Indiana University Columbus professors Kevin McCracken and Aimee Zoeller recently earned Champion for Teaching Excellence Awards from the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). This new award from IUPUI recognizes faculty and staff who play a key role in advancing excellence in teaching practices, promoting evidence-based strategies, fostering inclusivity and equity, and prioritizing student learning and success.
Kevin McCracken recently joined Indiana University Columbus as director of clinical training for the MA in Mental Health Counseling program and clinical assistant professor of psychology. He previously served as director of Adaptive Educational Services at IUPUI and has taught a wide variety of college classes since 1997. McCracken also had a 16-year career in community mental health services.
Aimee Zoeller, sociology program director and senior lecturer at Indiana University Columbus, is known for using music and art to engage students in the study of sociology. For example, this summer she took a group of students to Indianapolis for a sound check and Q&A with Big Thief, an American indie folk band based in Brooklyn, New York (supported by a grant from the Newport Festivals Foundation).
Zoeller is also a founding member of the Woody Guthrie Teaching Collective and is leading a Constitution Day event and discussion of “This Land is Your Land” at Indiana University Columbus Sept. 19.
McCracken and Zoeller received the awards on Sept. 7 during a recognition reception at the CTL in Indianapolis. There were five award winners, which also included Lisa Angermeier, Jerry Daday and Shamima Mithun from IUPUI.