AWARDS

2026 Leahy Award

Recipients

Philomena Behmer, Department of Biology

Brandi Morgante Handzlik, Department of Mathematics

Amy Snyder, SJU Libraries

Selena Mallios, Department of Biology 

for a project entitled “Guided AI for a Student Research Project.”

As the title implies, this award's emphasis is on innovations that increase student learning. One of the original purposes of the award was to recognize faculty who are experimenting with their teaching and to provide a dissemination vehicle for their innovative idea. A higher goal of the award is to recognize faculty who are implementing large-scale innovations, or ones with a great impact on student learning. 

2026 Bright Idea Award

Recipients

Melissa Lesser and Natalie Cimperman, in collaboration with Lora Packel, Department of Physical Therapy, 

for a project entitled "Beyond the Single Simulation: Tranforming DPT Cardiopulmonary Education through a Scaffolded Simulation Design."

This award is for bright, innovative ideas about how to teach better, both in traditional classes, online environments, and in experiential settings. Unlike the Leahy Award, this award can be for a small innovation such as a different type of peer evaluation or a new assignment. This award does not require that the effectiveness of the innovation be thoroughly assessed.

2026 Teaching Innovation Grants

General Category Recipients: 

Janée Burkhalter, Department of Marketing, for a project entitled “LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® in Marketing Strategy.”

Jessica Gillis, Department of Nursing, for a project entitled “AI-Integrated Health Assessment: A Redesign Model for Competency Based Evaluation.”

Piotr Habdas, Department of Physics, for a project entitled “Structured AI-Supported Problem Solving in Introductory Physics.”

Collaborative Student Learning Category Recipients: 

Melissa Chakars, Jeff Hyson, Katie Sibley, and Brian Yates, Department of History, for a project entitled “Civics and History Initiative for Educators of the Future.”

The Teaching Innovation Grant program was first established in 2019 and supports the development of new and innovative pedagogical methods at the classroom and program levels. 

2026 Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence

Recipients: 

Courtney (Dill) Byrd, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Behavioral Studies, School of Education and Human Development

Aubrey Johnson, Department of English, College of Arts & Sciences

Katelyn Weiss, Department of Nursing, School of Nursing and Allied Health

Joseph Witthohn, Department of Finance, Haub School of Business

This award aims to honor adjunct faculty who demonstrate intellectually rigorous teaching that challenges students while remaining accessible and supportive of their development, as evidenced through course design, classroom practices, and student engagement. 

2026 Ethical Implications of AI Grant

Recipients: 

School of Education and Human Development

Monica Belfatti and Jessica Nagle, Teacher Education Department, for a project entitled “Examining the Pedagogical and Ethical Implications of AI in SJU Education Courses with Chinese International Students.”

College of Arts & Sciences

Nate Bulthuis, Department of Philosophy, for a project entitled, “AI-Driven Oral Examination,”

Chunrye Kim, Department of Sociology/Criminal Justice, for a project entitled "AI in Criminal Justice System: A Systematic Review,”

Josephine Shih, Department of Psychology, for a project entitled “Conversational Dynamics in AI: The Effects of Virtual Gender Pairing and Topic Domain on Emotional Expression.”

Enrique Téllez-Espiga, Department of Languages & Linguistics, for a project entitled “Teaching With AI in Spanish L2 Courses: Classroom-Based Inquiry, Ethics, And Practical Implementation.”

Haub School of Business

Zhe Deng, Department of Decision & System Sciences, for a project entitled "Developing and Evaluating Student-Grounded GPT in Business Education.”

Elena Lvina, Department of Management, for a project entitled “Designing Ethical Learning: The Case for AI-Enabled Instructor-Guided Oral Assignments.”

Feng Shen, Department of Marketing, for a project entitled “AI Disclosure in Marketing Education: Literacy, Guilt Regulation, and the Ethics of  Anthropomorphic Framing.”

Chan Yoo, Department of Marketing, for a project entitled "Technology Affordances, Halo Effects, and the Ethical Use of AI Systems in Marketing: A Utilitarian Perspective.”

School of Health Professions

Patrick Davitt, Department of Health Sciences, “Evaluating the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in Exercise Testing and Prescription Education.”

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy/School of Health Professions

Zhiyu Li, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, for a project entitled “Artificial Intelligence in Toxicology: Discipline-Specific Applications and Ethical Considerations.”