The Distinguished Teaching Award, sponsored by the Kent State Alumni Association, is presented to three faculty members who demonstrate extraordinary teaching in the classroom and a commitment to impacting the lives of students. This year marks the 56th class of Distinguished Teaching Award recipients and finalists who were honored at a ceremony alongside the University Teaching Council’s Outstanding Teaching Award recipients Friday, Oct. 21.
Linda A. Hoeptner Poling, Ph.D., Art, Kent Campus
Linda Hoeptner Poling, Ph.D., associate professor of art education at Kent State University, has served in leadership roles in the Women’s Caucus of the National Art Education Association, Society for Educating Women and the Ohio Art Education Association. Her research threads include feminist activism, narrative inquiry, the symbiotic relationship of motherhood and academia, inclusion and art education for those with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. She is a member of KSU’s Brain Health Research Institute and member of the joint Kent State University and University of Akron Gerontology Certificate Advisory Council. Her degrees from Kent State include a Bachelor of Arts in Art Education, a Master of Arts in Art Education and a Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction.
Bradley S. Keefer, Ph.D., History, Ashtabula Campus
Bradley S. Keefer, Ph.D., associate professor of history at Kent State University at Ashtabula, has been instructing students for more than 30 years. Throughout his career, he has taught a breadth of courses, including World History (ancient, medieval and modern), History of Ohio and American History through Popular Music, to name a few. Keefer has been named a Distinguished Teaching Award finalist four times over the past six years, and has received other university accolades such as the Kent State at Stark Award of Recognition and the Kent State at Tuscarawas Distinguished Teaching Award. He has served as a peer-reviewer to the Kent State University Press, University of Nebraska Press, Routledge Press, Journal of Southern History and Ohio History, and as a member to several historical organizations. Keefer received his Bachelor of Arts in History, Master of Arts in History and Doctor of Philosophy in History all from Kent State University.
Cynthia J. Osborn, Ph.D., Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, Kent Campus
Cynthia Jane Osborn, Ph.D., is a professor in the School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences at Kent State University. She is engaged with the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling M.Ed. programs and the Counselor Education and Supervision Ph.D. program. Osborn has published 36 articles in peer-reviewed journals and seven books, two of which include multiple editions. She has co-produced five series of training videos for Cengage Learning’s MindTap and created two additional videos distributed by the American Counseling Association. She has served as co-editor of Counselor Education and Supervision and an editorial board member to five other journals. She has received numerous awards over the years from Kent State and other institutions. Osborn received her Bachelor of Arts from Otterbein College, her Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary and her Doctor of Philosophy from Ohio University.
Congratulations to these three outstanding teachers and to the finalists of this year’s Distinguished Teaching Award:
- Lisa R. Audet, Ph.D., Health Sciences, Kent Campus
- Lisa Borgerding, Ph.D., Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies, Kent Campus
- Kelly E. Cichy, Ph.D., Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences, Kent Campus
- Marie Gasper-Hulvat, Ph.D., Art, Stark Campus
- Geoffrey S. Koby, Ph.D., Modern and Classical Languages, Kent Campus
- John A. Lovell, Ph.D., Biological Sciences, Stark Campus
- Michael J. Tubergen, Ph.D., Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent Campus
To see a complete listing of past Distinguished Teaching Award recipients, please visit www.kent.edu/DTA.
