The awards, given annually since 2007, highlight exceptional faculty accomplishments. The honorees (listed below) receive a $4,000 stipend for Excellence in Teaching awards, the Excellence in Service award, and the Excellence in Professional Achievement award.
Laura Moorhead, lauralm@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Teaching (Tenured Faculty)
Professor Laura Moorhead is an associate professor of journalism whose teaching bridges professional practice, scholarly inquiry, and meaningful community engagement. She pioneered a peer-led Supplemental Instruction program that has helped students succeed in a challenging gateway reporting course while fostering a supportive, collaborative culture. She has also developed high-impact learning experiences in which students produce equity-focused journalism for community audiences, integrating her research on health, homelessness, representation, and media ethics into the classroom.
Jonathan Whooley, whooleyj@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Teaching (Lecturer Faculty)
Dr. Jonathon Whooley has taught in SF State’s Department of International Relations since 2014, offering courses across multiple modalities in international relations, foreign policy, security, cyber conflict, gender, and criminal justice. His teaching effectiveness is consistently outstanding, and students praise his accessibility, empathy, and commitment to their success. He creates inclusive, discussion-rich classrooms, provides prompt and individualized feedback, and remains a dedicated mentor beyond graduation. His teaching is enriched by an active research agenda, extensive student advising, and a strong ability to connect academic ideas with students’ professional and intellectual development.
Zhaoshuo Jiang, zsjiang@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Professional Achievement (Tenured Faculty)
Dr. Zhaoshuo Jiang is a professor of civil engineering whose research spans structural vibration, smart infrastructure, artificial intelligence, human-health monitoring, and data-driven building design. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and two patents and has secured approximately $5.7 million in research support, including $2.6 million as principal investigator. His distinctive contribution is translating fundamental engineering research into practical technologies, including privacy-preserving gait monitoring for older adults, cyber-physical methods for tall-building design, and the CSU system’s first instrumented “living structure” research facility. Dr. Jiang has also mentored more than 80 undergraduate and graduate researchers, engaging many students from underrepresented groups in nationally visible research, publications, conference presentations, graduate study, and engineering careers.
Mai-Nhung Le, mainhung@sfsu.edu
Excellence in Service (Tenured Faculty)
Dr. Mai-Nhung Le’s service spans department, college, university, CSU system, and community leadership. She has served as Chair of Asian American Studies, Assistant Dean and Interim Associate Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies, Faculty Director of Race, Ethnicity, and Health, and Executive Director of AA CARES. She stepped into senior leadership during periods of crisis, guiding the College after the sudden loss of an associate dean and leading the department through the COVID-19 pandemic and rising anti-Asian violence. Dr. Le’s service also includes Academic Senate and university committees, faculty and administrative searches, Title IX and DHR initiatives, and the development of a CSU-wide study of Asian American student well-being. Through AA CARES and longstanding partnerships with health, immigrant, refugee, and advocacy organizations, she has advanced racial and health equity, expanded community-based learning opportunities for more than 200 students, and strengthened SF State’s role as a trusted community partner.