Taylor is 2027 Governor’s Award recipient, 12 receive annual Faculty Excellence Awards

Dr. Nina Adanin, associate professor of recreation in the School of Health Science and Wellness

Adanin exemplifies Northwest's mission through her commitment to instruction, curriculum development and student mentorship. She teaches diverse undergraduate and graduate courses and is continually redesigning her materials, assignments and instructional approaches to enhance student learning. Adanin emphasizes inclusive, culturally responsive, real-world learning that prepares students to become problem solvers and leaders. Her partnerships with the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals have created valuable internship opportunities and strengthened career readiness. Her pursuit of a GIS master's degree further reflects her commitment to professional growth, innovation and understanding the student experience.

Dr. Taylor Harrison, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics in the School of Mathematics and Statistics

Harrison is an exceptional teacher and mentor whose passion for student learning is evidenced in his commitment to student success. He meets students where they are while challenging them to grow academically and personally. Students consistently praise his availability, caring nature and ability to maintain high expectations while creating a supportive learning environment. During the last year, Harrison managed an exceptionally demanding teaching load, including new and graduate-level courses. His expertise enables him to teach a diverse range of mathematics courses, and he consistently develops strong instructional materials.

Dr. Joseph Haughey, professor of English in the School of Language, Literature and Writing

Haughey is recognized for extraordinary dedication to professional development. Rather than simply attending workshops, he completes intensive courses and travels nationally and internationally to experience Shakespeare productions firsthand. In 2025, he completed three University of Chicago courses and attended Shakespeare performances in Colorado, Oregon and England. He brings his extensive scholarly knowledge and firsthand experience to the classroom, enriching students' learning and inspiring new assignments and special topics courses. His enthusiasm and passion for literature create engaging learning experiences with students who describe his classes as enjoyable and memorable. His continual pursuit of knowledge and pedagogy distinguishes him as an outstanding educator and a deserving award recipient.

Dr. Alex Taylor, assistant professor of agricultural sciences in the School of Agricultural Sciences

Taylor has emphasized teaching excellence through innovation, industry-relevant and experiential instruction. He has developed courses in agroecology, soil science, remote sensing and regenerative agriculture while collaborating with offerings in computer science, chemistry and geology. Student evaluations exceed school averages, and students praise his expertise, passion, engaging lectures, relevant labs, organization and supportive focus on learning. Taylor continually improves his teaching, and his enthusiasm inspires students to pursue further study and research. Last year, he participated in eight professional development opportunities in areas that included AI, accessibility, course design and emerging agricultural issues.

Faculty Excellence Award for Service

Dr. Kristi Alexander, professor of professional education in the School of Education

Alexander is recognized for exceptional sustained contributions to students and the University. She provides exemplary advisement to more than 500 graduate students in the education specialist program that is both structured and deeply personal. She serves on the Tenure and Promotion Committee and supports junior faculty navigating the expectations of academic achievement. As a former Faculty Senate president, she continues to be widely sought for her insight as a trusted mentor, leader and tireless advocate for both students and colleagues at Northwest.

Dr. Alisha Campbell, professor of biology in the School of Natural Sciences

Campbell oversees scheduling, academic programming, planning, curriculum reviews and preparation for statewide transfer pathway changes. She leads recruitment efforts, including pre-professional biomedical visit days, which attract more than 30 families each term. She also advises approximately 50 students annually and develops strong relationships with those students. Additionally, she has chaired faculty searches, served on a dean search committee and contributed to Faculty Senate committees.

Cari Cline, senior instructor of computer science and information systems in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems

Cline demonstrates a commitment to student support, teaching and service at the school, university, regional and state levels. She advises undergraduate and graduate students, supports faculty and has led significant curriculum improvements, including capstone review, assessment procedures, rubric alignment, course updates and ADA compliance. She has assisted approximately 200 students through advising and academic support and taught four course overloads. She also serves on multiple committees and contributes to regional Future Business Leaders of America and business education initiatives. At the state level, she serves on the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's Computer Science Advisory Council and helps shape K-12 certification requirements and advanced computer science teacher certification opportunities for Northwest students.

Dr. Joe Kreizinger, professor of theatre in the School of Fine and Performing Arts

Kreizinger demonstrates exceptional sustained engagement in service and student support at the program, school and college levels. His leadership roles and volume of service reflect a high degree of trust, administrative competence and professional credibility among colleagues. Kreizinger's substantial student support efforts include advising all speech and theatre education students, all performance majors and most theatre minors, complemented by active participation in advanced standing reviews and the implementation of annual end-of-year student reviews. His sponsorship of three student organizations, coordination of recruitment initiatives, leadership of weekly theater department meetings and oversight of recruitment service award recipients reflect consistent mentorship and community building.

Faculty Excellence Award for Scholarship

Dr. Kim Casey, professor of political science in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Casey has demonstrated exceptional scholarly productivity during the last year. She published an article commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a book review and co-authored an article in the Missouri Policy Journal. She and a student presented related research at the Southern Political Science Association conference, which contributed to the field and helped ensure the student's admission to graduate school. Additionally, Casey has authored four chapters for an edited volume about Missouri government and politics, forthcoming in spring 2027. She wrote two solo chapters and two authored chapters about state executives and Missouri's urban-rural divide.

Dr. Himadri Chakraborty, professor of physics in the School of Natural Sciences

Chakraborty has a longstanding reputation as one of the preeminent researchers at Northwest with four manuscripts published in top-tier research journals during the last year. He and members of his research team have also presented their work at conferences to an international audience, including an invited presentation at the Indian Institutes of Technology. Further, he and his team received a major federal grant from the National Science Foundation of $490,000, a level of highly competitive federal funding that is rare for researchers from primarily undergraduate institutions like Northwest.

Dr. Shantel Farnan, associate professor of professional education in the School of Education

Farnan demonstrates exceptional scholarly productivity and leadership through her research, publications and mentorship of colleagues. In 2025, she co-authored the textbook "Special Education in Today's Diverse Classroom." She also served as a manuscript reviewer for two journals, Teacher Education and the Journal of Special Education Programs, and presented at professional conferences as well as Northwest professional development days. Equally impressive is her commitment to mentoring junior faculty, helping colleagues navigate scholarly processes and develop publications that support their professional growth.

Dr. Gary Zhao, assistant professor of computer science and information systems in the School of Computer Science and Information Systems

Zhao had six publications in 2025 that addressed DevOps, adaptive learning, generative AI, information security, machine learning and public perceptions of AI. He also secured multiple research grants, including a 2025 grant supporting a large language model-based AI agent for learning management systems. Zhao actively involves students in research mentoring projects, presenting at regional and national conferences and securing profession-based learning grants for cybersecurity. His scholarship service also includes reviewing for academic journals and magazines.