By Denise Hill — June 2, 2026
On May 8, ASU Writing Programs held its annual, end-of-the-academic-year event celebrating the contributions of its faculty. Writing Programs Director Roger Thompson and Associate Director Denise Hill announced the winners of teaching, innovation, service and mentorship awards.
2025-2026 Awards
Teaching Awards
The Graduate Student and Career-Track Faculty Teaching Awards were established in 2023 to recognize and support teaching excellence within Writing Programs. It serves to highlight and reward pedagogical innovation by honoring career-track faculty who develop high-impact activities or assignments that go beyond standard instruction. This recognition is a direct extension of the ASU Charter, which measures the university’s success not by exclusion, but by how its students succeed. By incentivizing faculty to document student engagement and reflect on the efficacy of their assignments, the award ensures that "inclusive excellence" is more than just a philosophy—it becomes a tangible classroom practice.
- Graduate Student Teaching Award: Lan Dang (Graduate Teaching Assistant)
Instructor Teaching Award: Sarah Hynes (Senior Instructor)
Summer Teaching Innovation Grants
The ASU Writing Programs Summer Fellowship was established in 2023 to foster pedagogical innovation and elevate the standard of composition instruction through dedicated faculty development. Its primary purpose is to empower educators to refine their craft by designing and implementing specialized projects that bridge the gap between reflective teaching theory and practical classroom application. By providing a structured opportunity for summer research, the fellowship encourages faculty to evolve their teaching practices while ensuring a direct alignment with programmatic consistency and core course outcomes.
The rationale for the award centers on the belief that effective writing instruction requires a balance of feasibility, innovation, and rigorous assessment. Fellowships are granted to those who demonstrate a clear, coherent vision for improving student success — specifically through projects that are grounded in reflective practice and maintain the integrity of ASU’s high standards. Ultimately, the award serves as both an investment in the professional growth of faculty and a commitment to maintaining a cohesive, forward-thinking curriculum that measurably improves the student writing experience.
- AI-informed Pedagogy: Mohammed Jan (Graduate Teaching Assistant), Cathleen Li (Graduate Teaching Assistant), Megs Tyler (Graduate Teaching Assistant), and Andrea Dickens (Associate Teaching Professor)
Common Read Curriculum: Amilynne Johnston (Instructor) and Amy Dallenbach (Instructor)
Adelheid Thieme Distinguished Service Award
The Adelheid Thieme Distinguished Service Award recognizes a career faculty member whose service to ASU Writing Programs merits special recognition. The award is named after our beloved colleague, Adelheid Thieme, who served as associate director of ASU Writing Programs for over a decade. Adelheid was known for her extraordinary work ethic, unbridled compassion, and uncompromising advocacy for those whose voices were underrepresented at ASU. She represented the highest ideals of teaching and service during her distinguished career.
Distinguished Service Award: Vincent Oliveri (Assistant Teaching Professor)
Shirley Rose Distinguished Mentorship Award
Established in 2024, the Shirley Rose Distinguished Mentorship Award recognizes a career faculty member whose service to ASU Writing Programs merits special recognition. The award is named after our emeritus colleague, Dr. Shirley Rose, who served as Director of ASU Writing Programs for a decade.
Rose built a writing program around the principles of shared governance, faculty mentorship, and student advocacy. Her commitment to mentorship elevated ASU Writing Programs and the investments she made in Writing Programs faculty bear significant returns to this day.
The award acknowledges exceptional mentorship. Since its establishment, the award has served as an important form of institutional recognition for faculty whose work demonstrates meaningful impact on students, colleagues, and the broader academic community.
- Distinguished Mentorship Award: Andrea Severson (Instructor)