Purpose and Description

Miami University established the Alumni Teaching Scholars Program in 1978 with the support of a three-year grant from the Lilly Endowment. The Program won the 1994 Hesburgh Award, given to the best faculty development program that enhances undergraduate education in the United States. Beginning in 2021 the program was renamed the Advancing Teacher Scholars to honor the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) developed by Dr. Milton D. Cox. The community is offered every other year. 

Community membership is made available to pre-promotion tenure-track and teaching, clinical professor, or lecturer (TCPL) faculty early in their careers. This community assists members in developing their teaching abilities by participating in a yearlong series of differentiated activities that contribute to and culminate in pedagogy-based projects related to teaching and learning. They work with experienced faculty who co-facilitate and collaborate with the Teacher Scholars in community building. ATS participants receive $1,000 in professional development funds for their participation and work in the community. 

The objectives of the Advancing Teacher Scholars Community are to provide experiences with the following:

• Innovative Teaching and Learning: Engage in pedagogical conversations with other colleagues using research on teaching and learning to inform the design of a teaching project. 
• Assessment: Develop a greater understanding of the uses of formative and summative evaluation of teaching and student learning.
• Community: Build interdisciplinary connections to support early-career faculty who share an enthusiasm for teaching and learning.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Enhance awareness around diversity that can lead to more inclusive classroom practices.

Criteria for Membership:

• commitment to quality teaching
• sustained responsibility to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• level of interest in the program
• openness to new ideas
• potential for contributions to the program
• plans for teaching innovations

Activities

Advancing Teacher Scholars participate in activities and experiences for personal growth and classroom practice grounded in the scholarship of teaching. Recent seminar topics include engaging students through open-ended questioning and discussion, using assessment to evaluate teaching, reflecting on the role of identity and positionality in teaching, creating more inclusive classroom spaces, and developing expertise in multiple modalities of learning. In November, ATS members attend the Lilly Conference on College Teaching, where they interact with nationally known teacher-scholars.

Assessment/Outcomes

Advancing Teacher Scholars pursue self-designed teaching projects that emerge from the yearlong activities and experiences. They design and implement a classroom intervention, assess how it impacted student learning, present findings to the campus community, and receive feedback to further inform their projects.

Recent Recipients

2023-24

• Dilge Dilsiz, Art
• Thomas Farnbacher, Management
• Elizabeth Hoover, Music; Co-Facilitator
• Yingbin Hu, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
• Ashlyn Johnson, Nursing
• Chelsea Meyers, Sports Leadership & Management
• Oluchi Nwokocha, Theatre
• Meghan Phadke, Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry
• Shawnieka Pope, Family Science and Social Work
• Sam Reenan, Music
• Jinjuan She, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
• Jeffrey Wanko, Teaching, Curriculum, and Educational Inquiry; Co-Facilitator
• Anne Whitesell, Political Science
• Elizabeth Zwilling, Nursing

2021-22

• Mithun Bhowmick, Mathematical and Physical Sciences
• Kristy Brann, Educational Psychology
• Hirenkumar Gami, Engineering Technology
• Chelsea Green, Finance
• Elizabeth Hoover, Music; Co-Facilitator
• Aaron Pergram, Music
• Scott Sander, Teacher Education; Co-Facilitator
• Jay Shan, Information Systems and Analytics
• Maija Sipola, Geology & Environmental Earth Science
• Zack Tucker Art
• Lisa Werwinski, Statistics

2019-20

• Kevin Ballard, Kinesiology and Health
• Jacob Brindley, Economics
• Durell Callier, Educational Leadership
• Milt Cox, CTE; Co-Facilitator
• Elizabeth Hoover, Music; Co-Facilitator
• Anna Radke, Psychology
• Eric Rapos, Computer Science & Software Engineering
• Mohammad Sarabi, Mathematics

2018-19

• Britt Burlile, Nursing
• Milt Cox, CTE; Co-Facilitator
• Karen De Meyst, Accountancy
• Sina Esteky, Marketing
• Jason Gaddis, Mathematics
• Thembinkosi Peter Mkhatshwa, Mathematical & Physical Science
• Brooke Spangler Cropenbaker, Psychology; Co-Facilitator
• Mehdi Bakhshi Zanjani, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
• Alexis Zehler, Nursing

2017-18

• Hakam Alomari, Computer Science and Software Engineering
• Stephanie Baer, Art
• Rhett Brymer, Management
• Milt Cox, CTE; Co-Facilitator
• Amélie Davis, Geography and Institute for the Environment and Sustainability
• Hannah Lee, Marketing
• Eyad Musallam, Nursing
• Amy Roberts, Family Science and Social Work
• Banafsheh Seyed-Aghazadeh, Engineering Technology
• Brooke Spangler Cropenbaker, Psychology; Co-Facilitator
• Todd Stuart, Arts Management and Entrepreneurship
• Sarah Watt, Educational Psychology
• Marly Wooster, Theatre

2016-17

• Michelle Buchberger, Integrative Studies
• Milt Cox, CTE, Co-Facilitator
• Scott Dust, Management
• Michael Hatch, Art
• Elizabeth Hoover, Music
• Peter Jamieson, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Co-Facilitator
• Mary Kovach, Business Technology
• Claire McLeod, Geology and Environmental Earth Science
• Jane Richey, Educational Psychology
• Scott Sander, Teacher Education
• Aaron Shield, Speech Pathology and Audiology
• Jing Wang, Marketing

2015-16

• Michael Conger, Farmer School of Business
• Michelle Cosmah, Teacher Education
• Milt Cox, CTE, Co-Facilitator
• Stephanie Danker, Art
• Greg Fisher, Farmer School of Business
• Saffron Henke, Theatre
• Peter Jamieson, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Co-Facilitator
• Ziying Jiang, Geography
• Dara Marshall, Accountancy
• Lucinda Parmer, Business Technology

2014-15

• Mazyar Amin, Engineering Technology
• Neil Brigden, Marketing
• Dennis Cheatham, Art
• Milt Cox, CELTUA, Facilitator
• Krishnendu Ghosh, Computer Information Technology
• Jennifer Rode, Nursing
• Mahauganee Shaw, Educational Leadership
• Madhu Sinha, Integrative Studies
• Chris Sutter, Management
• Mary Elizabeth Thompson, Finance

2013-14

• Milt Cox, CELTUA, Facilitator
• Heidi Ewen, Sociology & Gerontology
• Keith Fennen, Philosophy
• Kristina Gehrman, Philosophy
• Jonathan Grenier, Accountancy
• Yasmin Jessa, Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Thomas Mays, Business Technology
• Stephen Quaye, Educational Leadership
• Damon Scott, Geography; American Studies