Moorman named winner of Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award

ASHLAND, Ohio – Teresa Moorman, a clinical assistant professor at Ashland University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences, was selected as this year’s winner of the University’s Edward and Louaine Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award.

Moorman joined the AU faculty in 2018. She brought with her 15 years of nursing experience, including experience in coronary and cardiovascular intensive care, progressive care units, geriatric psychology and as a medical-surgical and critical care nurse educator. Her current research interests are chronic pain and quality of life, fatigue, critical care and faculty wellness.

Students praised Moorman for her ability to bring real-world knowledge into the classroom and her desire to go above and beyond expectations. One student described her as a “wonderful professor for both the first-semester freshman and for the seniors,” and added, “she has worked with very high-risk patients and loves to share her experiences with her classes.”

Faculty were particularly impressed with the level of student engagement and interaction in her classes as well as her teaching philosophy. “The great rapport that Professor Moorman had with her students was extremely evident. All students were incredibly comfortable asking and answering questions and all were engaged in the class,” commented one faculty member. Another noted, “She presented content in a variety of ways to keep the learner attentive. Her use of discussions and group work aided the students to see the immediate application of the content to real world solutions.”

The Edward and Louaine Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award was established in 1997 with its goal to recognize high quality teaching at Ashland University. All full-time faculty with a minimum of three years of teaching experience at AU are eligible. A review committee consisting of former Taylor Teaching Award winners selects three finalists and conducts classroom observations to assess their teaching.

This year’s other finalists were Daniel Hawk, professor of Old Testament and Hebrew in the Ashland Theological Seminary, and Joe Lewis, director of bands in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Moorman will give a presentation at AU’s Fall Convocation on the theme of teaching in higher education.

Ashland University is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students.