University of Mary Washington Associate Professor of Education Melissa Wells has received the prestigious 2024 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
University of Mary Washington Associate Professor of Education Melissa Wells has received the prestigious 2024 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV).
Since joining the faculty at UMW in 2017, Wells has made it her mission to foster connections among teaching, discovery, knowledge integration and service, inspiring students on campus and in their own classrooms.
She infuses her passions for equity, accessibility and inclusion into her teaching, scholarship and service within and beyond the College of Education. Her instruction includes undergraduate, graduate and professional development courses. She co-creates syllabus policies with students, crafts dynamic Canvas courses that students applaud and designs interactive learning opportunities providing first-hand experiences for future teachers. Students also appreciate the personalized feedback Wells provides on every assignment, something she honed as a K-12 educator herself.
“At every stage of my career, students like these have changed my identity as an educator. Because of them, I prioritize teaching with empathy, innovation, accessibility and authenticity,” Wells said in her personal statement. “I thrive when students bring their own stories, gifts and talents into spaces they share with me. In my teaching, I intentionally craft learning experiences that provide learners with choice, relevance and responsiveness.” Read more.
