Enthusiastic. Caring. Engaging. These were just some of the words that appeared in various nomination letters sent in by students and faculty members about Julie Cremeans-Smith, Ph.D., professor of Psychological Sciences at Kent State University at Stark. These glowing nominations and more earned Cremeans-Smith a 2021 Distinguished Teaching Award.
This award is sponsored by the Kent State University Alumni Association and is presented to three faculty members annually.
Cremeans-Smith said she was completely blown away and shocked. Her dean called her into a Microsoft Teams meeting that was crashed by a few individuals from the Alumni Association who told her she won.
“It was amazing and very humbling to be selected as a winner this year,” Cremeans-Smith said. “I was like ‘wait, what are these people doing in the middle of my meeting with the dean?’”
Numerous recommendation letters from faculty and students highlighted her passion, motivation and dedication for her field and how she passes that on to her students.
“Dr. Cremeans-Smith is truly the most helpful. She is always available to answer questions, responds promptly and thoughtfully and never makes you feel like you’re bothering her,” one student wrote.
A faculty member noted her positive student evaluation scores, glowing student comments and willingness to help students with any issue, no matter if it’s academic or personal.
“For several years, I overheard countless students come in need of help with material, projects and, sometimes, life,” a fellow faculty member said.
Her passion for educating isn’t new. Cremeans-Smith said she’s wanted to be a teacher since she was young.
“My mom could tell you stories about how I played school as a kid and how my poor younger brother had to suffer through the practice lessons I would create for him,” she said. “I remember being so excited as a kid when my parents got us a chalkboard.”
Other than receiving this award, Cremeans-Smith said one of the other highlights in her career is how she directly impacts students.
“Many of my students will keep in touch or will tell me how they've launched their careers because of something that came up in a conversation with me or because of class experiences,” Cremeans-Smith said. “It’s gotten them thinking about a career path that they hadn't really considered before.”
She also enjoys when her students get involved in research and demonstrate their knowledge in the field they chose.
“It's always a really proud moment when I can see one of my students presenting at a conference, whether it's giving a presentation or presenting a poster,” she said.
All recipients and finalists for the 2021 Distinguished Teaching Award were announced on Oct. 20, 2021.
To read more about Cremeans-Smith and the other finalists for the 2021 Distinguished Teaching Award, visit https://www.kent.edu/alumni/news/2021-distinguished-teaching-award-recipients-announced.
To visit Kent State Stark’s Psychological Sciences program, visit https://www.kent.edu/stark/psychological-sciences.