The Graduate School annually solicits nominations from graduate students, faculty, staff and alumni for the Excellence in Graduate Education Faculty Recognition Award. This award honors faculty who have made a significant, positive influence on graduate education at Syracuse University through their commitment to superior graduate teaching, dedication to departmental and community presence, and research initiatives. The School of Education is proud to have two faculty honored with the 2020 award.
Dawn Rene Johnson
Associate professor and chair of higher education
Johnson conducts research on student admissions and recruitment, especially the experiences of students of color in science and engineering. Her collaboration with the University’s Office of Institutional Research and Assessment resulted in the Student Experience Survey, which focused on student perceptions of academic and campus life experiences.
Tiffany A. Koszalka 
Professor of instructional design, development and evaluation
Koszalka also directs a community of scholars and practitioners in the Research in Designing Learning Resources project, which studies and develops best practices for using effective, interactive online learning resources. Many of Koszalka’s numerous publications have resulted from collaborations with colleagues around the globe on research in instructional sciences, technology integration and distance learning.