Meneve Dunham Award for Excellence in Teaching

The Meneve Dunham Award for Excellence in Teaching is awarded annually to a full-time faculty member who has completed three years of service at Clarke University and who embodies excellence in teaching.

The 2025 award was presented to:

Lee Johnson, ED.D.
Assistant Professor of Education

A colleague wrote:
A hallmark of Lee’s teaching is his inventiveness in assignments, evaluations, and the teaching process. These experiences mirror the professional responsibilities students will face as educators and foster meaningful connections between theory and practice. . . His students are encouraged to view learning as an ongoing process and to develop habits of reflection, inquiry, and professional growth.

He models the mindset of a reflective practitioner, reinforcing the importance of flexibility, collaboration, and staying current in the field of education.” 

Several former students also shared their experiences with this year’s Meneve Dunham award recipient at length. Here is just one excerpt:

“I [am the teacher I am today because of the] amazing job [he did] preparing us for life and teaching. I owe all credit to him for my patience, understanding, and overall teaching philosophy. I truly believe I would be a completely different educator had I not had someone as special as him teaching me how to think so incredibly for the last five years.  

When something happens in the classroom or even in life in general, I find myself thinking “What would this awesome human do?” 

He would tell me to step back and take a look at what is inside my circle of control, he would encourage me to fight for what I think is right, he would push to make a connection with every student because you may be all they have, and on top of all these things, he would tie a meaningful story along with it. 

[He] is the professor students dream of having. He is encouraging, empathetic, understanding, and most of all awesome.”

Former President, Meneve Dunham passed away on February 9, 2021, at the age of 90. With her passing, we asked past winners to reflect on what this dedication to excellence has meant for them and their careers.

Previous Recipients

Lisa Rettenmeier, Ed.D., Professor of Nursing
Tony Breitbach, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Chemistry, 2023
Sunil Malapati, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, 2022
The Entire Clarke University Faculty, 2021
Jennifer Mai, PT, DPT, Ph.D., MHS, NCS, Professor of Physical Therapy, 2020
Ann Weltin, DNP, FNP-BC, CNM, Associate Professor of Nursing, Director of Graduate Nursing Programs, 2019
Jessica Teckemeyer, MFA, Art, 2018
Evelyn Nadeau, Ph.D., Spanish, 2017
Ann Adkins, Ed.D., Education, 2016
Tim Boffeli, Ph.D., Psychology, 2015
Joseph Klinebriel, MFA, Drama, 2014
Andrea Bixler, Ph.D., Biology, 2013
Karen Glover, Ph.D., Chemistry, 2012
Paula Schmidt, Ed.D., Education, 2011
Michelle Slover, Ph.D., Biology, 2010

*For a complete listing of recipient names you may contact Academic Affairs.