Teaching Recognition Program Award

Learn more about the Teaching Recognition Program (TRP).

Introducing the 2025 TRP Awardees

Zabihulla Ahmadi

Zabihulla Ahmadi

Restorative Dentistry
College of Dentistry

Andrea Bassett

Andrea Bassett

Biological Sciences
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Becky Bonarek

Becky Bonarek

Tutorium in Intensive English
UIC Tutorium

Krishni Burns

Krishni Burns

Classics and Mediterranean Studies
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Daysi Diaz-Strong

Daysi Diaz-Strong

Social Work
Jane Addams College of Social Work

Christopher Estabrook

Christopher Estabrook

Psychology
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Anne Fink

Anne Fink

Biobehavioral Nursing Science
College of Nursing

Robin Gayle

Robin Gayle

English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Jaira Harrington

Jaira Harrington

Black Studies
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Rooshey Hasnain

Rooshey Hasnain

Disability and Human Development
College of Applied Health Sciences

Jeffrey Kessler

Jeffrey Kessler

English
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Anna Kozlowska-Barrios

Anna Kozlowska-Barrios

University Library
Honors College

Jennifer Maffucci

Jennifer Maffucci

Biobehavioral Nursing Science
College of Nursing

Elizabeth Porter

Elizabeth Porter

Health Policy and Administration
School of Public Health

Arthi Rao

Arthi Rao

Curriculum and Instruction
College of Education

Yeow Siow

Yeow Siow

Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
College of Engineering

2024 TRP Recipients Share their Teaching Experience

These short videos describe teaching strategies, technology innovations, and other tools used by UIC instructors spanning a variety of disciplines, class sizes, and course levels. They were created by instructors themselves and produced by the team at The Studio. They are valuable resources for future TRP applicants and the broader UIC community.

Karen Su

Karen Su

Clinical Associate Professor, Global Asian Studies, GLAS Director of Undergraduate Studies

Karen Su discusses how she brings her whole self into building a sense of community in the classroom, is inspired by the work of Grace Lee Boggs, as well as prioritizing reflection and creativity.

James Wesley Cooper

James Wesley Cooper

Clinical Assistant Professor, Managerial Studies, College of Business Administration

James Wesley Cooper promotes the use of a structured improvisation teaching framework he developed to incorporate moment-to-moment reflection in action to move students toward a desired learning outcome.

Kathryn Vanderzwan

Kathryn Vanderzwan

Director, Schwartz Simulation Lab and Clinical Learning Resource Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, Biobehavioral Nursing Science, College of Nursing

Kathryn Vanderzwan advocates for using a student-learner-centered teaching method which has been shown to increase student success and promote job satisfaction among nurse educators.

Jessica Shaw

Jessica Shaw

Associate Professor, Community and Applied Developmental Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Jessica Shaw highlights the creation and fostering of a co-learning environment that honors multiple ways of knowing and the unique knowledge that each person brings to the classroom.

Shanon Reckinger

Shanon Reckinger

Clinical Associate Professor, Computer Science, College of Engineering

Shanon Reckinger discusses how she uses “Easter eggs” to keep her students engaged using color-coded materials.

Jonathan Fisher

Jonathan Fisher

Teaching Associate Professor, Health Sciences Education and Pathology, College of Medicine – Peoria

Jonathan Fisher speaks of the positive outcomes of creating an engaging and welcoming classroom environment to capture students’ attention.

Leah Lebowicz

Leah Lebowicz

Program Director, Biomedical Visualization, Biomedical and Health Information Sciences; Clinical Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Health Information Sciences, College of Applied Health Sciences

Leah Lebowicz promotes the benefits of prioritizing technical skills as well as a comprehensive understanding of educational principles to grasp the neuroscience of learning and its psychological dimensions.

Introducing the 2024 TRP Award Recipients

James Cooper

James Cooper

Managerial Studies
Business Administration

Jonathan Fisher

Jonathan Fisher

Health Sciences Education and Pathology
Medicine

Yuheng Hu

Yuheng Hu

Information and Decision Sciences
Business Administration

Leah Lebowicz

Leah Lebowicz

Biomedical and Health Information Sciences
Applied Health Sciences

Eric Leshikar

Eric Leshikar

Psychology
Liberal Arts and Sciences

Carrie Pichan

Carrie Pichan

Linguistics
Liberal Arts and Sciences

Luis Pina

Luis Gabriel Ganchinho de Pina

Computer Science
Engineering

Kim Potowski

Kim Potowski

Hispanic and Italian Studies
Liberal Arts and Sciences

Shanon Reckinger

Shanon Reckinger

Computer Science
Engineering

Kristine Schutz

Kristine Schutz

Curriculum and Instruction
Education

Jessica Shaw

Jessica Shaw

Psychology
Liberal Arts and Sciences

Karen Su

Karen Su

Global Asian Studies
Liberal Arts and Sciences

Swee Tan

Swee Tan

Restorative Dentistry
Dentistry

Rebecca Teasdale

Rebecca Teasdale

Educational Psychology
Education

Kathryn Vanderzwan

Kathryn Vanderzwan

Biobehavioral Nursing Science
Nursing

Judy Yuan

Judy Yuan

Restorative Dentistry
Dentistry

Past Teaching Recognition Program Recipients