Professor of educational psychology honored with coveted award

Shirley L. Yu was teaching ESEPSY 7404: College Teaching to a class of graduate students from across the university when the door to her Bolz Hall classroom burst open unexpectedly. In filed a delegation of university dignitaries, including a camera crew with video camera rolling.

Helen Malone, vice provost for Academic Policy and Faculty Resources, addressed the assembled students. “We are pleased to announce that your professor is a recipient of this year’s Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching,” she said.

The class broke into applause and cheers. Yu, an associate professor of educational psychology, looked astonished, which is the intent of the annual surprise award visits.

“Of about 6,000 faculty who are eligible for this award, Dr. Yu is one of 10 this year,” Malone said, “and part of the reason for that is from the nominations, a really amazing narrative about the way you engage with your students, how you care for your students, how you mentor them in the classroom, beyond the classroom at the university, beyond graduation and into their careers.”

“The value that you provide to them, the care and compassion that they find when they work with you, for that, we are very, very grateful.”

As Malone spoke, Yu dabbed at her eyes, clearly moved by the unexpected announcement.

Yu is program manager of the interdisciplinary Graduate Certificate in College and University Teaching, a program conferred by the Graduate School to provide advanced pedagogical training for aspiring postsecondary educators.  She is also an associate professor of educational psychology in the Department of Educational Studies.

Each of the leaders referred to or quoted excerpts from the nomination that addressed aspects of Yu’s teaching.

“I applaud the work that you do in preparing these brilliant individuals to become the next generation of faculty. And because you do it so incredibly well, for our world, you’re a hero,” said Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Patrick Louchouarn, Office of Faculty Affairs. “You bring your expertise as a scholar to the service of the practice of preparing the next generation of university faculty.”

“So, I can’t thank you enough for opening the doors to what it means to be faculty for these individuals, and for lighting the fire that motivates them to become our next university leaders.”
  

Josh Harraman, director with the university’s Alumni Association, recognized Yu’s award on behalf of the 621,000 living alumni and Molly Ranz Calhoun, president and CEO of the association and senior vice president of Engagement. “Among the many glowing reviews from students (in the nomination),” he said, “a student shared, ‘What I’ve learned from you as student and TA, I’m using to inspire others.’”

Alumni testify to Yu’s excellence

Yu’s former PhD advisee, Yeo-eun Kim, '20 PhD, wrote an extensive nomination. Kim is now an assistant professor of educational psychology at Florida State University.  She stated that Yu deserves the award for preparing future faculty and for “the lasting impact she makes on her students through her masterful use of evidence-based pedagogy in the classroom.”

Kim also wrote, "The quality and rigor of her mentoring are evidenced by the successful outcomes of her students and alumni. They often earn teaching and research awards at local and national levels, and they consistently secure positions in their desired careers after graduation."

Kim said Yu’s guidance helped her win the 2022 Paul R. Pintrich Outstanding Dissertation Award from the American Psychological Association’s Division 15: Educational Psychology.

Kim quoted multiple alumni whom she invited to contribute to the nomination. One wrote:

“Dr. Yu immediately distinguished herself from professors with whom I’d taken courses in that she was tirelessly focused on individual intellectual growth. Her rigorous standards were commensurate to the time and care she invested in each and every one of my doctoral peers. …”

“Although each lecture was engaging, dynamic and grounded in active learning techniques, it was also unceasingly focused on learning objectives and content acquisition. Being an educator myself now, I understand how thin a line this is to walk, balancing fun with rigor. But genuinely, in the hands of Dr. Yu, the symbiosis was organic, distinguishing her as a master in her field.”

 Yu’s effectiveness in the classroom, Kim wrote, is evidenced by her uniformly high Student Evaluation of Instruction (SEI) ratings, written comments on the SEI, peer reviews of teaching and unsolicited thank-you notes that she has received throughout the year.

Yu’s award will be further recognized when all 10 of this year’s awardees gather in May for a recognition ceremony. In addition, the awardees will be invited on the field at Ohio Stadium during halftime at an autumn football game.

"I’m truly touched and humbled by this recognition,” Yu said. “I always hope my students feel the care and effort I put into supporting their learning. I hope it inspires them to invest in their own students and work. Thank you all so much for this incredible honor."

Shirley L. Yu’s expertise in the Educational Psychology program

In addition to her significant leadership in preparing the next generation of college and university faculty, Yu’s research interest in the Educational Psychology program centers on understanding the relationship of self-regulated learning, motivation and instructional factors to student retention and achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs.

She has published articles with her students and faculty colleagues examining students’ experiences in large-enrollment introductory courses in physics and chemistry. For example, she has studied how motivational beliefs are related to academic engagement, achievement and retention of college students in STEM.

Her work has been partially supported by Ohio State’s Center for Emergent Materials, where she actively contributes to the education efforts.