The Office of the Provost and the Center for Teaching Excellence are pleased to announce a new award recognizing exemplary online teaching and a sustained body of exemplary online teaching practice. The University of Florida Online Educator of the Year Award recognizes exemplary online teaching that includes high-quality course design and effective online instructional delivery methods relevant to student engagement, student learning gains, and student satisfaction. Please visit the Online Educator of the Year Award Requirements page to apply and learn more.
2025 Online Educator of the Year
Swapna Kumar, Ed.D.
Clinical Professor of Educational Technology, School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education
The award committee evaluated the 2025 UF Online Educator Award nominees and recommends Dr. Swapna Kumar from the College of Education as the University of Florida’s 2025 Online Educator of the Year.
Dr. Kumar’s nomination stood out due to the abundance and variety of evidence demonstrating her effectiveness as an instructor. Jurors noted her in-depth feedback on students’ work, continued commitment to innovation, and evidence-based teaching methods. One juror remarked, “Jaw-dropping care for student skill-development, growth, and well-being!” Another noted, “She has developed and implemented entire online degree programs (at the PhD level, no less).” Her prolific contributions to the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) further highlight her dedication to the field.
Student feedback consistently praises Dr. Kumar’s approach to online teaching. One student commented, “From the beginning, Dr. Kumar demonstrated an approach to online teaching that was engaging, rigorous, innovative, and deeply rooted in educational research and best practices.” Another student highlighted her commitment to socially responsive instruction, stating, “She fostered an inclusive and accessible learning environment that valued students’ lived experiences.” These comments reflect her ability to create a supportive and challenging learning environment that encourages independent, critical, and original thinking.
Dr. Kumar’s dedication to student success is evident in her innovative course designs and mentorship. She adapts content and skills to meet the needs of her nontraditional graduate students, presenting information in multiple formats and ensuring the affordability of course materials. Her courses include weekly expert interviews, real-life connections, and opportunities for students to apply course concepts in their theses and dissertations. One juror noted, “Application of skills is crucial, so Dr. Kumar brings back course graduates to give insights, tips, and encouragement to students.” This mentorship loop, with structured steps and personal connections, exemplifies her commitment to student growth and well-being.
In summary, Dr. Kumar’s exceptional teaching merits and commitment to student success make her a deserving recipient of the 2025 UF Online Educator of the Year Award. Her innovative approaches, dedication to inclusive education, and impactful mentorship have significantly influenced both her students at the University of Florida and the wider educational community.
Learn more about Dr. Kumar: Dr. Swapna Kumar is a Clinical Professor of Educational Technology at the School of Teaching and Learning, College of Education, University of Florida. Her research focuses on quality in online education, specifically online graduate education and online mentoring. She was a Fulbright Scholar to Hungary in 2017 and President of the Division of Distance Learning at the Association of Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) in 2022-2023. Details of her scholarship can be found at https://education.ufl.edu/faculty/kumar-swapna/
2024 Online Educator of the Year
Amanpreet Kapoor, M.S.
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s Department of Engineering Education.
This year, after careful evaluation of all nominees, the award goes to an educator who has truly embraced the spirit of innovation and inclusivity in online education. We are delighted to announce that the 2024 Online Educator of the Year is Mr. Amanpreet Kapoor, MS from the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering’s Department of Engineering Education.
Mr. Kapoor’s creative and inventive course design stands out in the realm of online education. He utilizes a variety of instructional strategies, such as gamification and multimodality, to engage students and reinforce learning outcomes. Despite the large enrollment and the complexity of the content, Mr. Kapoor has achieved high student satisfaction due to the diverse student engagement methods he embeds in his course.
What sets Mr. Kapoor apart is his deep consideration of his students’ needs. He not only acknowledges and addresses the inequity and lack of accessibility for students of low socioeconomic backgrounds but also creates specific activities to address this based on novel, authentic, scalable pedagogies and instructional strategies.
Beyond his teaching, Mr. Kapoor has significantly impacted our university community through his scholarly commitment. He has published articles to promote learning and serves as a Research Affiliate in the Engaging Learning Lab, where he works on projects that aim to foster students’ formation of computing identities and improve the employability of computing graduates.
Online Educator of the Year
Crystal Marull, Ph.D.,
Lecturer, Online Spanish/Spanish Portuguese Studies,
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
The Office of the Provost and the Center for Teaching Excellence are pleased to announce a new award recognizing exemplary online teaching and a sustained body of exemplary online teaching practice. The University of Florida Online Educator of the Year Award recognizes exemplary online teaching that includes high-quality course design and effective online instructional delivery methods relevant to student engagement, student learning gains, and student satisfaction.
Dr. Marull has demonstrated a dedication to providing high-quality instruction to students in online courses and made exceptional contributions to online education. She has been instrumental in developing and implementing innovative online teaching strategies in her courses and sharing these strategies with educators. Dr. Marull’s work has served as a model for learning languages and as an example of course design and delivery in other disciplines. Her commitment to creating engaging and interactive online learning environments has resulted in consistently positive feedback from students and colleagues alike. The selection committee was impressed by her innovation in teaching, incorporating active, experiential learning that results in practical skills students can use.
Dr. Marull has also significantly impacted our university community through her service as a Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow, Faculty Learning Community facilitator, and conference presenter Throughout our local community and abroad, she has served as a mentor, Alachua County School District advisor, and UPCEA Vice Chair.