UM Communication Studies Professor Receives NCA Donald H. Ecroyd Award for Outstanding Teaching

October 15, 2025

Dr. Tiffany Wang, professor of communication studies, has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 National Communication Association (NCA) Donald H. Ecroyd Award for Outstanding Teaching in Higher Education. This prestigious honor is the NCA’s top association-wide award recognizing excellence in college-level teaching.

The award is presented annually to an NCA member who exemplifies outstanding teaching in higher education. It was first awarded in 1988.

Wang shared her gratitude for the award, stating that she is honored and humbled to be recognized.

“I would like to thank my faculty and staff colleagues in the Department of Communication and the College of Fine Arts, as well as my graduate mentors at Texas Christian University and the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, who have modeled for me what it means to be a good teacher, mentor and advisor,” she said. “I am also grateful to the University of Montevallo Communication Studies alumni and the friends and colleagues in the Communication Studies field who nominated me for this award.”

Wang also reflected on the significance of the award and how excited she is to be a part of its legacy.

“Over the years, I have been inspired by the many exemplary teachers who have won this award,” she said. “I enjoy reading their instructional communication scholarship and attending panels and short courses where they share best practice ideas that have helped me improve as a teacher.”

In its official announcement, the NCA highlighted Wang as an award-winning educator recognized by state, regional, national and international associations, as well as by universities. Her teaching has had a lasting impact on her students, with one stating, “Even though I may no longer sit in her classroom, I am continually applying Dr. Wang’s feedback as I map out the next steps of my professional life as I continue my career as a communications practitioner.”

Another student shared, “She taught me the value of my voice, my words and my thoughts — and that is the greatest lesson I have ever learned.”

Wang’s dedication to her students and her lasting influence as an educator make her a true embodiment of the spirit of the Ecroyd Award.