Yuankun Yao Will Receive Governor’s Excellence in Education Award

By Jeff Murphy, March 15, 2019

During a meeting of the University of Central Missouri Board of Governors March 15, Yuankun Yao, second from left, professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, was introduced as UCM’s recipient of the Missouri Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education. He was recognized through a presentation that included, from left, Roger Best, UCM president; John Collier, president of UCM Board of Governors, and Mike Godard, provost-chief learning officer.

WARRENSBURG, MO — A longtime University of Central Missouri faculty member who previously was honored for his work at the college level, Yuankun Yao, professor in the School of Teaching and Learning, is now receiving statewide recognition. He is a recipient of the 2019 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education.

Yao will receive the award during a luncheon in Jefferson City April 4 conducted by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson will present the awards, which consider criteria such as effective teaching, effective advising, innovative course design and delivery, service to the university community, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement. Yao joins award recipients selected from each of Missouri’s public higher education institutions.

The award selection at UCM was based on nominations submitted to a committee appointed by Mike Godard, interim provost-chief learning officer. Godard publicly introduced Yao as the award recipient during a meeting of UCM’s Board of Governors March 15.

“I am deeply honored by this award,” Yao said. “To me, the award represents the best recognition one can receive as a college professor. It makes me proud of the work I have done for my students. I am also grateful for the nomination and support my colleagues have provided for me. Many of my colleagues are outstanding professors who are loved by their students. Being recognized by such colleagues is a humbling experience for me.”

In his nomination letter, Matt Thomas, Ph.D., professor of reading and literacy, said he has known Yao for more than 15 years, and has witnessed him achieve three core ideals of the professorate: teaching, scholarship and service. While Yao is a research expert, particularly in areas such as advanced psychometrics, he is committed to effective teaching, and has excelled in course content expertise and course organization. He also possesses a genuine kindness and concern for students, according to the nomination.

“I have great respect for the first-rate and innovative teaching that Dr. Yao demonstrates, and also for the professional dispositions that have allowed him to become such an outstanding teacher,” Thomas noted. “Among the many excellent faculty I have worked with at UCM, none come to mind who have worked as diligently on teaching excellence as Dr. Yao.”

Other faculty members who provided letters supporting Yao’s nomination commented on his commitment to students through strong communication lines, and providing authentic support. Colleagues note his “lightning-fast feedback” and responses to student work and questions, while also describing his willingness to use the latest technologies, apps and online resources to engage and inform his students.

Faculty also state that Yao never quits learning himself. For example, to stay current in his field by understanding the realities K-12 teachers face in their classrooms, Yao was instrumental in seeking a clinical collaboration award for the College of Education to visit two schools in the Sedalia School District. He and his colleagues provide the district with his expertise while visiting classrooms weekly to see how assessment strategies are applied in the schools to maximize student learning. This is a professional development opportunity for him and his colleagues and is leading to a self-study that is under review by an international journal.

Yao is committed to his students’ success. He takes seriously opportunities to make himself available for consultation and mentorship.

“His students’ feedback demonstrates that he provides them with the classroom experiences they need to thrive,” wrote Alex Pagnani, Ph.D., associate professor of educational psychology. He cited Yao’s 24-hour-a-day commitment to being accessible to students as one of his many strengths as an educator.

Yao, whose average course rating by students in fall 2018 was 4.92 on a 5.0 scale, was honored during the 2017-2018 academic year as a recipient of the College of Education’s Distinguished Faculty Award. He also received the college’s Excellence in Teaching Award for the 2016-2017 academic year. This is the second time in his career that he has been nominated for the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Education.

Yao joined the university in 2003 as an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. In 2008, he was promoted to associate professor and served in the Department of Educational Foundations and Literacy. He served from 2017-2018 as a professor in the Department of Middle, Secondary, and Adult Education, and began his current role in the School of Teaching and Learning in 2018.

In addition to teaching, he has served as a graduate adviser to Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Science in Education students for more than a decade. He has been involved in committee work at the department, college and university levels. He is the College Assembly President for the College of Education, and previously chaired the college’s committee on tenure and promotion.