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Northwestern University School of Professional Studies Teaching Awards
At Northwestern University's School of Professional Studies, we strive to provide students with the best possible instruction. Each year, SPS academic offices honor three faculty members in the areas of undergraduate and post-baccalaureate programs, professional development programs, and graduate programs. Distance Learning honors a faculty member for online course design.
Distinguished Teaching Award
Distinguished Teaching Awards are based on student nominations. Any faculty member can be nominated by current SPS students. The Awards Committee reviews all nominations and chooses the recipients based on information in the nominations.
Innovation in Online Course Design Award
The Distance Learning Office collaborates with SPS faculty to develop impactful online and hybrid courses, and presents this annual award to faculty who have gone above and beyond in their online course design.
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Distinguished Teaching Awards
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Kimberly Pusateri
Associate Professor of Instruction
Kimberly Pusateri is an Associate Professor of Instruction and academic advisor in the School of Communication. In the School of Professional Studies, she teaches undergraduate courses, including Communication in Health Science Professions and Strategic Communication Capstone, and is currently developing a new course on Data Visualization and Storytelling. Teaching for SPS has been one of the most meaningful parts of Kimberly’s career at Northwestern, thanks to students’ drive, insight, and real-world perspectives. Her teaching philosophy centers on authentic learning, collaboration, and inclusion—creating spaces where students feel seen, challenged, and empowered.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Mac Steele
Adjunct Lecturer
Mac Steele has dedicated his professional career to improving the lives of others—colleagues, employees, students, and mediation clients—through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) principles and practices. Steele is a seasoned facilitator, trainer, coach, mentor, and mediator to professionals from a plethora of fields, including attorneys, judges, educators, artists, law enforcement officials, doctors, and business professionals. Steele is experienced in facilitative mediation, transformative mediation, conflict coaching, restorative justice, and small- and large-group facilitation. Steele has over 15 years of experience in ADR, having handled cases in family and parenting, juvenile offenses, school-based disputes, employment, small claims, trust & estates and business disputes. Steele serves as Manager of Global People Operations at the world headquarters of Rotary International, where he oversees compensation, benefits, payroll, HRIS and operations for a global team of 800 workers. Steele is a certified DiSC facilitator and has an extensive background in change management. Steele earned a BA in Arts Administration from Western Michigan University and a MPA (Master of Public Administration) from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Amul Chapla
Adjunct Lecturer
Amul Chapla is Chief AI Architect at Microsoft, specializing in AI and data analytics technologies. Chapla teaches AI and data science courses for both the MS in Information Systems and the MS in Data Science programs. In his classes, Chapla combines his industry experience with academic instruction, offering students a practical perspective. Passionate about hands-on learning, he integrates cloud and generative AI into his teaching to equip students with real-world skills. He holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Gujarat University in India.
Innovation in Online Teaching
DISTANCE LEARNING
Lisa-Ann Barnes
Adjunct Lecturer
Lisa-Ann Barnes, PMP, Project+ is passionate about improving how projects are managed – by organizations and by people. She is a practicing project manager with over 35 years of experience and an active project management instructor for the past 32 years. She has been teaching in SPS since 2007. Lisa-Ann is also the faculty program advisor for the project management certificate. In that role, she provides inputs on the direction of the program, as well as development of new curriculum and updates to current classes, ensuring courses will meet the needs of both current and future students.
Through her consulting company, Lisa-Ann manages projects, implements project management offices, and facilitates strategic plans. She has published two books on project management and has a third in process. She speaks at many project management and leadership development events.
2024
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Amy Alznauer
Adjunct Lecturer
Amy Alznauer has taught mathematics at Penn State University, where she helped to start the Women In Engineering calculus program, at DePaul University, where she designed courses for both the Quantitative Reasoning Program and for the Master's in Math Education program, and for Northwestern's SPS, where she developed the distance learning calculus sequence.
In addition to her mathematics teaching, Amy has an M.F.A. in Creative Writing. Her work has won the Annie Dillard Award for Creative Nonfiction and the Christopher Award, and her book The Strange Birds of Flannery O'Connor was chosen as a New York Times Top 25 Children’s Book of 2020. She is also one of the curators for the recent Emory University exhibition At the Crossroads: With Benny Andrews, Flannery O'Connor, and Alice Walker. Two of her books The Boy Who Dreamed of Infinity: The Life of the Genius Ramanujan and the forthcoming The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape (both from Candlewick Press) bring the math and writing sides of her life together.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
John Cooper
SPS Lecturer
John Cooper is an experienced executive and team coach for top leaders, executives, and managers. With over 30 years of combined coaching, consulting, and business experience, including sales/operations leadership, he appreciates both the strategic and day-to-day demands of an organizational leader. Cooper holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Development and the credential of Master Certified Coach from the International Coaching Federation. For the past fifteen years, Cooper has been an adjunct professor teaching leadership and strategic thinking at Northwestern University. He is past President of the Organization Development Network of Chicago, and past board member of the Human Resource Management Association of Chicago.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Christian Wallis
Adjunct Lecturer
Christian Wallis is the CEO of Grossmont Healthcare District where he provides operational and administrative oversight of the resources, assets, and programs that support the healthcare needs of approximately 500k people within the District’s 750 square miles in San Diego’s East County region. Before working in the private sector, Wallis spent 21 years as an officer in the United States Navy where he served in numerous executive positions in the group practice, hospital and insurance settings. He received his MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago and doctorate in healthcare administration from Central Michigan University.
Innovation in Online Teaching
DISTANCE LEARNING
Denise Eisenhauer
Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor
Denise Eisenhauer has taught leadership, business, and management courses for undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral level students at Northwestern University since 2015. Eisenhauer began her career as a pediatric speech-language pathologist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She launched The Growth Factor Group in 2021 and also works as Associate Director of Entrepreneurial Leadership at Battle Ground Academy in Franklin, TN.
2023
Distinguished Teaching Awards
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Jessica Ashley
Adjunct Lecturer
Jessica Ashley is a content strategist, award-winning author, and certified coach. She earned a BA in Journalism from Truman State University and an MA in Women Studies and Speech Communication from Oregon State University. She served as an instructor of women studies at Oregon State University and gender studies at Western Oregon University. Ashley launched a national feminist zine when that was a radical act of communication, was a founding editor at Yahoo's first women's site, contributed to many major digital publications from Forbes to Scary Mommy, appeared as a guest expert on morning shows across the country, and served as a panelist on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday Life Class on single motherhood.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Ryan Bethel
Associate Professor of Instruction
Ryan D. Bethel is an Associate Professor of Instruction at Northwestern University. Dr. Bethel obtained his B.S. degree in Chemistry from Truman State University in 2008. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in Inorganic Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 2014, researching bioorganometallic molecular mimics of hydrogenase enzyme active sites under Marcetta Darensbourg. He taught as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at Texas A&M University until 2022, when he moved to Northwestern University.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Paul Winters
SPS Lecturer
Paul Winters is a partner at Wagenmaker & Oberly, LLC, a national law firm focused on serving the nonprofit sector. Paul manages the firm’s corporate and technology & data privacy practice groups. He has taught nonprofit law at the DePaul University College of Law since 2014 and at Northwestern University’s School of Professional Studies since 2016. As a former pastor, Paul's combined educational, legal, and ecclesiastical experience gives him unusual insight into the challenges facing volunteer organizations, faith-based groups, and various nonprofit entities.
2022
Distinguished Teaching Awards
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Syamala Srinivasan
Adjunct Lecturer
Syamala Srinivasan has taught Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning in the Master of Science in Data Science program at Northwestern University since 2013. She is the Chief Data Scientist at Tada Cognitive Solutions Inc. Srinivasan earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Statistics from Colorado State University and her M.S. and B.S. in Mathematics from University of Madras, India. She holds an Advanced Executive Program certification from Kellogg and is also a Fellow of Wharton.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Michael Shmarak
SPS Lecturer
Michael Shmarak currently serves as Senior Director of Communications for Verve Group, an advertising technology company headquartered in Berlin, Germany. He leads teams across the globe focused on external, internal, C-suite and organizational communications.
Shmarak has been instructing SPS students since 2012, teaching Brand Management and Introduction to Public Relations. His approach to teaching is focused on connecting students with real-world experiences and professionals so they can see that there is substance behind the subjects.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Connie Meyer
SPS Adjunct Lecturer
Connie Meyer is a facilitator, mediator, and coach with over 15 years of experience in the field of alternative dispute resolution. After earning an M.A. in intercultural conflict management from Lesley University, she went on to work for two spin-offs of the Harvard Negotiation Project – first on the non-profit, international-conflict side, and then for many years as an instructor and coach for corporate managers and executives. Meyer's corporate work has spanned multiple industries and focused on skills for effective negotiation, communication, and influence.
Currently, Meyer works to advance cooperation across lines of religious difference as a curriculum development consultant at Interfaith America. She is twice-certified as a mediator and underwent advanced negotiation and mediation training at Harvard Law School. She logged hundreds of hours as a mediator for the Center for Conflict Resolution (CCR) in Chicago and has frequently served as a coach for mediators-in-training.
Meyer holds a B.A. in international studies and history from Northwestern.
2021
Distinguished Teaching Awards
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Imran Khan
MS in Health Informatics program
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Roberto Lopez-Rosado
Premedicine program
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Tom Canale
Certified Financial Planner Certification Education program
2020
Distinguished Teaching Awards
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Brice Clinton
MA in Sports Administration
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Jerry Lassa
Statistics
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Anthony Mersino
Certificate in Project Management
2019
Distinguished Teaching Awards
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Naeem Murr
Creative Writing
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS
Leslie Fischer
Writing
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Carlann Fergusson
Leadership
