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Dr. Michele Hill feels privileged to teach University of North Georgia (¹û¶³´«Ã½) students about psychology.

"Our students want to help others in the world," the associate department head and associate professor of psychological science said. "I get a lot of joy from watching students understand and apply the concepts they learn to real-world problems in mental health."

Hill uses several teaching methods, which range from undergraduate research to service-learning projects.

"I conduct undergraduate research with students that are involved at every level of the process. They conduct and present the research at professional conferences. Students gravitate toward these opportunities," Hill said. "I have also conducted service-learning projects that connect our students to the community. It allows them to apply the lessons I teach in class to real-world scenarios."

Based on her approach, Hill received the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Distinguished Teaching Award in fall 2020. She then became the university's nominee for the University System of Georgia's (USG) Felton Jenkins Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award, which recognizes individual faculty and staff for a strong commitment to teaching and student success. She won the USG award in spring 2021.

Her award came after nearly 25 years of being an educator and licensed  psychologist with a focus on college student mental well-being.

"I use transformative teaching practices," Hill said. "These promote critical thinking so students relate new knowledge to their own life experiences. This makes the content meaningful and promotes personal and professional growth."

Teaching students is her focus, making her an ideal leader.

"To lead is to serve. A good leader encourages others to excel and recognizes that success comes from collaboration and difficult dialogues," she said. "A good leader listens, admits their mistakes, and is adaptive."