OSU-Tulsa announces 2023 Outstanding Faculty Award recipients
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
Media Contact: Aaron Campbell | OSU-Tulsa Communications Coordinator | 918-594-8046 | aaron.ross.campbell@okstate.edu
Ashlyn Fiegener, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Sciences, and Amanda Morris, Regents Professor and George Kaiser Family Foundation Chair in the College of Arts and Sciences, were recently commended with OSU-Tulsa’s highest honors — the President’s Outstanding Teaching and Research awards.
Excellent and impactful teaching
Fiegener has left a huge impact on her students since coming to OSU’s educational leadership graduate program in 2020. Her work developing the next generation of school leaders involves teaching courses in educational organization, supervision of instruction and the principalship, as well as serving as a mentor.
“Dr. Fiegener exemplifies what OSU-Tulsa students love about our faculty,” said Craig Freeman, OSU-Tulsa interim vice provost. “She understands our students are busy, so she makes the most of their time in the classroom and goes the extra mile to ensure nobody falls behind. We’re proud to see her recognized by her students.”
The recipient of the teaching award is based on student nominations and feedback.
“Dr. Fiegener has been amazing in relating real-world experience and providing an unprecedented amount of validity to every aspect of this course,” said one nomination.
According to another, “This has been one of my finer educational experiences that will continue to serve me and many others long after it is finished.”
Fiegener is part of the Brock Institute of Education Innovation, and works closely with Project ECHO, serving on the hub teams for TeleNGAGE, which gives Oklahoma families tools to engage with schools and help improve student outcomes, and TeleLEAD, which works with school leaders. She also co-leads a mentoring program for novice teachers in Oklahoma.
Decades of exceptional research
Since joining the OSU family in 2006, Morris has made impressive strides in the field of developmental psychology and has published over 150 papers in her career. Her research focuses on understanding social and emotional development in children and has been recognized locally and internationally.
“Thanks to the work of Dr. Morris and her colleagues, OSU is a national leader in strengthening the science behind the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Protective and Compensatory Childhood Experiences,” said Dr. Johnny Stephens, interim president of OSU-Tulsa and president of OSU Center for Health Sciences. “Her groundbreaking work in early childhood development has advanced our understanding of how these experiences impact children into adulthood, which will help improve quality of life and life expectancies in Tulsa and beyond.”
Morris is the editor-in-chief for the Journal of Research on Adolescence, the editor of three books on childhood development and the co-author of the book “Adverse and Protective Childhood Experiences.”
As part of her work with OSU-CHS, she studies brain development at the Hardesty Center for Clinical Research. She is currently working on the National Institute of Health’s Neuroscience for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development study, where she provides principles for guiding the selection of early childhood neurodevelopmental risk and resilience measures.
Nominations open for 2024 awards
Nominations are now open for the 2024 President’s Outstanding Faculty Awards. In addition to receiving a medallion and a $1,500 stipend, recipients will serve as honorary grand marshals in the OSU-Tulsa Graduation Ceremony.
Morris and Fiegener will serve as Grand Marshals at the 2024 ceremony in May at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center.