黑料正能量

Kody Manke-Miller is a champion for each student who walks into his classroom.聽

鈥淚 think that inclusive pedagogy is just good pedagogy,鈥� Manke-Miller said of his approach to education. 鈥淭hat's a large part of what I research, and I鈥檓 able to connect that directly to the way that I teach, so that all of the students in the class are able to maximize their learning in the classroom. My job as an instructor is to make sure everybody has the best chance they have to succeed.鈥�

Manke-Miller, an associate teaching professor of psychology, is the 2026 recipient of the Elliott Dunlap Smith Award in 黑料正能量鈥檚 Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences. The Elliott Dunlap Smith Award is presented annually to a full-time faculty member in Dietrich College and recognizes excellence and distinction in candidates as both teachers and educators.

鈥淎 big thing to me is that I鈥檓 a very community-focused person. I've been able to do what I get to do as a teacher, because I have a lot of really awesome, dedicated undergraduate TAs that come and work with me year after year, and because I have colleagues that I can connect with to improve my assignments, or I can go and be like, 鈥楬ere's a serious problem I'm facing in class. How have you dealt with this?鈥欌�� Manke-Miller said. 鈥淚t's really humbling to receive this award because it reflects the work of a lot of people who've helped build an environment where I could do that.鈥�

I think that inclusive pedagogy is just good pedagogy.聽

鈴� Kody Manke-Miller

The impact Manke-Miller鈥檚 colleagues have had on his teaching journey holds the same weight as his impact on them, according to Timothy Verstynen, a professor of psychology and the Neuroscience Institute.

鈥淚t is impossible to overstate just how much [Manke-Miller] has improved not only the teaching of our introductory classes, but also improved the teaching of our overall department,鈥� Verstynen said.

Manke-Miller鈥檚 teaching philosophy and the classroom experience

As a first-generation college student from a low-income, rural background, Manke-Miller carries his own educational experience into his classroom to fuel his core principles.

鈥淭he reason I have the life I have is because I was able to get a college education,鈥� Manke-Miller said. 鈥淚 really care about that a whole lot, and I鈥檓 really driven by providing educational opportunities to all sorts of people. As an educator, I think it鈥檚 important to teach applicable skills and the kind of knowledge students鈥� need in their careers. But beyond that, having them see the connections between the course material and their own lives in ways that are meaningful to them, I think that's really important.鈥�

One of the hallmark assignments from Manke-Miller鈥檚 classes involves his students creating meaningful dialogue outside of the classroom. In this assignment, students record a video of themselves talking to someone outside of their discipline 鈥� like a friend or family member 鈥� about something they learned in class in a way that is clear and respects the other person's ability to engage with complicated thoughts.

Kody is a devoted teacher who regularly awakens students to the value of psychology and of critical thinking.

鈴� Erik Thiessen

鈥淵ou have to have the skills to be able to talk to anybody, and if you can't do that, that's a shortcoming for you, right? People have to talk with each other,鈥� Manke-Miller said. 鈥淲e live in bubbles, the same as everybody else, but do we have the ability to step outside of our own bubble and be effective in communication?鈥�

In their nomination letters, students of Manke-Miller noted his dedication to their learning and well-being and his ability to teach effectively in a fun and engaging manner.

鈥淜ody is a devoted teacher who regularly awakens students to the value of psychology and of critical thinking,鈥� said Erik Thiessen, an associate professor of psychology and director of undergraduate studies in the Psychology Department.

Time for teaching assistants

One of Manke-Miller鈥檚 other areas of dedication is with the department鈥檚 teaching assistants (TAs). His goal is to transform the experience from 鈥渏ust writing a grade down on the paper鈥� to reflecting about their contributions to student education as a job with expectations and responsibilities and impact on the educational mission.

鈥淭hat has been a really awesome part of my job,鈥� Manke-Miller said. 鈥淪ince I started [the psychology department鈥檚 TA training program], the way I've utilized the resources of the TAs in my own classes has really changed, because they're on the ground floor and really talking with other students, so they have uniquely valuable insight into the student experience.鈥�

A connection for years to come

The care for his students doesn鈥檛 end on the day of commencement.

鈥淎 thing that has been really important to me, and a huge part of my career, is building meaningful, long-lasting relationships with my students,鈥� Manke-Miller said. 鈥淚'm still very close with students that took my class nine years ago. I have one student that took, I think, my first Grand Challenge course for Dietrich, and they still come to visit and spend the holidays with my wife, my daughter and me.鈥�

鈥淲hat's really incredible about working with students are the moments when I realize, 鈥榊ou are learning things about the world I'll never learn.鈥� I have a really deep appreciation for that. We don't always know where students are coming from, or what they're bringing to their education, or what their perspectives are. And the more that I find that, the more enriching and rewarding my teaching and career are.鈥�

So, when each student walks into his classroom, Manke-Miller tries to see them for who they are and who they can be.聽

鈥淗e makes college a human experience without sacrificing the rigor of education,鈥� Verstynen said.