Newman University Faculty Honored for Excellence in the Classroom

Newman University has named three faculty members as recipients of its 2025 Faculty Excellence Awards. Rachel Cheek, Yelando Johnson, and Audrey Hane received recognition for outstanding contributions to teaching, student engagement, and mission-driven impact. Each honoree was celebrated for their transformative work in the classroom and beyond at November banquet in downtown Wichita.

More information is available at https://news.newmanu.edu/2025-faculty-excellence-awards/

President Kathleen S. Jagger emphasized that faculty commitment to nurturing the minds, character, spirit, and hearts of students forms the foundation of Newman’s mission. The Faculty Excellence Award recognizes three core areas—teaching excellence, effective advising, scholarship, and service—with teaching taking precedence. This work transforms student lives while preparing them for purposeful careers and community leadership, reflecting the university’s Catholic identity and dedication to holistic student development.

Five finalists competed for this year’s awards: Rachel Cheek, Sumia Ehsan, Audrey Hane, Yelando Johnson, and Patrick Nance. Selection criteria emphasize teaching excellence, innovative methods, and contributions to the university community. The caliber of finalists underscores the depth of talent within Newman’s faculty, where educators consistently go beyond traditional instruction to mentor, inspire, and guide students toward discovering their vocations.

Professor Rachel Cheek, who joined Newman in 2022, teaches Nursing Care of Childbearing Families and Community Health with a student-centered approach that has profoundly impacted learning outcomes. Her active practice as a certified nurse-midwife at a low-income community clinic ensures her teaching remains grounded in modern healthcare realities and health disparities. Cheek also serves on the University Curriculum Committee and leads curriculum development within the BSN program, combining clinical excellence with transformative pedagogy that helps students find their calling in nursing.

Dr. Yelando Johnson brings 12 years of dedicated service as MSW Program Director and Associate Professor, advancing social work education through visionary program development and community partnerships. Her significant grant achievements include a $2.3 million HRSA award for the Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training Program and a $100,000 grant from the Kansas Behavioral Health Center of Excellence. Johnson’s national representation includes participation in a panel discussion on allyship and inclusive leadership at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, demonstrating her commitment to scholarship, social justice, and preparing ethical leaders who create lasting community impact.

Dr. Audrey Hane, with over two decades at Newman, has transformed countless students through her integration of pedagogical frameworks such as project-based learning and AI-informed instruction. Her compassionate, student-centered approach empowers students to communicate with clarity and purpose while discovering their vocation. Hane leads professional development for colleagues and engages the community through workshops and service on the Wichita Family Crisis Center Board, embodying Newman’s mission to develop students who become ethical leaders prepared for meaningful careers.

Keynote speaker Ken Stoltzfus noted that faculty work has become increasingly challenging amid declining enrollments, mental health concerns, political polarization, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence. Newman’s Faculty Excellence Awards represent an institutional commitment to honoring and sustaining exceptional teaching in an environment where educators face mounting pressures. Higher education research confirms that teaching awards enhance the quality of instruction and recognition within institutions, making these honors a strategic investment in faculty morale, retention, and mission fulfillment.

The recognition reflects Newman University’s broader mission to develop students in mind, character, spirit, and heart. Award criteria align with the institution’s Catholic identity and commitment to preparing ethical, socially conscious leaders who respect human dignity, pursue truth, and advance social justice. Faculty excellence remains inseparable from student success and community transformation, as these educators demonstrate through their daily work with students who gain confidence, find purpose, and build skills for lifelong impact.

Current and prospective students and their families can learn how Newman’s exceptional faculty shape educational experiences, mentorship, and personal formation. The university’s investment in faculty excellence directly benefits students’ learning, growth, and preparation for lives of service and leadership. For more information about Newman University, visit https://newmanu.edu/

Newman University

3100 McCormick
Wichita
Kansas
67213
United States