Connor honored with 2022 Teaching Excellence and Leadership Award

Dr. Lisa A. Connor is Carson-Newman University’s 2022 Teaching Excellence and Leadership Award recipient. The announcement came during C-N’s Fall Convocation on Aug 23.

Connor is an assistant professor in Carson-Newman’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. She is also program leader for Child and Family Studies, roles she has held since 2017. She received both her undergraduate and graduate psychology degrees from Lehigh University before earning her doctorate in child and family studies from the University of Tennessee in 2016.

She garnered college classroom experience as a teaching assistant at both Lehigh and University of Tennessee. She also co-taught at UT until becoming an instructor for an undergraduate research methods and statistics class there. She was an adjunct professor at Carson-Newman starting in 2016 in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences before joining the faculty in her current role.

“The Journal of Family Issues,” “Families in Society,” “Journal on Excellence in College Teaching,” and “Journal of Educational Research” have all featured contributions by Connor.

Cited as a strong researcher and popular among her students, Connor is revered by her colleagues as well. Dr. Heather Whaley, dean for C-N’s School of Business and Family & Consumer Sciences, was among those who nominated Connor. “Dr. Connor is not a potential leader on campus – she is already leading,” Whaley said. “[She] consistently demonstrates excellence in teaching, advising, mentoring, scholarship, and leadership. She is diligent, dependable, and I am glad to work with her.”

Presented to non-tenured faculty members since 1990, the Teaching Excellence and Leadership Award honors one who demonstrates creative and effective instruction and noteworthy leadership contributions to the overall academic program. Considered an indicator of future promise, the honor recognizes exceptional ability and positive student feedback.