Two University of Iowa College of Education faculty members were recently recognized with collegiate awards for their excellence in teaching and mentoring students.

Erin Barnes, a clinical associate professor in Rehabilitation Counseling, and Jodi Linley, associate professor in Higher Education and Student Affairs, received 2023 Collegiate Teaching Awards.

The Collegiate Teaching Award is the highest recognition of achievement in teaching given in the UI College of Education for exemplary teaching and mentorship.

Barnes’ students describe her as “an expert guide who is kind, supportive, and a great role model in academia and in the professional spheres, who knows how to share her experience and great skill with her students for their betterment.”

Student nominations letters lauded Barnes for her commitment to their success and for being a great role model for students.

“Dr. Barnes is kind, considerate, gives us space to find our own answers but guides us when we need a push, is understanding, and takes notice of us as individual students and clinicians. I have really enjoyed working with her and learning from her over the last few semesters/two years.”

Another wrote: “Dr. Barnes is not only a great role model in teaching but also an approachable person to me who are a woman of color…. To me, Dr. Barnes is the person I can genuinely talk to about my thoughts and receive practical guidelines. She is the person who can provide me with critical and important feedback to navigate the system. She is a caring, warm, nice, and thoughtful person.”

Linley’s students describe her as a teacher who is “highly committed to her students professional growth and nurtures students’ ability to understand how they think and learn, and how research and practical circumstances are influenced by those aspects.”

One nominator says, “'Dr. Jodi Linley places a high level of emphasis on inclusive and equitable teaching practices…As a student, I find myself often nervous and hesitant in the classroom setting. For years I have held back from sharing my ideas in fear they may be wrong or different than my classmates. The application of various teaching strategies Jodi implements has made me feel safer and more comfortable than I have ever felt in a classroom previously.”

Another shares, “Dr. Linley directly names and interrogates oppressive systems like racism and homophobia. In addition to assigning course readings that center minoritized populations (e.g., LGBTQI+ students), she also ensures that her courses center equity (e.g., a unit about fostering sense of belonging for minoritized students). These practices validate students’ experiences and identities and encourage all students to reflect critically on power and their identities.”

The awards were presented at the College of Education Spring Faculty and Staff meeting and carry a stipend of $2,000.