College of Education

About Us Admissions & Academics Research & Engagement Departments & Faculty Current Students

College of Education Faculty & Staff Annual Awardees Named

by Communications Office / May 22, 2024

Education at Illinois 2023-24 Awards and Recognitions

The College of Education’s Faculty and Staff Awards Committee is pleased to announce the faculty, staff, and students who are recipients of the College’s 2023-24 annual awards. Honorees were recognized in person and virtually on May 8 at the College’s Spring Faculty Meeting at the Education building.

We also recognize the College’s faculty and students who have won the 2024 College Research Awards highlighted at the Spring Faculty Meeting. Additionally, College of Education faculty and staff scheduled to retire this academic year were honored for their service. Please visit the College of Education on Facebook for photos and to congratulate our 2024 awardees. Congratulations to all on their accomplishments!

College of Education Faculty and Staff Awards

Distinguished Staff Award
Amy Hager, Human Resources

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award
Curtis Mason, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award
Jennifer Cromley, Educational Psychology

Excellence in Online Teaching Award
Giselle Martinez Negrette, Curriculum & Instruction

Outstanding Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants
Victoria Quirk, Educational Psychology

Outstanding Faculty Mentoring Award
Nick Burbules,
Education Policy, Organization & Leadership

Outstanding Faculty Award for Public Engagement
Emily Tarconish, Special Education

Spitze-Mather Faculty Award for Excellence
Aixa Marchand, Educational Psychology

David Zola Distinguished Teaching Career Award
Denice Ward Hood, Education Policy, Organization & Leadership

Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research

Mónica González Ybarra, Curriculum & Instruction

Academic Professional Excellence Award
Stephanie Haas, Human Resources

Bureau of Educational Research Awards

Dissertation Award Winners

  • Rayan H. Alqunaysi, Special Education (adviser, Hedda Meadan-Kaplansky)
  • Amos Jeng, Educational Psychology (adviser, Michelle Perry)
  • Marisol Jimenez, Curriculum & Instruction (adviser, Mónica Gonzalez)
  • Juan Pinto, Curriculum & Instruction (adviser, Luc Paquette)
  • Teneka Richardson, Education Policy, Organization & Leadership (adviser, Rachel Roegman)
  • Shuchi Sinha, Curriculum & Instruction (adviser, Arlette Willis)
  • Adriana K. Terol Aveiro, Special Education (adviser, Hedda Meadan-Kaplansky)
  • Christy Yoon, Special Education (adviser, Hedda Meadan-Kaplansky)
  • Jiadi Zhang, Curriculum & Instruction (adviser, Idalia Nuñez Cortez)

Hardie Faculty Fellow Awards

  • Mónica González Ybarra, Curriculum & Instruction
  • Nidia Ruedas-Gracia, Educational Psychology

Hardie Distinguished Scholar Awards

  • Christina Krist, Curriculum & Instruction
  • William Cope, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

Bureau of Educational Research Seed Grants

  • Effective Communication Skills for Middle Schoolers: Self-Regulated Strategy Development Language Instruction: Amber Ray, Special Education
  • Geographies of Youth Resistance: Understanding Youth of Color’s Political Education and Activism in Suburban Schools: Gabriel Rodriguez, Jon Hale; Education Policy, Organization and Leadership
  • Rural Administrators’ Facilitation of Career Development for Students with Disabilities: An Interdisciplinary Mixed Methods Study: Michele Schutz, Special Education; Rachel Roegman, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership
  • Examining the Experiences and Needs of Graduate Students with Disabilities: Emily Tarconish, Special Education; Jon Hale, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership

College of Education 2024 Faculty and Staff Retirees

  • Johnell Bentz, Teaching Associate Professor, Special Education
  • Nicholas Burbules, Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership
  • Sheila Dean, Senior Lecturer, Curriculum & Instruction
  • Lisa Denson-Rives, Assistant Dean, Advancement
  • Sarah McCarthey, Sheila M. Miller Professor, Curriculum & Instruction
  • Michaelene Ostrosky, Grayce Wicall Gauthier Professor, Special Education
  • James Rounds, Professor, Educational Psychology