The Undergraduate Student Government (USG), in partnership with the Office of the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the University Library, has announced the recipients of the 2025 USG Faculty Open Educational Resources Leadership Award. This award honors faculty members who excel in using open educational resources in their teaching and advocate for open course materials.
Nominations for this award are submitted by colleagues and students, with a USG subcommittee selecting the winners. Each recipient received multiple nominations highlighting their innovative use of open educational resources.
Dr. Tomer Kanan from the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition was recognized for his work on D.O.C.T.O.R., a free 3D cadaver web app that helps over 800 students annually explore anatomy without cost.
Dr. Michael McLaughlin from the Department of Accounting was honored for Edspira, his self-authored "free business school," which provides free guides, videos, and practice templates as alternatives to expensive textbooks.
Dr. Ryan Hazelton from the Department of Physics was acknowledged for adopting OpenStax University Physics in his courses, providing over 600 students each semester with access to interactive learning tools at no cost.
Each awardee will receive a $500 prize. The USG expressed gratitude to those who nominated candidates and to the USG Faculty OER Leadership Subcommittee for supporting this initiative.
Sincerely,
Karen J. Colley
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Rhea Ballard-Thrower
University Librarian and Dean of Libraries
Haider “Asa” Asad
Undergraduate Student Government President
Nathan Thokkudubiyyapu