Excellence in Teaching Award

The Excellence in Teaching Award goes to an inspirational and transformational faculty member* from one of the following colleges: 

  • Business and Economics
  • Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Fine and Performing Arts
  • The College of the Environment
  • Woodring College of Education

*Please Note: Only Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, or Professors are eligible for this award. (Instructors, Lecturers, Senior Instructors are not eligible. Please check the staff directory for faculty titles.)

Nominations for the 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award are now CLOSED. Thank you to those that took the time to nominate a faculty member for this award!

Selection Criteria

The criteria that will be considered include:

  • Inspirational/Transformational and value of learning for career/life decisions/etc.
  • Vision, purpose, and intentionality for teaching
  • Engagement beyond class, mentoring student (students, other faculty, etc.)
  • Innovative pedagogy, continual development
  • Overall awesomeness

Nominees will be asked to provide the following nomination materials in order to be considered for this award:

  • CV
  • Statement of Teaching (no longer than 3 pages)
  • Teaching Evaluations (evaluations should be representative of courses taught in the last three years, including written student comments as well as any numerical data available.
  • Course Materials, Syllabi, Exams, Etc.
  • Contact info for up to 5 references familiar with nominee's teaching - including name, email address, and category (student/alumni/faculty at WWU/faculty external to WWU). Dean's office will request recommendation letters from these individuals, which will be treated as confidential and not be shown to the candidate.
  • Examples of Student Work (optional)

Award/Recognition

The award recipient will be presented with a Western medallion award at the Celebration of Excellence Awards in May. This award also includes a payment of $2,500, made possible by the Western Washington University Foundation. (Please note: for each payment, the University also contributes approximately $1,553.66 for tax related deductibles plus benefits for a total expenditure of approximately $3,553 per award).

Award Administration

The College of the Environment and Woodring College of Education (rotates).

The 2026 Excellence in Teaching Award will be coordinated by the College of the Environment. Please contact the College of the Environment Dean's office with any questions.

Nomination Process

Nominations for the Excellence in Teaching Award are now CLOSED. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff members could nominate faculty members (Professors, Assistant Professors, or Associate Professors, from the colleges listed above) for the Excellence in Teaching Award by the nomination deadline of January 23, 2026.

2026

Sarah Jo Monaghan wearing a colorful blouse and fun pink glasses

Sarah Jo Monaghan - Theatre & Dance

Sarah Jo Monaghan is the assistant professor of Costume Design & Technology in the College of Fine and Performing Arts, Department of Theatre & Dance. She was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and is a costume designer, garment pattern maker and educator. 

She holds an MFA in costume design from the University of California, Irvine, a post graduate certification in creative pattern cutting from the University of the Arts, London College of Fashion and a bachelor’s degree in costume design and garment technology from Western Washington University’s Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies.  

Prior to her work as an educator, Monaghan worked in the professional theater industry as a garment pattern maker and technician. Her priority as an educator is building an interdisciplinary program in costume design and technology, training students to be both innovative artists and skilled technicians and makers. Her teaching and research areas include costume design, garment construction and pattern making, digital illustration, props design, wig dressing and theatrical stage makeup.

Art is the lens through which humanity understands the past. Monaghan’s work as an educator integrates an active examination of the ethical responsibilities of artists and makers. In her teaching practice Monaghan prioritizes modeling accountability and developing critical thinking tools with students so they can build the artistic legacy they want to leave behind in their own work.
 

Past Awardees

1 awardee(s) for this year

2025 Awardees

Dr. Debi Hanuscin proudly wearing her WWU award medallion

Debi Hanuscin - Elementary Education

Debi Hanuscin is a professor in Woodring’s Elementary Education Program and teaches in the Science, Math, & Technology Education (SMATE) Program. Her research and scholarship focuses on the teaching and learning of science, particularly teacher development and learning. She has authored several books and currently runs an active research program funded by the National Science Foundation.

In the classroom, Debi draws upon her own experiences as an elementary classroom teacher and museum educator. Her classes focus on helping students analyze how their own teachers have shaped their views of science and developing a vision for effective science education. Her own teaching models research-based approaches that promote equity, foster a sense of belonging in science, and deepen conceptual understanding. Students’ knowledge and skills are honed through authentic experiences designing and enacting instruction in collaboration with schools and informal education programs. Outside the classroom, she is faculty advisor to the WWU student chapter of the National Science Teaching Association, and she mentors undergraduate researchers.