ASPPH Teaching Excellence Award

Congratulations to the 2025 ASPPH Award Winners

2025 Award Recipient

Mike Stoots, EdD, MPH

East Tennessee State University College of Public Health

The ASPPH Teaching Excellence Award recognizes faculty who are outstanding in teaching and mentoring students toward distinction in public health research, teaching, and practice. The award is given annually to a full-time faculty member from an ASPPH-member, CEPH-accredited school or program of public health.

Criteria for Award

Nominations should include a description of the nominee’s outstanding contributions in:

The demonstration of innovative leadership for enhancing excellence, demonstration of equity in one’s teaching for optimal student learning, and inclusiveness in academic public health teaching.
Mentoring students at the baccalaureate, master’s, and/or doctoral levels.
Teaching outside of traditional degree programs at one’s university, including continuing education programs, short courses, and programs for the general public.
Innovative teaching-related contributions to one’s field, such as textbooks and other teaching materials.
Scholarship on teaching methodology.
High-level, national leadership to improve teaching and mentoring within CEPH-accredited schools or programs of public health.
The demonstration of a national and/or international reputation as an educator
Innovative or creative efforts in education.

Eligibility

Nominees must be full-time faculty from an ASPPH-member, CEPH-accredited school or program of public health. View the list of ASPPH-member institutions. The nominee must have the following:

A primary teaching appointment in an ASPPH-member school or program of public health
A demonstrated and notable record of success (more than 10 years in graduate and/or undergraduate public health education) in educating baccalaureate, post-baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral, and/or post-doctoral students.

Required Materials

All nominations must contain the following materials:

Nominee and nominator contact information;
Overview statement of nominee’s contributions (limit 800 words);
Nominee’s curriculum vitae; and
Two additional letters of support.

Award Details

$1,000 Cash Prize

Complimentary registration for ASPPH Annual Meeting

Recognition at the Awards Ceremony

Objective Review & Selection

Each nomination is assigned to an objective review and selection committee for that award. The committee is comprised of previous awardees, ASPPH Section leaders, and those nominated by their Dean to participate. Nominations are scored on the following criteria:

Overall Rating (5=high, 1=low)
The work (research/practice/teaching) conducted by this candidate has promising implications for improving public health (5=strongly agree, 1=strongly disagree)
Strength of the letters of support (5=very strong, 1=very weak)
Strength of candidate’s experience (CV) (5=very strong, 1=very weak)

All scores and comments are compiled, the candidates ranked, and a summary report is sent to the committee for review. ASPPH and the committee will discuss each nomination and determine the awardee.

A Zoom meeting is scheduled with the ASPPH Program manager and committee to discuss each nomination and determine the awardee.