Teaching at Otterbein University
Otterbein’s faculty members are talented and engaged teachers. We expect high quality work, and design and enact curriculum to support students’ opportunities to be their best academic selves.
Some results of the National Survey of Student Engagement illustrate our commitment to teaching and learning (NSSE, 2017). Compared with similar colleges and universities, Otterbein receives highest marks from our students for:
- Fostering a Supportive Environment: our students report that our services and activities support their learning and development;
- Deploying effective Learning Strategies: our students report success in engaging, analyzing, and retaining knowledge;
- Encouraging Student-Faculty Interaction: our students report significant, positive interactions with faculty, in and out of class;
- Promoting Collaborative Learning: our students report widespread opportunities to work and learn collaboratively, valued skills in today’s job market.
- Nurturing Quality Interactions: our students report positive, supportive relationships with other students, faculty, and staff.
Teaching Awards
Otterbein faculty are encouraged to nominate their peers for several annual teaching recognition awards at Otterbein. Full time faculty can be nominated for the Teacher of the Year, New Teacher of the Year and Exemplary Teacher award. Part Time faculty are recognized annually for teaching in their discipline or within an interdisciplinary or general education area.
A Teaching Award recipient exhibits the following skills: mastery of the subject matter in his or her discipline or in interdisciplinary teaching, highly effective organization and communication of material, a spirit of enthusiasm which enriches the instructor’s own teaching and learning, the ability to arouse the curiosity of beginning students and to stimulate advanced students to creative work, and the ability to interact with students beyond the classroom through activities that integrate and expand the learning environment.
FIVE
teaching awards are presented each year to exemplary Otterbein faculty: 3 full time faculty awards and 2 part time faculty awards.
Teaching Award Recipients
Full-Time Faculty
| Year | Teacher of the Year | New Teacher of the Year | Exemplary Teacher |
| 2022-2023 | Kristina Escondo | Brandon Sinn | Tammy Birk |
| 2021-2022 | Jennifer Merkowitz | Rachel Schwartz | Eric Jones |
| 2020-2021 | Dee Knoblauch | Aida Odobasic | Jeff Smith |
| 2019-2020 | Sarah Bouchard | Jeremy Llorence | Paul Wendel |
| 2018-2019 | Kim Fischer | Carla Corroto | James Gorman |
| 2017-2018 | Melissa Lusher | Michael Hudoba | Denise Hatter-Fisher |
| 2016-2017 | David Robertson | Kristy McCray | Patti Wilson |
| 2015-2016 | John Kengla | Meredith Meyer | Gayle Walker |
| 2014-2015 | Suzanne Ashworth | Anna Young | Kyriacos Aristotelous |
| 2013-2014 | Denise Shively | Aaron Reinhard | Chuck Zimmerman |
| 2012-2013 | Jeff Demas | John Chovan | |
| 2011-2012 | John Tansey | Shelley Payne | |
| 2010-2011 | Chuck Zimmerman | Tiffany Pempek | |
| 2009-2010 | John Ludlum | Karen Steigman | |
| 2008-2009 | Joan Rocks | Meredith Frey | |
| 2007-2008 | Jeffrey Smith | Kristin Reninger | |
| 2006-2007 | Lyle Barkhymer | Shannon Lakanen | |
| 2005-2006 | John Swaim | Gregory Sullivan | |
| 2004-2005 | Robert Kraft | Suzanne Ashworth | |
| 2003-2004 | Susan Millsap | John Tansey | |
| 2002-2003 | Zengxiang Tong | Amy Jessen-Marshall | |
| 2001-2002 | Beth Daugherty | Jeffrey Smith | |
| 2000-2001 | John Buckles | Noam Shpancer | |
| 1999-2000 | Chris Reynolds | Michele Acker | |
| 1998-1999 | Joanne Stichweh | Jeffrey Lehman | |
| 1997-1998 | Paula Knight | Lynn Taylor | |
| 1996-1997 | James Bailey | Laura Bennett-Murphy | |
| 1995-1996 | none | none | |
| 1994-1995 | Patrick J. Lewis | Elizabeth Smith |
Part-Time Faculty
| Year | Interdisciplinary Programs &/or General Education | Disciplinary |
| 2022-2023 | Victoria Frisch | Melinda Murphy |
| 2021-2022 | Nancy Paul | Jesse Heetland |
| 2020-2021 | Casey J. Tucker | Wendy N. Johnston |
| 2019-2020 | Stephan Frank | Nadiya Timperman |
| 2018-2019 | Emily Tansey | Matthew Grote |
| 2017-2018 | Jessie Glover | Carol Young |
| 2016-2017 | Candyce Canzoneri | Jessica Buschmann |
| 2015-2016 | Suzanne Schier-Happel | David Riepenhoff |
| 2014-2015 | Margaret Lobb | Debra Scheff |
Center for Teaching & Learning: The CTL Studio
The CTL Studio is a learning environment designed for creativity, innovation, and collaboration. Designed using an open café concept with dedicated WiFi access to facilitate individual consultations as well as group sessions, it has flexible seating, whiteboards, reading materials, and other analog or digital tools, including a 55-inch flat screen TV to our multimedia workstations (Windows and Mac).
Faculty and departments can book time at the studio to work on their projects independently or in consultation with CTL staff.
- Come and explore innovative technologies like virtual and augmented reality.
- Learn how to integrate Blackboard Collaborate, Blackboard Learn, and ePortfolio in your courses or how to use applications like Impatica, Respondus, or Turning Point to enhance your in-class activities.
- Take advantage of our professional audio, video, and content authoring tools to work on your media-related projects. Available programs include Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Express, and Camtasia Studio as well as graphic design or Web development software like Dreamweaver, InDesign, and Photoshop, among many others.
