Purdue Libraries and School of Information Studies News

Samantha LeGrand selected as Teaching Leadership Award Fellow

May 20th, 2025

Libraries faculty member Samantha LeGrand has been selected as a Teaching Leadership Award Fellow for the 2025–26 school year. The award fosters the pursuit of excellence in teaching and the development of teaching leaders, and honors Purdue faculty and their departments who foster excellence and growth in teaching.

As a fellow, LeGrand will focus on pedagogical partnership—a student-faculty collaboration model that values students as co-creators in the learning process. Her initiative will help Libraries faculty explore and implement information literacy pedagogical approaches through authentic partnerships with students.

“I’m honored to be selected, and it’s exciting to be part of shaping teaching and learning practice at the university. I am looking forward to working with my faculty colleagues in Libraries to build upon the amazing work they already do to build relationships with their students and create knowledge together,” she said.

LeGrand’s project also includes a series of two workshops co-facilitated with students:

• The first workshop will introduce the core concepts of pedagogical partnership and explore how students and faculty can work together to enhance teaching and learning.
• The second workshop will offer faculty the opportunity to reflect on a course they teach and consider how student partnerships could reshape their approach.

By integrating student voices into the conversation about teaching, LeGrand’s initiative aims to build stronger educational relationships and foster a shared commitment to excellence in teaching and learning across Purdue Libraries.

Looking forward, LeGrand said, “I hope the Teaching Leadership Award workshops will be an opportunity for us to consider exciting new directions for creating curriculum in partnership with the passionate, innovative students at our university. My dream is that widespread adoption of student-faculty partnership will result in a broader culture of mutually beneficial and meaningful learning experiences.”

About the award

The Teaching Leadership Award at Purdue supports instructors who champion teaching excellence within their departments. Open to faculty across all campuses, the award encourages the development of initiatives, such as workshops, seminars, and guest speaker events, that strengthen teaching practices and engage both faculty and graduate teaching assistants. The award aims to cultivate leadership in teaching and foster a culture of continuous improvement across the Purdue community.

Each recipient receives $1,000 in discretionary funds, with an additional $500 awarded to their department. Applicants must submit a brief proposal outlining a one- or two-semester plan that aligns with Purdue’s Framework for Teaching Excellence, along with a budget justification and a letter of endorsement from their department head. Awardees will consult with the Center for Instructional Excellence to refine their project plans before implementation. 

To learn more, visit the Teaching Leadership Award website.