Rutgers Honors Outstanding Faculty at 2025 Excellence in Online Teaching Awards
Annual event attracts more than 700 attendees from across the U.S. and around the world
With the launch of the Office for University Online Education Services (UOES) in July 2024, University Academic Affairs made clear its commitment to support online education, universitywide. “Part of that commitment,” says William Pagán, associate vice president for UOES, “is recognizing those whose work stands out, among the many committed Rutgers faculty who engage students online.”
The Rutgers Online Learning Conference—an annual forum for the international community of online educators to exchange best practices and new ideas—was an opportune moment to honor those whose work is exemplary of the field. Eleven Rutgers faculty members across all chancellor-led units were recognized for excellence in three categories: Online Course Design, DEI & Accessibility, and Online Program Administration.
Dasantila Sherifi, PhD, assistant professor and program director, Department of Health Informatics at the School of Public Health—whose work was cited for Excellence in Online Program Management— offered this advice to anyone seeking to elevate their online offerings: “Student engagement is key. Plan carefully and communicate often, and with intention.” While good advice for any educator, these words hold special weight in the online space. Sherifi, who has been teaching for 30 years—10 of them exclusively online—has found that online students especially value clear communication in assignment instructions and expectations, as well as timely and specific feedback. In addition, Sherifi suggests, “Add flavor. Be playful. Give [students] something memorable.” Including real-life content or inviting an expert guest speaker are among the ways she suggests accomplishing this—and the online platform offers greater flexibility to arrange such experiences, transcending traditional constraints of time and place.
Another winner in the Online Program Management category, Hadi El-Farr, PhD, MBA, director, Professional Master's in Human Resource Management (online) and associate teaching professor, Human Resource Management, School of Management and Labor Relations, shares this student-centered mindset. He brings a high-level perspective to managing online education that clearly benefits from his background in industry. Optimizing quality, providing value, and leveraging student-centered design are aspects of online programming El-Farr deems most critical. Ultimately, this boils down to meeting student needs: “A high-quality, student-centered program should address their aspirations, career growth, and work-life balance.” He advises aspiring managers of online programs to offer strong support to faculty in the beginning stages, particularly in providing a structure and a model to work from as they flesh out their first offerings. He believes that the role of student counselors is also essential, providing customer-service style support that students need to navigate the program.
Preston V.L. Lindsay, PhD, assistant professor of professional practice, Department of Applied Psychology, at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, shared credit with his students in accepting his award for Excellence in Online Course Design, which celebrates educators who create dynamic, thoughtfully structured courses, fostering interactive and collaborative learning experiences that make creative use of the online environment. Lindsay’s remarks exemplified that spirit of collaboration and thoughtfulness, as he dedicated his award to “every one of you [students] who has stepped into the spaces we’ve built together, willing to learn in ways that stretch, challenge, and transform.” Acknowledging the difficulties students may have in navigating online spaces, he praised their willingness to “show up…engage…question…think critically…push back.”
All the award winners expressed enthusiasm for the support offered by UOES. Sherifi called the annual online conference a “valuable and inspirational” opportunity to gain insights from colleagues on best practices in pedagogy and student engagement. Both Sherifi and El-Farr commented on the “higher level of professionalism and quality” available through use of UOES facilities and staff to record and edit lectures.
It’s clear that each of the awardees brings something special to the table: an approach that leverages the strengths of the online format to offer students something of lasting value. Says UOES director of instructional design, Dena Novak, EdD, it is their “extraordinary commitment to supporting online learner success, ensuring that every student has access to inclusive, engaging, and impactful learning experiences…ones that foster connection, curiosity, and discovery.”
Excellence in Online Teaching Awards 2025
Online Program Management and Administration
Winners
Hadi El-Farr, PhD, MBA, director, Professional Master's in Human Resource Management (online) and associate teaching professor, Human Resource Management, School of Management and Labor Relations, Rutgers–New Brunswick
Dasantila Sherifi, PhD, MBA, assistant professor and program director, Department of Health Informatics, School of Health Professions, Rutgers Health
Honorable Mention
Edward Werner, PhD, associate professor and director, Ragone Center for Accounting Excellence, Online Master in Accountancy, and Certificates in Accounting; School of Business; Rutgers–Camden
Online Course Design
Winners
Preston V.L. Lindsay, PhD, assistant professor of professional practice, Organizational Psychology, Department of Applied Psychology, Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers–New Brunswick
Christine Harrington, PhD, part-time lecturer, Adult and Continuing Education, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers–New Brunswick
David J. Pedersen, PhD, associate professor and director of MS in Finance–Financial Planning, School of Business, Rutgers–Camden
Honorable Mention
Benjamin Justice, PhD, distinguished professor, Educational Theory, Policy, & Administration, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers–New Brunswick
Terri Kurtzberg, PhD, professor, Management and Global Business, Rutgers Business School
Jennifer Manoukian, PhD, lecturer and course developer, Armenian Studies, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers–New Brunswick
DEI & Accessibility
Winners
Cynthia Simon, JD, part-time lecturer, Political Science, School of Arts & Sciences, Rutgers–New Brunswick
Kristina Chew, PhD, associate teaching professor, Department of Classics, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers–New Brunswick