Two faculty receive first-ever Teaching Catalyst Award

Lindsey Payne, director of service learning and assistant professor of practice in environmental and ecological engineering, and Kim Illingworth, assistant dean for learning and assessment and professor of pharmacy practice, received the inaugural Teaching Catalyst Award at the annual Celebration of Teaching Excellence.

The pair received the newly created, selective award for their work on the Framework for Teaching Excellence and the associated Guide for Developing and Documenting Teaching Excellence – part of the Purdue Road Map for Transformative Undergraduate Education.

“Because great teaching is foundational to each element of the Road Map, we first wanted to establish how Purdue defines teaching excellence,” said Jay Akridge, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity.

Akridge turned to Payne and Illingworth and Purdue’s Teaching Academy to lead the campuswide effort.

“Lindsey and Kim worked tirelessly through a deliberative multiyear process that included guidance from the Teaching Academy, input from the campus community and a deep look at the research on high-impact teaching,” Akridge said. “Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we have a framework to help us define, advance, document and promote teaching excellence at Purdue.”

The Teaching Catalyst Award is a special designation from the Office of the Provost for extraordinary and prolonged efforts to improve education at Purdue. The award is new for 2022 and going forward will recognize Purdue instructors who surpass their role as educators; inspire others toward institutional change; and take steps above and beyond their discipline, department and college to ensure that all Boilermaker students benefit from excellent teaching.

Payne and Illingworth were both surprised and honored to receive the award and quick to acknowledge the help of their colleagues. 

“So many people collaborated with us on this project,” Payne said. “Shamila Janakiraman, a postdoctoral researcher and faculty member in the learning design and technology program, was critical to the development of the framework.”

Illingworth added: “We also worked closely with Dr. Kristina Bross, associate dean for research and creative endeavors for the Honors College, and Greg Strimel, associate professor of technology and innovation in the Purdue Polytechnic, along with the Teaching Excellence Advisory Council. Council members included faculty members from units across campus, which allowed us to hear different perspectives and informed the development of the Framework and Guide.”

Members of the Teaching Excellence Advisory Council are:

• Kelly Blanchard, clinical associate professor, associate dean for undergraduate programs, School of Management.
• Alex Carignan, graduate student, Department of Mathematics, College of Science.
• Natasha Duncan, associate dean for academic and international affairs, clinical associate professor, John Martinson Honors College.
• Marcos Fernandez, professor of animal sciences, former associate dean and director of academic programs, College of Agriculture.
• Jennifer Hall, senior lecturer, communications, College of Liberal Arts.
• Heather Howard, associate professor, Libraries and School of Information Studies.
• Signe Kastberg, professor and the Mary Endres Chair in Elementary Education, College of Education, and Faculty Affairs Committee lead, Purdue University Senate.
• Rachael Kenney, associate professor, mathematics education, College of Education.
• John Lumkes, professor, agricultural and biological engineering, College of Engineering.
• David Nelson, associate director, Center for Instructional Excellence.
• Larry Nies, professor of civil engineering and environmental and ecological engineering, College of Engineering.
• David Rollock, 150^th Anniversary Professor of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences.
• Kathy Salisbury, 150^th Anniversary Professor of Veterinary Medicine, associate dean for academic affairs, College of Veterinary Medicine.
• Charlene Sullivan, professor emerita, School of Management.
• Sandra Sydnor, associate professor of hospitality and tourism management, College of Health and Human Sciences.
• Marcy Towns, Bodner-Honig Professor of Chemistry, College of Science.
• Zach Weber, clinical professor of pharmacy practice, director of interprofessional education, College of Pharmacy.