By Blake Jackson
Erin Haramoto, associate professor in the Plant and Soil Sciences Department at the University of Kentucky’s Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, has been honored with this year’s Master Teacher Award, recognizing her exceptional dedication to teaching.
The award acknowledges faculty who demonstrate a strong commitment to enhancing teaching practices, including effective classroom techniques, advancing student learning outcomes, contributing to student development, and providing impactful instructional programming.
“Receiving this award was a big honor,” said Haramoto, who teaches both undergraduate and graduate students. “It’s rewarding to work for a college and university that emphasize a positive teaching culture and value student success.”
Haramoto emphasizes the importance of involving students in course design to foster better learning outcomes. She also values building meaningful connections with her students.
“I value my student's feedback. This is a learning process for me too,” Haramoto said. “I really enjoy having good conversations with my students and getting to learn new and interesting things about them. That’s so fun and rewarding.”
Riley McLaughlin, a UK student, took three of Haramoto’s courses, including agroecology, integrated weed management, and cover crops in agroecosystems.
“Dr. Haramoto’s ability to facilitate engaging lectures that connect to hands-on lab experiments fosters an understanding and interest in content that I have not experienced in other classrooms,” McLaughlin said.
“What I have noticed most about Dr. Haramoto’s teaching is that I walk away with a well-rounded perspective on real agricultural issues. Combining theory with practical implications in her classes has allowed me to think about why we do things, as well as consider ways to innovate and improve our agroecosystems.”
Dave McNear, a faculty colleague, highlighted Haramoto’s thoughtful approach to course design.
“Dr. Haramoto’s dedication to her students is evident in her thoughtful approach to course design and assessment - adapting her teaching methods based on student feedback, regularly implementing anonymous surveys to assess the effectiveness of her adaptations,” McNear said.
Rebecca McCulley, department chair, praised Haramoto for her continuous reflection and innovation in teaching.
“Erin is not afraid of experimenting in the classroom, which is something I admire,” McCulley said. “She is a committed, talented teacher who is eager to share what she knows and determined to continue to improve her instructional skillset. Erin is a strong faculty mentor, and I am regularly grateful for her continued leadership.”
Photo Credit: university-of-kentucky
Categories: Kentucky, Education