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Faculty & Staff Awards

The dedicated, award-winning faculty and staff at the É«»¨Ìà College of Education drive our success. They’ve earned recognition within the university — and within the field — for excellence in teaching, research, service and support.

College Awards

Each year the College of Education recognizes excellence across our community — from outstanding teaching to collaborative research to exceptional service and support. Awards are typically presented in August to kick off the fall semester.

Current Winners (2025)

Distinguished Career Award

  • Julie C. Dunsmore, professor,  Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences

Faculty Research Excellence Award

  • Heather M. Dulas, assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies 
  • April Peters-Hawkins, professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies 
  • Virginia Snodgrass Rangel, associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies 

Teaching Excellence Award

  • Justin T. Burris, clinical associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
  • Heather M. Dulas, assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies 
  • Miao Li, associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Staff Excellence Award

  • Cindy Romero, program manager, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences

Staff Spirit Award

  • Debbie Gary, program coordinator, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies and Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
  • Emma Morales academic advisor, Office of Student Success

Past College Winners

Collaborative Research Excellence Award

  • Keith Butcher, associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Laveria Hutchison, associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
  • Allison Master, assistant professor, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
  • Virginia Snodgrass Rangel, associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Faculty Research Excellence Award

  • Blake Allan, associate professor, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences

Teaching Excellence Award

  • Carrie Cutler, clinical associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction 
  • Sissy Wong, associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Staff Excellence Award

  • Kevin Pham, web developer, CITE Lab

Staff Distinguished Service Award

  • Miranda Jasso, research administrator, Office of Research

Staff Spirit Award

  • Norquezdan Florence, program manager, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Jane Sidwell, academic advisor, Office of Student Success

Collaborative Research Excellence Award

  • Jie Zhang, associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction
  • Yali Zou, professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies; director, Asian American Studies Center

Faculty Research Excellence Award

  • Allison Master, assistant professor, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
  • Sissy Wong, associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction 

Teaching Excellence Award

  • Bulent Dogan, clinical associate professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction 
  • Alberto J. Rodriguez, distinguished professor, Department of Curriculum & Instruction 

Staff Excellence Award

  • Kaitlyn Dempsey, program manager, Department of Curriculum & Instruction 
  • Daniel Pineda, manager of college information services, CITE Lab

Staff Distinguished Service Award

  • Velvette Laurence, instructional designer, CITE Lab

Collaborative Research Excellence Award

  • Virginia Snodgrass Rangel, assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Faculty Research Mentoring Award

  • Lyle McKinney, associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Teaching Excellence Award

  • Tiffany J. Davis, clinical assistant professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Allison Master, assistant professor, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
  • Kristen Hassett, clinical associate professor, Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Staff Excellence Award

  • Miranda Jasso, research administrator, Office of Research
  • Karen Tran, department business administrator, Office of Finance

Staff Distinguished Service Award

  • Kevin Pham, web developer, CITE Lab
  • Shelley Townsend, program director, Parent Education Project

Staff Spirit Award

  • Nkemdilim Ibekwe, administrative assistant, Office of Undergraduate Studies

Collaborative Research Excellence Award

  • Lorraine Reitzel, professor, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
    Research Excellence Award
  • Elsa Gonzalez, assistant professor of higher education

Teaching Excellence Award

  • Keith Butcher, clinical assistant professor of educational leadership
  • April Peters-Hawkins, associate professor of educational leadership
  • Virginia Snodgrass Rangel, assistant professor of educational leadership

Staff Excellence Award

  • Isabel Martinez Leal, researcher, Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
  • Lena Mitchell, research administrator, previously in the Office of Research

Staff Distinguished Service Award

  • Jeylan Yassin, director, Office of Undergraduate Studies

Staff Spirit Award

  • Yonelly Gutiérrez, program manager, previously in the Department of Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Oluwasade Orebiyi, academic advisor, previously in the Office of Undergraduate Studies
     

Collaborative Research Excellence Award

  • Ruth López, assistant professor of educational leadership
  • Margit Wiesner, associate professor of measurement, quantitative methods and learning sciences

Research Excellence Award

  • Rosenda Murillo, associate professor of health
  • Virginia Snodgrass Rangel, assistant professor of educational leadership
  • Milena Keller-Margulis, associate professor of school psychology
  • Margit Wiesner, associate professor of measurement, quantitative methods and learning sciences

Teaching Excellence Award

  • Erica Jordan, clinical assistant professor of human development and family studies
  • Shawn Kent, assistant professor of special populations
  • Ruth López, assistant professor of educational leadership

Staff Excellence Award

  • Bridgette Jones, director of student affairs, Office of Graduate Studies

Staff Distinguished Service Award

  • Rebecca Perez, program manager, Department of Curriculum & Instruction

Collaborative Research Excellence Award

  • Lyle McKinney, associate professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Teaching Excellence Award

  • Carrie Cutler, clinical assistant professor, Curriculum & Instruction
  • Marcel de Dios, assistant professor, Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences
  • Kristen Hassett, clinical associate professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
  • Lyle McKinney, associate professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Staff Excellence Award

  • Paula Canada, events coordinator
  • Thu Nguyen, department business administrator

Staff Spirit Award

  • Nicole Switzer, administrative assistant, Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences