The National Art Education Association (NAEA) has named Li-Hsuan Hsu, an assistant professor of art education at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, the recipient of the 2018 Elliot Eisner Doctoral Research Award in Art Education runner-up. She has been at UWO since September 2017.
The NAEA award, determined through a peer review of nominations, recognizes the value of doctoral research to the profession of art education and its related disciplines, to advocate on behalf of such research and to foster continued support of doctoral research in art education. Hsu’s accomplishment was celebrated at the NAEA National Convention held March 22–24 in Seattle, Washington.
“This award is being given to recognize excellence in professional accomplishment and service by a dedicated art educator. Li-Hsuan Hsu exemplifies the highly qualified art educators active in education today: leaders, teachers, students, scholars and advocates who give their best to their students and the profession,” said Kim Huyler Defibaug, NAEA president.
Hsu’s research conceptualizes leadership qualities of art education professionals to create an artful leadership framework, guiding current and future art educators and fostering leadership development. Her research explores the intersection of arts and leadership—a theory which has not been widely discussed in art education.
Susan Maxwell, art department chair, is excited to have such an innovative and energetic faculty member on her team.
“It is essential to be a part of the latest theoretical and practical developments in order to be a good teacher,” Maxwell said. “Research keeps art department faculty up-to-date on the latest developments in the field and keeps them in conversations with an international community of artists, scholars and teachers. In turn, it directly informs their teaching. “
Hsu is excited to see her doctoral research have a direct impact on the UWO student body. She recently designed a University Studies Program (USP) course based on her area of expertise titled Arts and Leadership.
“My goal is to apply my theoretical research findings in my dissertation to interdisciplinary, practical applications that could help UWO students across departments discover how art experience can be a strong vehicle to discover personal strengths and leadership qualities,” Hsu said.
Hsu feels conducting research is an effective way to reflect upon teaching practices and to better comprehend student growth, curriculum development, instruction and assessment. “Research creates opportunities for us as educators to be collectively aware of diverse strategies for outstanding teaching practice,” said Hsu.
“The award Professor Hsu has received is an acknowledgement by a premier educational association that her research is both highly relevant and original,” Maxwell said. “We are incredibly lucky to have Professor Hsu at UWO.”
NAEA is the professional association for art educators. Members include elementary, secondary, middle level and high school art teachers; university and college professors; education directors who oversee education in our nation’s fine art museums, administrators and supervisors who oversee art education in school districts, state departments of education, arts councils; and teaching artists throughout the United States and many foreign countries.
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