Emporia honors professors for excellence in education

Four women in the elementary education/early childhood/special education department received awards, as did one psychology professor.
Four women in the elementary education/early childhood/special education department received awards, as did one psychology professor. | Contributed photo
At a recent meeting of the Teachers College faculty and staff, Emporia State University honored five faculty members for their work at the college.

Four women in the elementary education/early childhood/special education department received awards, as did one psychology professor.

Elizabeth Dobler was given the Excellence in Scholarly Activity Award for focusing on literacy development and publishing a book and several articles in the past three years while also contributing to a nationwide research team.

Kelly O’Neal-Hixson received the Excellence in Instruction Award for keeping instruction student-centered, especially in an online learning environment.

Heather Caswell was presented with the Excellence in Service Award for her tireless efforts with local, state and national organizations to provide input and champion causes with a quiet brand of leadership.

Others honored at the meeting included psychology professor Brian Schrader, who received the Darrell Wood Service Award for supporting the college's mission in a unique or outstanding way. Schrader has been at Emporia State for 20 years.

Melissa Reed, associate professor of elementary education/early childhood/special education, received the Ervay Family Award for Applied Scholarship in recognition of her passion in understanding how people learn and focus on creating effective learning environments.