The College of Education and Human Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recognized the recipients of its annual college awards during a ceremony on Friday, April 24.
Three faculty were selected as recipients of the College Distinguished Teaching Awards announced by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor. The remaining award recipients were selected by faculty and staff serving on the CEHS scholarship and awards committee and the CEHS research committee.
The complete list of 2026 awards and recipients, including their title and unit follows.
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Hamza Rfissa, Ph.D. in educational studies – teaching, curriculum and learning, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Graduate Student Research and Creative Activity Award
Azadeh Hassani, Ph.D. in educational studies – innovative learning technologies, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Annual Staff Award
Dijon DeLaPorte, director of recruitment, CEHS
Dave Merriman, web developer, CEHS
Emerging Scholar Research/Creative Activity Award
Kevin Pitt, associate professor, Special Education and Communication Disorders
Distinguished Research/Creative Activity Career Award
Lisa Knoche, research professor and co-director, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools
Outstanding Teaching Award
Mun Yuk Chin, assistant professor, Educational Psychology
Sathish Kumar Natarajan, associate professor, Nutrition and Health Sciences
Emily Wakefield, assistant professor of practice, Special Education and Communication Disorders
Faculty-Student Mentoring Award
Lorraine Males, Julie & Henry Bauermeister Associate Professor of Education and Human Sciences, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
College Distinguished Teaching Award
Tricia Gray, associate professor of practice, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
Patty Kuo, associate professor, Child, Youth and Family Studies
Sarah Zuckerman, associate professor, Educational Administration
Jean Ann Fischer Excellence in Community Engagement Award
Natalie Sehi, Extension Educator, Nutrition and Health Sciences
Donald R. & Mary Lee Swanson Award for Teaching Excellence
Amanda Morales, associate professor, Teaching, Learning and Teacher Education
College of Education and Human Sciences
Child, Youth and Family Studies
Educational Administration
Educational Psychology
Nutrition and Health Sciences
Special Education and Communication Disorders
Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education
