Dr. Elizabeth Kennedy, Missouri Western’s president, presents the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching to Dr. Elizabeth Thorne Wallington in Jefferson City.
March 6, 2024–Dr. Elizabeth Thorne Wallington, associate professor of education, is Missouri Western State University’s recipient of the 2024 Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.
“Dr. Thorne Wallington is an incredibly compassionate and beloved teacher, tremendous colleague, and exceptional advocate for students at Missouri Western,” her nomination letter read. “She works tirelessly to provide meaningful experiences directly tied to our designation as Missouri’s Applied Learning university, and elevate the quality of PK-12 teachers in our region through innovative instructional methods, new initiatives and workforce development.”
Dr. Thorne Wallington has been at Missouri Western for eight years. She teaches psychological development, reading and language arts methods, methods of teaching English language learners, language and culture, and master educator experience. She earned a Ph.D. in Education from Washington University in St. Louis, an MPA in Public Policy from the University of Georgia, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
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. Thorne Wallington and other honorees from around the state were honored at a luncheon in Jefferson City March 5.
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.