The Rising Star Awards recognize faculty for their commitment to ongoing educational improvements and excellence. Rising Star faculty participate in professional development of teaching activities through the Center for Teaching Excellence. Applications are currently closed. Please visit the Rising Star Requirements page to learn more and apply.

2024 Recipients

A photo of Cliff Haynes.

Cliff Haynes, Ph.D. | Clinical Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator | School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education | College of Education 

 Dr. Cliff Haynes is a Clinical Associate Professor in Student Personnel in Higher Education. He teaches courses related to historical and contemporary issues in student affairs administration and the use of qualitative research methods in higher education administration research. While he occasionally teaches face-to-face courses, Cliff specializes in teaching online in both synchronous and asynchronous modalities. Cliff has completed many of the certificates offered by the Center for Teaching Excellence and the Center for Instructional Technology & Training, which have provided him the opportunity to learn and utilize different pedagogical approaches to engage students. He is currently focusing on research within the realm of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) in student affairs graduate preparation programs. 

 

A photo of Luis Mejia Puig

 

Luis Mejia-Puig, Ph.D. | Assistant Professor | Department of Interior Design 

I hold the position of Assistant Professor in Interior Design at UF’s College of Design, Construction, and Planning, drawing on over 15 years of experience in design education. My expertise lies in digital and emerging technologies, driving my research towards the creation of instructional materials and pedagogical strategies to elevate design education. Despite my relatively brief research career, I have successfully published in esteemed journals such as the Journal of Interior Design, the Journal of Educational Technology Systems, and the International Journal of Technology and Design Education. Actively participating in conferences organized by the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) and Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), I contribute regularly to the academic discourse in my field. At UF, I lead the dc(square) Lab, a hub for research and teaching in Digital Design, Creativity, and Cognition. Equipped with cutting-edge virtual reality devices and physiological instruments like skin conductivity monitors, heart rate monitors, and functional near-infrared spectroscopy, the lab is at the forefront of innovative exploration.

Active learning serves as the cornerstone of my teaching philosophy. To me, active learning entails the educator facilitating the learning journey through reflection and analysis, while students actively participate in this process with responsibility. I advocate for incorporating pre-class, in-class, and post-class requirements to effectively engage students. It is imperative for instructors to employ innovative and diverse strategies that resonate with students' interests and leave a lasting impact on their learning experiences. Given the tech-savvy nature of today's learners, leveraging technology for collaborative tasks has yielded promising outcomes. Additionally, gamification emerges as an effective approach to capture students' attention and sustain their engagement throughout the learning process.

A photo of Dr. Amy Parziale.

Dr. Amy Parziale | Instructional Assistant Professor  

Dr. Parziale teaches professional writing and communication in the Management Communication Center.  Her 15+ years of experience has ranged from teaching writing and humanities at Rollins College and Tulane University to working in nonprofit administration and business ethics education.  Her scholarship reflects this diversity of interests. Dr. Parziale enjoys connecting with her students to find passions they can bring to their writing and presentations. 

 

 

 

 

 

2023 Recipients

A photo of Erika Brooke.Erika Brooke, Ph.D

Associate Instructional Professor
Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law

A photo of Ryan Z. Good.Ryan Z. Good, Ph.D

Instructional Assistant Professor
School of Natural Resources and Environment
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

A photo of Megan Mocko. Megan Mocko

Lecturer
Information Systems and Office Management
Warrington College of Business

2022 Recipients

Harrison HoveHarrison Hove

Lecturer and Associate Chair
Department of Journalism
College of Journalism and Communications

Lauren WeisbergLauren Weisberg

Doctoral Student
School of Teaching and Learning
College of Education

Rachel YohoRachel Yoho, CDP, Ph.D

MHS Program Director; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair for PHHP; Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental & Global Health
College of Public Health and Health Professions

2021 Recipients

Brantlee Spakes-RichterBrantlee Spakes-Richter, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

Diba ManiDiba Mani, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
College of Health & Human Performance

Erika BrookeErika Brooke, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Harrison HoveHarrison Hove

Lecturer
Department of Journalism
College of Journalism and Communications

Megan Mocko

Lecturer
Department of Information Systems and Operations Management
Warrington College of Business

Mengyu LiMengyu (May) Li, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
College of Engineering

Misti SharpMisti Sharp, Ph.D

Lecturer
Food and Resource Economics Department
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Rachel SlivonRachel Slivon, Ph.D

Lecturer
Management Communication Center
Warrington College of Business

Rachel YohoRachel Yoho, Ph.D

Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Environmental & Global Health
College of Public Health and Health Professions

Samuel MartinsSamuel Martins, Ph.D

Assistant Professor
Department of Plant Pathology
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

2020 Recipients

Amber EmanuelAmber Emanuel, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Health Education & Behavior
College of Health & Human Performance

Crystal MarullCrystal Marull, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Spanish & Portuguese Studies
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Diba ManiDiba Mani, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
College of Health & Human Performance

Erika BrookeErika Brooke, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law
College of Health & Human Performance

Frederick KatesFrederick Kates, Ph.D., MBA

Clinical Assistant Professor
Health Services Research, Management & Policy
College of Public Health and Health Professions

Ginny GreenwayGinny Greenway, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Researcher
Entomology & Nematology Department
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

John Mendoza-GarciaJohn Mendoza-Garcia, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Engineering Education
College of Engineering

2019 Recipients

Carolyn HansonCarolyn Hanson, Ph.D.

Clinical Assistant Professor
Department of Occupational Therapy
College of Public Health and Health Professions

Diba ManiDiba Mani, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology
College of Health & Human Performance

Ferol CarytsasFerol Carytsas

Lecturer
Center for Arts in Medicine
College of the Arts

Roxane CocheRoxane Coche, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Sports Media and Communication
College of Journalism and Communications

Sujata KrishnaSujata Krishna, Ph.D.

Lecturer
Department of Physics
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences