The University of Dubuque Inducts Andrew Jones and Jeffrey Haverland into Faculty Hall of Fame

DUBUQUE, Iowa - The University of Dubuque inducted Andrew Jones, MFA, and Jeffrey Haverland, EdD, into its Faculty Hall of Fame for Excellence in Teaching and Advising on Thursday, April 16, 2026, during an awards ceremony at the Dubuque Golf and Country Club.

Established in 1996, the Faculty Hall of Fame for Excellence in Teaching and Advising recognizes UD's outstanding and distinguished faculty.

Jones, professor of English and creative writing, received the 2026 John Knox Coit Prize. Haverland, professor of teacher education, assistant head of the Department of Teacher Education, and faculty chair, received the 2026 William L. Lomax Award.

"To be nominated and honored by one's peers is a quiet affirmation from those who understand the work most deeply," said Adam Hoffman, PhD, vice president for academic affairs. "Professor Jones leads by example and builds connections with his students inside and outside of the classroom. He is committed to student learning and builds their trust by meeting each student where they are and helping them achieve goals they themselves often don't think are possible. Professor Haverland cares about his students and works tirelessly in going above and beyond to help create learning environments that bring out the best in everyone that interacts with him. He doesn't just support the University's Mission, he lives it each and every day."

2026 JOHN KNOX COIT PRIZE

Andrew Jones, MFA
Professor of English and Creative Writing

Andrew Jones, MFA, believes in the power of recognizing and cultivating the individual voices that students bring to writing or literature courses.

"I want students to explore and meander about ideas and beliefs; I don't want them to simply repeat my opinions or interpretations," he said. "I view my job as helping students blossom into more complex and thoughtful versions of themselves."

Jones earned his bachelor of arts in English from California State University, East Bay in Hayward, California, where he also completed coursework in the master's degree program related to American literature. In fall 2002, looking to explore a different landscape, he moved to the Minnesota-North Dakota border to pursue graduate work in creative writing. In 2004, Jones completed his master of fine arts in creative writing and a graduate certificate in publishing at Minnesota State University Moorhead in Moorhead, Minnesota.

While at MSU Moorhead, Jones interned for New Rivers Press. He worked as a freelance editor and proofreader after graduation on projects for Hoover Institution Press and Sourcebooks. It was the publishing industry that first brought Jones to Dubuque, where he served as a project editor for S4Carlisle Publishing Services, managing the publication process for textbooks from Pearson Education, poetry anthologies from University of Iowa Press, and technical books from Microsoft Press, among others. It was during this initial time in Iowa that Jones began adjuncting in English for UD.

From summer 2008 to fall 2012, Jones and his family lived in the San Francisco Bay Area. During this time, he worked as a production editor for Key Curriculum Press and oversaw the production of high school math and science textbooks. Throughout this time, Jones also continued to work on his own writing, publishing poems, fiction, and nonfiction in literary journals such as Sierra Nevada Review, Tattoo Highway, Farmhouse Magazine, and more.

In fall 2012, Jones and his family returned to Dubuque after the sale of Key Curriculum Press. He began teaching three courses a semester and one course during J-Term as an adjunct at UD, while also picking up courses at other local higher education institutions.

"The students and the community of UD stood out to me while I was an adjunct at multiple colleges in Dubuque," Jones said. "I'd leave one school and head to another, but the students at UD - with their diverse backgrounds and interests - always made the strongest impression and offered the greatest interactions."

Jones was hired as a teaching specialist in fall 2016 and has since achieved the rank of full professor. The Spartans community remains a source of inspiration.

"I always go back to the students first," Jones said. "They continue to be so unique in their passions and experiences and the voices they allow me to hear. And then there's the greater campus community. I enjoy walking around campus and being able to stop and chat with so many great people - from my faculty colleagues to Jane in security or Russ in groundskeeping. It's hard to be invisible on this campus."

Jones has kept writing during his time at UD. His work has appeared in anthologies such as Visiting Bob: Poems Inspired by the Life and Work of Bob Dylan, Poetry is Dead II: Poems Inspired by the Grateful Dead, and Elements of Creative Writing. He is the author of the poetry collections Moving Like Dim Ghosts and Liner Notes, as well as the co-author of the chapbook Songenizios with fellow poet Michael Garrigan, MA. Jones presented at the North American Review's 50th anniversary conference and many times at the Baseball in Literature and Culture conference, among others.

"As a writer, I'm a big proponent of the act of revision," Jones said. "I think this has influenced my teaching by prompting me to revise my classroom practices, course materials, and assignments with regularity. The act of being a writer entails sharing work that is extremely personal with a public audience. I think this aspect has transferred over to my teaching style in the way that I try to interact with classes in a grounded and authentic manner that builds trust between us."

Jones lives in Dubuque with his wife and fellow writer, Angela, and their daughter, Aili, an accomplished member of the Dubuque City Youth Ballet.

2026 WILLIAM L. LOMAX AWARD

Jeffrey Haverland, EdD
Professor of Teacher Education, Assistant Head of the Department of Teacher Education, Faculty Chair

Jeffrey Haverland, EdD, applied twice to UD and was offered a job twice, but he felt like he wasn't ready the first time around. He questioned whether he had the skillset to teach college when he was initially offered a position, having only been in public education for a decade at the time, never having been a school administrator, and having yet to achieve his doctoral degree.

"When I said no the first time, I really figured I would never have the opportunity again, but years later, after working as a principal and nearly done with my doctorate, I found myself accepting a position here," Haverland said. "There has always been something about this place that sits differently with me. I was drawn here because this was a place that cared for its students and a place where people seemed genuinely happy to teach. There was a community here that was magnetic, and I really saw myself helping students become teachers. It is here where I truly came to believe in the power of being a part of a mission-focused organization."

He joined UD in 2016 and is currently a professor of teacher education, assistant head of the Department of Teacher Education, and faculty chair. In addition to these duties, Haverland works to improve preservice teacher knowledge of ethics, risk, defensible decision-making, professional conduct, and Title IX.

"I have always believed that every student can learn and that intelligence is not fixed and that a high-quality teacher can change lives," Haverland said. "I believe that we cannot expect students to learn what they do not find engaging, and I believe we have a duty to create and offer content that is authentic. I believe in holistic learning and that students will be far more successful in life when they have opportunities to practice emotional intelligence and durable skills alongside academics. I believe that it is our job as educators to provide hope and optimism through supportive interventions and to help students build self-efficacy and develop self-systems that make them more resilient and adaptable. Although the ultimate job of any educator is student achievement, I believe this is only possible when there is a focus on supportive relationships and shared accountability."

Haverland earned his bachelor of science in biology and secondary education from Loras College in Dubuque, his master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and his doctoral degree from Edwood University in Madison, Wisconsin.

He has held a variety of roles in education, each one shaping him into who he is today. Haverland taught junior high/middle school in Dubuque for 10 years and was a National Board Certified Teacher in Science and Early Adolescence before he became a curriculum coordinator with the Dubuque Community School District. He also served as a PK-8 principal at Aquin Catholic School in Cascade, Iowa.

"The Dubuque Community Schools were my first home, and it is there where I found myself seeing how transformative education could be for students and where I really began to understand that education is the tool that drives equity and equality in a society," Haverland said. "No matter where you start from, you really can go farther than you may have ever thought possible. The Dubuque Community Schools offered me a place to hone the leadership skills that I needed to become a principal and impact change differently. It is in my role as a PK-8 principal at Aquin in Cascade, Iowa, where I learned one of the most important lessons in life: a hallmark of effective leadership is giving people the tools and support necessary to help them carry out their vocation with minimal disruptions and the greatest opportunities for personal success."

Haverland serves on the executive board of the National Center to Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct, and Exploitation, a national organization working to stop educator misconduct; as a planning member of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification's Professional Practices Institute; as a coach for GRAD Partnership, working with K-12 school districts to tackle issues around chronic absenteeism; and as a restorative practitioner representative for the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. He was recently named president-elect for the Iowa Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Haverland also proudly serves as an EMT and firefighter for the Centralia-Peosta Fire Department.

Haverland and his wife, Amy, live in Peosta, Iowa, and have two children, Jack and Anna.

ABOUT THE FACULTY HALL OF FAME

Thanks to the generosity of UD Board of Trustees member Richard "Dick" (C'71) and the late Donna Svrluga, the Faculty Hall of Fame for Excellence in Teaching and Advising was established in 1996 to recognize faculty for their outstanding teaching and advising as well as their commitment to the Mission of the University of Dubuque.

John Knox Coit Prize
An integral member of the Department of Philosophy from 1955 to 1965, Professor Coit was more than a teacher. He became a mentor and friend to his students. Known as a "man of wit," he made a lasting impression on his students. Coit died in 1995 at the age of 79.

William L. Lomax Award
Fondly remembered by his students who studied business, Professor Lomax was smart, tough, fair, no-nonsense, and fun. As a member of the Department of Business from 1953 to 1969, he influenced the lives of many students. Lomax died in 1986 at the age of 83.

The Faculty Hall of Fame wall is displayed on the second floor of Heritage Center.