Ohio State Marion professor's innovative teaching earns top honor
Dr. Nikole Patson, a psychology professor at Ohio State University at Marion, has been awarded the 2025 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching.
The award, established in the 1959-60 academic year, is one of the university's most prestigious teaching honors, according to an announcement.
University senior leadership surprised Patson with the news during her 11 a.m. class March 31.
"I think if you've read my materials, you know how much my students matter to me," Patson said. "Being honored in this way means a great deal.'
Jennifer Schlueter, dean and director of Ohio State Marion, said the award is a profound honor for both Patson and the entire psychology department.
'This award reflects the extraordinary dedication she brings to her students, her innovative teaching methods, and her leadership in fostering curiosity and creativity in the classroom,' Schlueter said in the announcement. 'It also reaffirms our campus's strong commitment to academic excellence, student-centered learning, and the kind of faculty engagement that transforms lives. We are thrilled to see her work celebrated at the university level."
Patson's teaching style is characterized by her innovative approach to classroom instruction, according to Tracy Tylka, a professor of psychology at Ohio State Marion.
'She is committed to training students to think like scientists, understanding that while many may not pursue research careers, they must be equipped to critically assess scientific information in their daily lives,' Tylka said.
Patson's assignments often mirror real-world applications, encouraging students to compare popular press articles with journal articles to evaluate scientific claims.
Patson also is involved in various activities beyond teaching, including advising, career counseling and mentoring undergraduate student researchers. She coordinates the student survey research pool in Marion and serves as the principal investigator for Ohio State's Research Experiences for Undergraduates Grant from the National Science Foundation, according to an announcement.
In the Marion community, Patson is a board member for Let's Read 20, a literacy initiative that encourages parents to read to or with their children for at least 20 minutes daily.
The Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching includes a $5,000 honorarium and a $1,200 increase to the recipient's base salary. Winners are inducted into Ohio State's Academy of Teaching.
Annually, a maximum of 10 faculty members are selected for the award in recognition of teaching excellence. Full-time Ohio State faculty members on all campuses with the rank of instructor through full professor in the clinical or tenure track who, in the past three years, have taught undergraduate and/or graduate/professional students are eligible for this award, according to an announcement.
This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@gannett.com, with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct or share your thoughts at http://bit.ly/3RapUkA with our News Automation and AI team.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Dr. Nikole Patson receives Ohio State's distinguished teaching award
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