University of Wisconsin - Stout
09/02/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/02/2025 09:44
UW-Stout faculty, instructional staff honored for educational excellence
As a new academic year begins, several members of the University of Wisconsin-Stout faculty and instructional staff have been honored for their outstanding educational efforts in the laboratory, classroom and beyond.
Among them are Emma Green, assistant professor of developmental psychology, and Pranabendu Mitra, associate professor of food science and technology, who were named 2025-26 Wisconsin Teaching Fellows and Scholarsby the Universities of Wisconsin. For the coming academic year, the pair will be part of an exclusive cohort of scholars selected from across 11 Universities of Wisconsin campuses.
The WTFS program provides UW faculty and teaching academic staff a unique opportunity to collaborate with exceptional teachers from other campuses and various disciplines. In addition to discussing effective evidence-based teaching and learning approaches, participants are guided through systematic research focused on improving student learning through a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) project.
Associate Professor Pranabendu Mitra
"I applied for this fellowship because I think that it is necessary to keep my eyes open on continuous improvement of teaching methods, as teaching is dynamic," Mitra said.
As part of the fellowship, Mitra and Green took part in a Faculty College retreat in May and a Summer Institute in June, which will be followed by a Winter Institute in December and a conference next April. At that conference, the fellows will present the results of their research on teaching and learning.
Mitra's research, which will begin this fall, is focused on how student-created lectures and project design will impact the "learning, intrinsic motivation and sense of belonging of the students." This research and the fellowship program itself will allow him to systematically study and refine his teaching practices, he said.
In addition, Mitra said, the experience "will benefit my students because I will be better equipped to support student success, motivation and sense of belonging."
Assistant Professor Emma Green
Likewise, Green hopes her upcoming research also benefits students, both directly and indirectly.
"Broadly, my project is a qualitative study that aims to understand post-secondary students' perception of evaluation in the academic setting," she said. "For example, what do students think other students think about them when they're called on in class?"
Green plans to involve students both as research assistants and participants, giving them an opportunity to learn about the research process firsthand and become inspired to pursue their own research.
"I hope that by understanding the perspectives of students, this could eventually lead to adaptive teaching techniques in understanding students' expectations and reactions to the post-secondary academic environment," Green added.
Educators honored as academic year begins
Six employees received the Outstanding Teacher award and two received the Outstanding Graduate Faculty award Aug. 25 at the Opening Day Presentation and Awards Recognition that kicked off the 2025-26 academic year.
The Outstanding Teaching Awards, which were voted on by UW-Stout undergraduate and graduate students, recognize a commitment to excellence and the university community. Recipients and their departments are:
- Saleh Alnaeli, associate professor, mathematics, statistics and computer science
- Julia Chapman, lecturer/program director, biology
- Avigdor Edminster, senior lecturer, social science
- Lauren Johnsen, assistant professor, English, philosophy and communication studies
- Nels Paulson, professor, social science
- Derek Sturgill, assistant professor, mathematics, statistics and computer science
The university's two colleges - the College of Arts and Human Sciences(CAHS) and the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management(CSTEMM) - coordinate the selection of their honorees via an internal process.
The Outstanding Graduate Faculty Awards recognize outstanding commitment, enthusiasm and assistance to the graduate student community. One award is given for each of the university's two colleges. The recipients are:
- Molly Welch Deal, assistant professor, counseling, rehabilitation and human services
- Laura Reisinger, assistant professor, hospitality and technology innovation
The eight recipients were recognized by Chancellor Katherine Frank during the academic year opening event at the Memorial Student Center.
UW-Stout fall semester classes begin Wednesday, Sept. 3. In fall 2024, UW-Stout had 221 faculty and 179 instructional academic staff.
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