Three Outstanding Instructors Receive Cognella Innovation in Teaching Awards for Family Science

In partnership with NCFR, Cognella recognizes the innovative teaching practices of Dr. Tyler Jamison, Dr. Alisha D. Hardman, and Dr. Shera Thomas-Jackson

San Diego, CA – December 15, 2025 – At the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) Annual Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, November 19 – 22, Dr. Tyler Jamison, Dr. Alisha D. Hardman, and Dr. Shera Thomas-Jackson were honored with 2025 Cognella Innovation in Teaching Awards for Family Science.

Developed in partnership with NCFR in 2018, the annual award program recognizes outstanding family science instructors who go above and beyond to develop and apply innovative teaching practices within their courses to enrich students’ learning experiences and advance the discipline. Since its inception, Cognella and NCFR have awarded 20 instructors with Cognella Innovation in Teaching Awards for Family Science.

The judging panel awarded Dr. Tyler Jamison, an associate professor of human development and family studies at the University of New Hampshire, first place.

To help introduce future family studies professional to qualitative research in a way that both sparks curiosity and equips them with the knowledge and skillsets they need to become competent and compassionate researchers, Dr. Jamison developed the Tell a Story About Love (TASAL) project for her Intimate Relationships and Families course.

This program asks students to facilitate a conversation between two individuals in a romantic relationship. Students are evaluated on their ability to follow research protocol, submit a transcript and recording, and reflect meaningfully on what they learned. In their written reflections about the project, many describe the emotional power of observing vulnerability and love between the participants, as well as the challenge of creating space for authentic conversation. Students consistently recognize the professional value of facilitating dialogue, and many express pride in completing a formal research task.

“Winning this award means so much because the Tell a Story About Love project was a rare professional risk for me,” said Dr. Jamison. “I had an idea to combine research with teaching and simply went for it. What unfolded was more interesting, collaborative, and impactful than I ever imagined. This recognition helps validate the work my team and I have done. It’s a reminder that meaningful teaching is rooted in curiosity, and when students sense that you’re genuinely exploring something new, they don’t just go through the motions. They engage with the work enthusiastically and help shape the experience in surprising and wonderful ways.”

For 2025, Cognella selected two instructors to receive second-place awards—Dr. Hardman and Dr. Thomas-Jackson.

Dr. Hardman, an associate professor at Kansas State University, has integrated a variety of experiential and problem-based learning strategies within her courses. As a certified Project FORECAST facilitator, she is able to facilitate Problem-Based Learning-Simulations, which allow learners to roleplay, observe, and see the impact of their decisions in real-time as they simulate real-world scenarios, and provide learners with an opportunity to apply the knowledge they have learning in classes to better prepare them for the complex challenges of trauma-informed care.

Additionally, in Program Development and Implementation, a family life education methodology course, Dr. Hardman implements the brain architecture game, in which students work in teams to build a brain. She uses this interactive game to reach about risk and protective factors as students see how life experiences (positive, tolerable, and toxic) impact the growth and development of the brain. This hands-on experience demonstrates for students the importance of preventing risk factors and promoting protective factors to foster optimal development of children.

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award and be counted among the many outstanding past winners,” said Dr. Hardman. “I am passionate about incorporating experiential and problem-based learning into my teaching as a way to engage students in their learning and empower them to connect theory and research to practice. This recognition affirms the time, energy, and effort I’ve invested to incorporate these applied learning approaches and serves as an inspiration to continue innovating.

I’m so appreciative to Cognella and NCFR for co-sponsoring this award to recognize the many outstanding family science educators who are using innovative teaching strategies to prepare the next generation of family scholars and practitioners.”

Dr. Thomas-Jackson, an assistant professor of practice at Texas Tech University, has integrated arts-based practices into her courses, encouraging students to express understanding of coursework through poetry, music, montages, blogs, podcasts, skits, and other media. In her Human Sexuality course, she replaced a final paper with a creative expression project and now has partnered with collaborators at two other universities to evaluate student learning outcomes. This creative approach has made the assignment both stimulating and intellectually rich for students. Although students still engage with the same volume of empirical research, the new format allows for more personal and expressive ways to connect with the material.

Dr. Thomas-Jackson has also been instrumental in establishing and supporting the student-led initiative, Healing in the Arts, a program that has hosted multiple performances, both in-person and virtually. Students are invited to share personal stories, which are then transformed into performances through dance, music, and theater by their peers. Each event includes a panel of experts following the performance, who share scholarship research and provide valuable resources to complement the artistic endeavors.

“I’m honored and thrilled to receive this award,” said Dr. Thomas-Jackson. “It affirms what I’ve long believed: that creativity is not only a valid pathway to knowledge, but is also powerful for healing, connection, and growth. Integrating arts-based pedagogy into family science has helped students engage more deeply with course material—and with themselves. This recognition inspires me to keep pushing boundaries, fostering spaces where students can express, reflect, and reimagine what learning and family science can be.”

To learn more about the winners’ unique contributions and innovations, read their full profiles at: cognella.com/innovation-in-teaching-award.

About Cognella®

Cognella® is redefining academic publishing by creating teacher-driven, student-centric higher education course materials in print and digital formats under three imprints: Cognella® Academic Publishing, Cognella® Custom, and Cognella® Active Learning. Cognella also publishes engaging nonfiction titles featuring modern perspectives as Cognella® Press. Learn more at www.cognella.com. 

About the National Council on Family Relations

The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), founded in 1938, is the oldest nonprofit, nonpartisan, multidisciplinary professional association focused solely on family research, practice, and education. NCFR members are dedicated to understanding and strengthening families. Members come from more than 35 countries and all 50 U.S. states, and include scholars, professionals, and students in Family Science, Family Life Education, human development, marriage and family therapy, sociology, psychology, anthropology, social work, theology, child development, health, and more.

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