The Herbert College of Agriculture Welcomes the First Cohort of the Faculty Teaching Fellowship Program
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Select University of Tennessee Herbert College of Agriculture faculty members have joined the first cohort of the college’s Faculty Teaching Fellows — a year-long program supporting faculty by deepening their teaching practice through instructional design, inclusive pedagogical strategies and reflective teaching.
The mission of the Faculty Teaching Fellowship program is to equip Herbert College of Agriculture teaching faculty with the knowledge, skills and resources required to provide best in class educational experiences for students.
“When our faculty have the tools and community to experiment, reflect, and grow, our students feel the difference immediately,” says Jennifer Richards, associate professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications.
In addition to a $5,000 stipend, participants receive a two-year membership in North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA), funded travel to NACTA conferences, opportunities for peer observation and reflection, development of teaching philosophy and curriculum map, and support for a teaching-related research project.
A faculty member from each department in the Herbert College of Agriculture and the School of Natural Resources participates in this year’s cohort.
Members of the first Faculty Teaching Fellows cohort:
- Jiajia Chen, associate professor in the Department of Food Science
- Jamie Greig, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications
- Denita Hadziabdic Guerry, associate professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology
- Lacey Johnston, senior lecturer in the Department of Animal Science
- Alejandro Molina Moctezuma, assistant professor of teaching in the School of Natural Resources
- Andy Pulte, teaching professor in the Department of Plant Sciences
- Sathishkumar Samiappan, associate professor in the Department of Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science
- Carlos Trejo-Pech, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Richards says, “By investing in our teaching faculty, the college is investing in every student who walks into or logs into our classrooms. The program gives Herbert faculty the space, skills and support to reimagine how students learn—and that’s the kind of ripple that can elevate the learning experiences we offer Herbert students.”
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.