On Saturday, May 2025, during North Carolina Wesleyan University’s annual commencement ceremony, Dr. Jospeh Lane, Provost and Sr. Vice President of Academic Affairs, presented the 2025 Exemplary Teacher Award to Dr. Doreen Thierauf, Associate Professor of English. This award recognizes excellence in teaching and promotion of student learning, civility and concern for students and colleagues, commitment to value-centered education, service to students beyond the classroom and service to the larger community beyond campus. According to her students and faculty peers, Dr. Thierauf has created a dynamic and energized classroom space in which students are invited to share their own thoughts and feelings on some of the most challenging concepts in human experience, and in spite of, or perhaps because of, the heavy subjects that she asks to students to reflect on her students routinely rise to the occasion. During her eight years on our faculty, Dr. Thierauf has also been committed to her work as a scholar. She has published more than a dozen articles and reviews, edited an essay collection and several journal issues, and averages more than four publications and more than four newly presented talks or papers per year.