Dr. Rachael Blasiman, associate professor-psychology at Kent State Salem, received the 2019 Distinguished Teaching Award, sponsored by the Kent State Alumni Association. This is the university’s most prestigious honor in teaching.
She began teaching on the Salem Campus in 2010 and became a full-time instructor in 2012. Blasiman received a Bachelor of Science in biology from Mount Union University, followed by a Master of Arts and a doctorate degree in experimental psychology from Case Western Reserve University.
At Case Western, Blasiman taught two courses and served in its Seminar Approach to General Education and Scholarship (SAGES) program.
“I’m incredibly grateful to work at a place like Kent State Salem where teaching is so highly valued, where students are here to learn and improve their lives, and where we have a strong sense of community,” Blasiman shared.
“We have many talented students and faculty, and I am honored to receive an award for something I love doing – teaching students about the wonders of the human mind and working with students to conduct original research in the field of cognitive psychology.”
On the Salem Campus, Blasiman leads the undergraduate student research committee and organizes the annual student research conference.
At Kent State, she serves on the Center for Teaching and Learning and Undergraduate Research advisory boards, as well as the University Teaching Council.
At the national level, Blasiman is a reviewer for the Society for the Teaching of Psychology and an ad hoc reviewer for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology.
“Dr. Blasiman is a true scholar that has become passionate about understanding the science of student learning. Her research has identified strategies and practices that help students perform at the highest level in the college classroom,” noted Dr. David Dees, dean and CAO of the Kent State Columbiana County campuses.
“Dr. Blasiman’s students find her courses challenging, exciting and spaces for true learning. Her research on understanding human learning has not only gathered national acclaim but has also established her as one of the best teachers on our campus.”
Under the support and guidance of Blasiman, one of her students, Hayley Shasteen, won the Kent State University SURE research competition and, then, was recognized nationally by being awarded the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship, one of the first such honorees from Kent State University.
The Distinguished Teaching Award is presented annually to three full-time Kent State faculty members who demonstrate extraordinary teaching in the classroom and a devotion to touching the lives of students. Faculty members are nominated by students and supported by their teaching peers.
Award winners are formally recognized at the annual University Teaching Council Conference on the Kent Campus.
Cutline A: Dr. Rachael Blasiman
Cutline B: Dr. Blasiman with one of her psychology classes
Cutline C: Dr. Rachael Blasiman learning of her award