Kiewra earns top NU award for teaching

29 Mar 2021     By Melissa Lee | Central Administration

Kenneth Kiewra, professor of educational psychology in the College of Education and Human Sciences, has received the Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA) from the University of Nebraska. The award is the system’s most prestigious faculty honor for teaching, and recognizes individual faculty who have demonstrated meritorious and sustained records of excellence and creativity in teaching.

The award was announced on March 24 along with other university-wide President’s Excellence Awards recognizing faculty who’s work has had a significant impact on students, the university and the state. A combined six honors were awarded to faculty across the NU system’s four universities. 

"Faculty are at the heart of any great university, and the University of Nebraska is fortunate to have some of the world’s best serving across our four campuses," Carter said. "The teaching, research and outreach that these faculty do on a daily basis has a remarkable impact on our 52,000 students, the state and the entire world. I’m honored to be able to celebrate their work."

Kiewra’s research pertains to the “SOAR” teaching and learning method he developed and to talent nurturing, particularly the roles parents play. The SOAR method is based on four components – Select, Organize, Associate and Regulate – and strategies that both teachers and students can employ to improve learning outcomes. 

Kiewra has published more than 100 articles; authored two books for students, one for educators and one for parents; and made more than 500 presentations to educational, corporate and parent groups. He is the former director of UNL’s Nebraska Academic Success Center. 

A colleague has said, “It is difficult to imagine anyone whose work is more widespread or who is more committed to bringing educational psychology to the people than Dr. Kiewra.”

The President’s Excellence Awards — selected by an NU-systemwide committee of faculty and community members — will be formally presented at a luncheon in the spring.