Faculty Accolades
Several Moody School of Education faculty have been honored with awards recently.
Top Baylor Honors
Dr. Grant Morgan ranks among the most influential researchers nationally and internationally, with work that advances both cutting-edge quantitative methods and real-world societal outcomes through extensive interdisciplinary collaboration. A professor of educational psychology and associate dean for research in Baylor University’s Moody School of Education, Morgan received the Baylor University Outstanding Faculty Award for Research.
Morgan ranks in the top 2 percent of scholars worldwide for citations by other researchers, a key measure of scholarly influence. His work spans a wide range of fields. As a leader in advanced quantitative methods, Morgan has authored studies on substance abuse among high school students, classroom engagement and learning, early identification of autism in Latino/a children, spirituality among college students, and hot flashes in women.
Known for his collaborative approach, Morgan has refined standard methodologies and introduced new analytical tools. His contributions often reshape how data are modeled and interpreted across disciplines.
Dr. Gospel Kim requires all her Baylor students — across every course from undergraduate to doctoral level — to work directly in community or school settings for field-based learning, applied projects, or research. She integrates these experiences in all her courses because she believes applying theory in real-world contexts is essential to learning.
That commitment and intentionality, along with superlative reviews from students and colleagues, earned her the 2026 Baylor Outstanding Faculty Award for Tenure-Track Teaching — the university’s sole such honor.
Dr. Kim joined Baylor’s Department of Educational Psychology in the Moody School of Education in August 2024 as an assistant professor. She has a robust applied research agenda supporting young children with developmental disabilities and their families, and she structures her teaching to prepare future educators, clinicians, and researchers to serve diverse children, families, and communities with competence and impact.
Dr. Kelly Johnston, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, has been selected to receive the 2026 Centennial Professor Award for her proposed research project over the next academic year. The award will provide funding for Johnston’s development of the Baylor Educator-Scholar Collective as a model for ongoing professional formation.
The Centennial Professor Award, created by the Baylor Class of 1945, honors two tenured faculty members annually with a $5,000 awards to support proposals to facilitate their professional development and contribute to the academic life of the University.
Johnston’s Centennial Professor project focuses on the development of the Baylor Educator-Scholar Collective, a sustained intellectual and professional community for graduates of the Moody School of Education. The Collective will serve as a model for ongoing professional formation through a digital hub, annual gathering, and integration with graduate education that reflects both innovation and strong alignment with Baylor’s mission and strategic priorities.
External Recognition
Dr. Sarah Mire, LP, NCSP, LSSP, associate professor in the Department of Educational Psychology in Baylor’s Moody School of Education, received the Dr. Ollie Seay Knowledge Award for Excellence in Research from the Texas Chapter of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDDTX).
For more than 15 years, Mire’s work has exemplified the power of rigorous, community-rooted, and interdisciplinary research. As founder and director of the School Psychology Autism Research Collaboration (*sparc), she has focused on improving outcomes for children through strengthening the capacities of the adults who support them—including caregivers, educators, and clinicians. She is also developing new approaches for earlier and more culturally responsive autism identification, with the goal of creating equitable access to services statewide.
Dr. Eric Robinson, LSSP, associate professor of educational psychology in Baylor’s Moody School of Education, received the 2026 NASP Presidential Award from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). The honor recognizes professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the field and to advocacy for children. Robinson has been active in NASP in several significant leadership roles, serving on the NASP Program Accreditation Board for 16 years and as co-chair for 12 of those years.
Robinson also serves Baylor as associate vice provost for student success, overseeing the University’s Office of Access and Learning Accommodation and other University-wide student services. In the Department of Educational Psychology, Robinson serves as program director of the PhD in School Psychology and guided that program to national recognition from NASP.
Dr. Sandi Cooper, professor and associate dean for undergraduate programs and educator certification, was honored by her undergraduate alma mater with a Distinguished Alumni Award as the outstanding graduate of the School of Education for Louisiana Tech University. She was recognized during the 100th Homecoming of the university in the fall. Cooper earned her BS and MS from Louisiana Tech and is a recognized leader in mathematics education. The university created a video in her honor: La Tech Video