Temple University College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) is proud to celebrate our faculty and their outstanding dedication to their students and the communities they serve with the 2024-2025 CEHD Teaching and Mentoring Awards. Each recipient was nominated for their respective award by their students and fellow staff and faculty members, demonstrating the impact of their work and devotion to the Temple community.
Faculty Advising and Mentoring Award: Sabina Neugebauer
Associate Professor of Literacy, Sabina Neugebauer is passionate about her work, research and student success. She guides students through every phase of research, from developing critical questions, to data collection and analysis to disseminating findings, giving them ownership of their learning and helping them see the value of slow, careful work. “You have to go slow to go fast,” she explained, noting that intentional mentorship leads to deeper insights.
Her research focuses on multilingual learners and literacy development, specifically the “will and skill” of literacy instruction: how a welcoming school environment and strong language supports are both critical ingredients for literacy learning. She’s also deeply involved in collaborative projects that take a team-based approach to studying classroom practice and improving mentorship models.
Above all, Neugebauer hopes her students feel empowered to ask questions, reach their goals and make the world better in their own unique ways. “At the end of the day, students are the ones who determine whether my approach is effective,” said Neugebauer. “To be nominated by them is incredibly humbling and deeply meaningful.” Additionally, she shared her ultimate goal is for her students “to be happy and fulfilled, not just academically, but personally and professionally.”
Read more about Sabina Neugebauer.
Graduate Teacher Award: Crystal Austin
With a background in counseling psychology and a commitment to making mental health education more representative and responsive, Associate Professor of Instruction, Crystal Austin is shaping not just future clinicians, but more empowered, self-aware individuals.
Austin said when she first received news of the honor, she was deeply touched, especially upon hearing a piece of the nomination letter written by one of her students. “It was meaningful to hear how positively students see me,” she said. “My goal has always been for students to feel welcome, safe, supported and challenged in their learning. The fact that a busy student took time to write the nomination made it even more special.”
Austin emphasizes her commitment to creating spaces where students’ own experiences matter. “I encourage students to share how their lived experiences connect to what we’re learning,” she noted. “Everyone has something valuable to offer.”
Rather than relying solely on textbook content, Austin actively integrates diverse and community-based perspectives, particularly in courses such as multicultural counseling, an area that has traditionally been underrepresented in mainstream psychology curricula. These perspectives and moments of representation are both validating and transformative for students and future professionals.
Her commitment to teaching, her students and research is driven by the long-term impact she aspires to have on her students. “I hope that students leave with a strong sense of self-efficacy, that they can envision themselves in their respective professional roles and feel confident that they have the tools to have a real impact,” she stated.
Read more about Crystal Austin.
The CEHD’s Owlie Award is awarded to faculty who have gone above and beyond in their innovation in instruction and teaching. Professor of urban education and policy, Lori Shorr is recognized with this award in appreciation of her creative, student-centered approach and dedication to building a better, more equitable society through education.
“It’s an awesome feeling to have your peers and the people you work with all the time think that what you’re doing is worthwhile and valuable,” she stated upon receiving her award. Shorr sees teaching as more than classroom instruction, but a platform for transformation. “I want to move and change society,” she said.
Shorr leads a unique classroom environment, co-teaching a graduate-level course called School and Community Partnerships, with Philadelphia-based community organizer Sylvia Sims. The class emphasizes storytelling and public narrative, encouraging students to explore “the story of self” and “the story of us,” helping them connect their personal experiences to broader community change.
In the course, students work with community members on projects, either new or ongoing, led by community partners. Last year’s projects included writing and presenting research briefs to legislators with HopePHL, as well as collaborating with the North Philly Project on a scholarship program for local students.
Shorr wants to solidify in her students the core belief that change is possible and that they have the power to make it happen.
Undergraduate Teacher Award: Shana Levi-Nielsen
A proud two-time CEHD alum, Assistant Professor of Instruction Shana Levi-Nielsen is a nationally certified school psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst. She began her career teaching elementary and middle school students in Camden, New Jersey, before completing graduate work at Temple in school psychology and behavior analysis. She now teaches in the school psychology and the human development and community engagement (HDCE) programs at Temple.
At the heart of her work is a deep commitment to applying behavioral science in educational settings. In her role supervising HDCE fieldwork, Levi-Nielsen said she values the diverse backgrounds and experiences her students bring, tailoring her mentorship to help each one grow as a confident, skilled professional. “I work hard to provide the individualized mentorship that students need to develop as early career professionals, given their individual skillsets and the differing needs of their fieldwork settings,” she said.
Drawing from nearly a decade of teaching in public schools, Levi-Nielsen blends classroom experience with her expertise in learning and behavior to prepare future educators to meet the needs of all learners. She focuses on building inclusive, affirming educational spaces, particularly for students from marginalized backgrounds, and equips teachers with tools that are often missing in traditional training. “Often, educators learn about the development of ‘typical’ children and traditional ways that schools have been run, rather than the specific variables that we know affect behavior and learning,” she explained. “Most educators are not trained in how to adjust these variables to influence student achievement. My goal is to disseminate behavioral science so that educators can produce better learning outcomes, especially for students who have been historically underserved by our education systems.”
Whether in the classroom or in the community, Levi-Nielsen’s goal is to inspire the next generation of educators to use scientific principles to create learning environments where every student can thrive.
Read more about Shana Levi-Nielsen.
After more than 40 years as an educator, Ann Rivera, who teaches in the CEHD’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program has once again been recognized for her impact in the classroom.
“I’ve retired a few times,” Rivera said with a smile, “but I can’t seem to stay retired. Teaching is who I am.”
Rivera began her career as a substitute teacher in Philadelphia before earning a master’s degree in English with a concentration in TESOL from Temple University. She went on to serve as an ESOL teacher, assistant principal and principal within the School District of Philadelphia before joining Temple as an adjunct professor eight years ago. At Temple, she has taught Principles and Practice for Teaching English Learners. She described her teaching philosophy as rooted in three core principles: engagement, relationships and reflection, which guide everything she does in the classroom.
She credited her late husband, her biggest supporter, with encouraging her to keep teaching after retirement. “He always said, ‘This is who you are. Teach as long as you want to,’” Rivera reflected. “I know he’d be proud of me.”
When she learned she had won the CEHD Adjunct Faculty Award, Rivera said she was deeply moved. “Just being nominated was wonderful, but receiving the award was truly one of the highlights of my career.”
For Rivera, the recognition is meaningful, but the real reward is in the classroom. “I am a teacher at heart,” she said, quoting educator, author, and activist Parker Palmer. “There are moments in the classroom when I can hardly contain the joy. Having the ‘heart of a teacher’ matters just as much as any skill or technology. It’s what students remember.”
Teaching Assistant Award: Jawaria Ashraf
Jawaria Ashraf's teaching journey began in Pakistan, where she taught elementary students math, English and science. From those early experiences to her current work as an instructor and researcher, Ashraf has developed a passion for creating inclusive and supportive learning environments. Additionally, she “has always believed that a teacher should be approachable, empathetic and committed to fostering student growth.”
When she found out she received the award, she said she was stunned, in the best way. “As someone who was still very new to college-level teaching, to be recognized with this award so early in my journey at Temple was both humbling and motivating,” she said.
Ashraf teaches Interpersonal Communication: Critical Competencies for Professional and Personal Success. She shared this course aligns perfectly with her teaching philosophy, as it emphasizes the importance of understanding human behaviors, communication styles and relationships, all of which she believes are foundational elements of effective teaching and learning. Within this course, Ashraf encourages questions, integrates cultural perspectives into discussions and strives to create an “active learning environment, student-centered classroom where every student feels seen, heard and valued.”
Read more about Jawaria Ashraf.
The 2024–2025 CEHD Teaching and Mentoring Awards highlight the heart of Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development: our faculty, staff and students who work every day to educate, support and prepare learners and leaders to advance equitable systems and practices in schools and communities. As we celebrate their accomplishments, we are reminded of the powerful ripple effect great teaching can have. Congratulations to this year’s honorees and thank you for continuing to create positive change in Philadelphia, the Commonwealth and beyond.