Each spring, West Virginia University recognizes selected faculty members for their exceptional and innovative teaching. This year, the 2021 WVU Foundation Awards for Outstanding Teaching honors five faculty members:
Jody L. Crosno, the Joseph E. Antonini Chair and professor in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics’ Department of Marketing
Marina Galvez-Peralta, teaching assistant professor in the School of Pharmacy’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Alan K. Goodboy, Peggy Rardin McConnell Endowed Research Chair and professor in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Communication Studies
Yogendra Murti Panta, associate professor in WVU Tech’s Leonard C. Nelson CN College of Engineering and Sciences’ Department of Mechanical Engineering
Karen A. Woodfork, teaching associate professor in the School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology and Pharmacology
Established in 1985 by the WVU Foundation, the Outstanding Teaching Awards recognize faculty who are particularly effective and inspiring teachers, as well as those who have established patterns of exceptional innovation in their teaching methods, course and curriculum design and instructional tools.
“We are honored to have such exceptional faculty members across the WVU system,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed. “With the continued support of our alumni and donors and the WVU Foundation, we are able to recognize their efforts with this prestigious award and help further their professional development. These five talented faculty members have demonstrated their commitment to our students — and to the art and science of teaching.”
Crosno is recognized for her long-standing exceptional teaching effectiveness and creative, meaningful learning experiences that have lasting impacts on students. The committee was also impressed by her seamless incorporation of experiential learning and technology into the classroom, exceptional student engagement, and innovative classroom assignments that require her students to engage with customers and clients, such as Camp Virgil Tate, to gain real-world experience.
Galvez-Peralta is recognized for her outstanding teaching effectiveness and commitment to lifelong learning. She is honored for her dedication to the improvement of pharmacogenomic education, exceptional individualized instruction for different types of learners to promote a growth mindset, and her encouragement of students and faculty colleagues to be lifelong learners. The committee also noted her incorporation of active-learning activities and cultural awareness and her multidisciplinary approach to the development of new courses. Galvez-Peralta has produced 24 publications on education communication and has received multiple teaching awards and recognitions in her college.
Goodboy is honored for his publication record – both independent and collaborations with students – as well as his ongoing professional development efforts. He has published 88 research articles on pedagogy and 36 co-authored articles in peer-reviewed journals. The committee also noted Goodboy’s exceptional commitment to staying relevant in his discipline. He has taken 450 hours of postdoctoral courses to ensure he has the latest research methods for teaching his graduate students and faculty members who regularly sit in on his courses.
Panta is honored for his exceptional implementation of innovative teaching tools and techniques from the Association of College and University Educators’ Effective College Instruction course, his dedication to lifelong learning, and sharing his knowledge as a leader of teaching excellence. The committee was impressed not only with his innovation in teaching but also the support he provides to other faculty to help them improve their teaching. Panta received a Fulbright U.S. Scholarship in 2020-2021 for teaching and teaching-related research abroad, is the recipient of a $650,00 grant to increase STEM degree completion of low-income high-achieving undergraduates and has nine teaching-related publications.
Woodfork is recognized for her innovative teaching methods, significant curricular contributions, and efforts to support her colleagues. She hosts a YouTube channel of instructional videos for students, which has more than 194,000 subscribers around the world. The committee noted her efforts to shift courses to virtual delivery over the last year and to provide resources and direction to fellow faculty members on effective teaching in the virtual space. Woodfork is honored for a “DIY” exam process she designed utilizing an online peer learning community and her delivery of qualifying exams to graduate students – a process that is now applied across Health Sciences graduate programs. She is known for having a significant impact on her students, who score exceptionally high on the National Board of Medical Examiners Subject exam averaging well over the 71st percentile since 2013.
Faculty members must be nominated by their college leadership in order to be eligible for the Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching. Each of the honorees will receive $5,000 in professional development monies from the WVU Foundation.
Read more about these and other awards on the WVU Faculty website.