Outstanding University Teacher Award, Non-Tenure Track

Nichole Hughes-Liss, M.S.

• Student Conduct Coordinator in the SCCR office and an NTT in the School of Communication
• She earned her M.S. from ISU in 2019

My motivation to become a college professor comes from…

I worked in corporate America and was unsatisfied. Someone I looked up to convinced me I had the skills and passion necessary to study communication (aka I was a nerd about research) as graduate student and eventually teacher (aka I connected well to college students). It turns out she was right! I always enjoyed working with students one-on-one as well as in a classroom setting, and being an NTT also gave me the ability to work part-time in academic advising.

The resource or person that has been the most important influence in my teaching career is … (and why)

My mentor in the School of Communication is  Jorgi Henson. Jorgi is a wonderful instructor who is always thinking about how to incorporate new strategies for engaging students into the gen-ed course that we both teach. I appreciate her student-centered approach to teaching.

I also wouldn't be the teacher I am today without the advising team in the School of Communication. They are the most supportive and wonderful colleagues. Working in advising with them helped enhance and inform my teaching in many positive ways.

The most rewarding aspect of teaching for me is … (and why)

When students seek me out years after having me in class to let me know how they're doing and what they've chosen to do in their careers. The fact that they opt to seek me out when they have their own accomplishments or to let me know how my class impacted them means a lot to me.

If you asked my students what makes me an effective teacher, I would hope that they would say … and/but I think that they would actually say …

I would hope that they would say it is because I care more about their growth as students and people than I do making sure they give perfect speeches. Being an approachable instructor who can create a welcoming classroom space and who can balance understanding and accountability has always been my goal ... But I think that they would actually say that I am an effective teacher because I am enthusiastic about class/course content, make self-deprecating jokes, seem to care about students, and put cute animal pictures in all of my power points.

“I strive to foster an engaging classroom environment that focuses on amplifying student voices and learning practical communication strategies to help students become better advocates for themselves and their communities.”