March 28, 2023–Dr. Adrienne Johnson, associate professor and chair of the Department of Education, is Missouri Western State University’s recipient of the 2023 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
“Dr. Johnson is an incredibly compassionate and beloved teacher, tremendous colleague, and exceptional advocate for students at Missouri Western,” her nomination letter reads. “She brings to the institution a wealth of knowledge, experience, and passion for preparing students to enter the teaching profession.”
Dr. Johnson has been at Missouri Western since 2013, teaching in the undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs. She previously worked in K-12 education in Kansas City, Missouri, as well as Michigan and Illinois. She received Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Arts degrees in Linguistics from the University of Kansas, Spanish-English Bilingual Teaching Certification from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a Master of Education from National Louis University in Chicago, Illinois and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and Psychology from the University of Denver.
The Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching is sponsored by the Missouri Council on Public Higher Education and is presented to an outstanding faculty member at each member institution. Missouri Western selects the recipient based on teaching and advising excellence and a history of nurturing student achievement through our mission as Missouri’s designated institution for Applied Learning.
Dr. Johnson and other recipients from around the state were honored at a luncheon in Jefferson City earlier this month.
Missouri Western State University is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit missouriwestern.edu.