McPherson College announces the recipients of the 2023-24 Teaching Awards. The awards are presented at the annual Honors Convocation held during Homecoming. This year’s recipients are Dr. Jamie Fuqua and Professor April Counts.
A committee of students and last year’s teaching award recipients reviewed more than 20 nominations from students and faculty colleagues to select one tenured faculty member and one non-tenured faculty member to receive the awards.
This year’s non-tenured award recipient, Dr. Jamie Fuqua, is an assistant professor of health science. She received several nominations from students and faculty and was recognized for her work in restructuring the new health science program to better meet student needs.
In her nomination, students commented on genuine interest in the success of her students. One commentor said, “She is always there to help. I have not experienced a moment when she has not offered support for my schoolwork or future endeavors. She goes above and beyond for her students and makes sure that her coursework is laid out, so it is manageable and understandable.”
April Counts, assistant professor of teacher education, received the tenured faculty teaching award. She was recognized for her thoughtful help in training new teachers and sharing her classroom experience to make her own classes fun and interactive.
“April ensures her students understand what they are learning not only to get a degree but to become professionals,” said one nomination. “She makes a personal connection with each one of her students and no one feels left out in her classes. She is honest, helpful, intelligent within her field, and will find and an answer if she doesn’t have one.”