Wayne State University’s Academy of Teachers (AoT) has inducted five faculty members for the 2024-25 academic year. The academy, which promotes teaching excellence and student success, plays a key role in fostering discussions about learning and spearheading initiatives that enrich the educational experience across the university.

The 2024-25 Academy of Teachers inductees are:

• Katheryn Maguire, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
• Mohsen Ayoobi, College of Engineering
• MaryAnne Stewart, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
• Lisabeth Hock, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Katie MacDonald, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

Since its founding in 2018, the AoT has been instrumental in advancing educational initiatives that benefit the campus community. Beyond engaging in vital conversations about teaching and learning, the AoT advocates for policies at the university, local, state and national levels that emphasize and reward high-quality teaching.

“Members of the Academy of Teachers work in various ways to support and encourage innovative teaching practices across campus,” said Nicole Coleman, chair of the AoT and associate professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “Members run workshops on specific themes like pyramid exams and active teaching. The academy also hosts teaching symposia on different topics.”

The inductees join a growing group committed to elevating academic standards. Upon induction, each member receives a one-time honorarium and retains lifelong recognition as part of the AoT.

“It’s an honor to be a member of the Academy of Teachers and to be able to support its dual mission of promoting the culture and value of teaching excellence and helping to improve the educational experience of students at Wayne State University,” said Hock, associate professor of German. “Most of all, I’m excited to collaborate with a group of likeminded colleagues and to learn with them and from them about the best strategies for promoting student growth.”

Over the years, AoT members have made significant contributions by helping to revamp the Office for Teaching and Learning, creating instructional videos for faculty, and engaging in both formal and informal discussions about teaching.

“The Academy of Teachers is a testament to our unwavering commitment to cultivating teaching excellence at Wayne State University,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie Lauzon Clabo, Ph.D. “By welcoming these new faculty members, we are recognizing their expertise and demonstrating the university’s continuing investment in evidence-based and innovative teaching practices that support student success.”

Over the past six years, 32 faculty members have been inducted into the AoT.

“The Academy of Teachers is growing, and we are finding ways of working as members of the academy to bring conversations about teaching to the forefront in our own departments and across campus,” Coleman said. “The more members from different colleges we have, the more faculty we can reach, which is a core part of our vision.”

To learn more about the Academy of Teachers, please visit otl.wayne.edu/aot.

By: Darlene A. White