Two Moody College faculty recognized by the President’s Associates for teaching excellence
Moody College of Communication is proud to announce that Mary Bock, professor and graduate advisor in the School of Journalism and Media, received the 2025-2026 President’s Associates Graduate Teaching Excellence Award, while Natalie Czimskey, associate professor of instruction in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, received the President’s Associates Undergraduate Teaching Excellence Award.
The President’s Associates awards celebrate outstanding professors who are educational innovators that are committed to both teaching and inspiring their students. Bock and Czimskey were among 10 recipients from throughout The University of Texas.
As a graduate professor, Bock draws inspiration from her own graduate school experience as a non-traditional student. She recognizes the challenges students often face while juggling school and life outside the classroom. As such, she pays close attention to her students’ mental health and ensures they have the resources they need to help them succeed.
“When I meet with students, we talk about their whole being, not just their research,” Bock wrote in her award nomination letter. “A whole being conducts research and only a whole being is able to succeed.”
Bock says that as someone who did not feel like she belonged in graduate school herself, she focuses not just on methodology and theory in her teaching, but also on the power of kindness.
“I want our program to give more people, from all kinds of backgrounds, what my mentor gave me: a chance to accomplish something significant; something I did not believe I could do – until one day I did,” Bock wrote.
Czimskey says that her approach to teaching is akin to a therapeutic relationship, making it her mission to practice empathy, compassion and radical vulnerability. This not only helps create an optimal learning environment for her students, but also demonstrates the type of care that must be practiced in the speech, language, and hearing sciences.
“I spend time sharing likes, dislikes, hobbies, info about my family and my love for UT, giving them a chance to find something in common with me,” Czimskey wrote in her nomination letter. “I also share my professional Instagram account as another opportunity for them to connect with me and see what’s happening in my world.”
She says she has found that Instagram allows students who may be hesitant to connect with her in person an avenue to do so in a way that makes them feel more comfortable.
Czimskey’s signature course, “Beautiful brains: Deconstructing diagnosis in communication,” centers around the discussion and explanation of communication disorders. The class is project-based, rather than test-based, creating open and engaging conversations throughout the semester.
“I am grateful to be able to serve and interact with these students on a daily basis and believe that these courses give them the tools to consider how they communicate and their responsibilities within communication,” Czimskey wrote.
Learn more about the President’s Associates on The University of Texas website.
