology
2018—A. John Bailer, Statistics
2017—Lynette Hudiburgh, Statistics
2016—Darrel Davis, Educational Psychology
2012—Rose Marie Ward, Kinesiology and Health
2012—Steven L. Tuck, Classics
2011—Kathleen N. Johnson, English
2010—Joseph Johnson, Psychology
2009—Stacey Lowery Bretz, Chemistry and Biochemistry
2008—Cathy Bishop-Clark, Computer and Information Technology-Middletown
2007—Olga Brezhneva, Mathematics and Statistics
2006—Kathy McMahon-Klosterman, Educational Psychology
2006—Anna Dollár, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
2005—Robert Vogel, Communication
2004—Philip Cottell, Accountancy
2004—Jeffrey Sommers, English, Middletown Campus
2003—Yildirim Dilek, Geology
2002—Timothy Melley, English
2001—Kay Snavely, Management
2000—Joan Fopma-Loy, Nursing, Hamilton Campus
1999—Claire Boge, Music
1998—Glenn Platt, Economics
1997—Steven Bauer, English
1996—Don Kaufman, Zoology
1995—Osama Ettouney, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering

University Distinguished Teaching Award Winners

(Ranks are listed at the time of selection and may not reflect subsequent promotions)

2015

  • Full Professor—Andrea J. Ridilla, Music
  • Associate Professor—Ellen J. Yezierski, Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Assistant Professor—Peter A. Jamieson, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Lecturer—Norm Krumpe, Computer Science and Software Engineering

2014

  • Full Professor—Rodney D. Coates, Black World Studies and Sociology and Gerontology
  • Associate Professor—Sergio L. Sanabria, Architecture and Interior Design
  • Assistant Professor—Andrew R. Casper, Art
  • Lecturer—Alysia A. Fischer, Global Initiatives

2013

  • Full Professor—Hays Cummins, Geography and Western Program
  • Associate Professor—James Moller, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
  • Assistant Professor—Martha Castañeda, Teacher Education
  • Lecturer—Joseph Bates, English

Deadlines

OCT 15 | Nominations due

JAN 14 | Application Packet due