Each year, leaders from Mizzou and Commerce Bank partner together and announce winners of the prestigious William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence by surprising them during class. Yesterday, our team visited Strickland Hall to recognize this year’s fifth and final Kemper Fellow, Dr. Julie Passanante Elman.

We’re now proud to share Mizzou’s 2025 class of Kemper Fellows:

• Amy Simons – professor, Missouri School of Journalism

• Pamela Brown – associate professor of biological sciences, College of Arts and Science

• Dennis K. Miller – associate professor of psychological sciences, College of Arts and Science

• Tamara Hancock – assistant teaching professor, College of Veterinary Medicine

• Julie Passanante Elman – associate professor of women’s and gender studies, College of Arts and Science

Mizzou’s faculty are world-class, and the Kemper Fellowship is the campus’s highest recognition for teaching excellence. Throughout the year, Kemper Fellows also serve as ambassadors of Mizzou’s outreach and commitment to student success. We are thrilled to celebrate their accomplishments and the many ways they prepare Tigers to make a difference.

Next month, each fellow will be formally honored during a ceremony that includes firsthand stories of their life-changing impact. Congratulations again to our 2025 Kemper Fellows!

— Mun