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The 2025 Outstanding Teaching Awards: Frances B. Henderson

By Jenny Wells-Hosley 

portrait of a professor

Frances B. Henderson is celebrated by her colleagues and students for her creativity and ability to inspire critical thinking. Carter Skaggs | UK Photo

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Aug. 22, 2025) — Frances B. Henderson, Ph.D., associate professor of gender and women’s studies in the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, is one of nine winners to receive the University of Kentucky’s 2025 Outstanding Teaching Awards.

These awards identify and recognize individuals who demonstrate special dedication to student achievement and who are successful in their teaching. Recipients were selected through nomination and reviewed by a selection committee based in the UK Provost’s Office for Faculty Advancement and the Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching.

Henderson, who holds a joint appointment in African American and Africana studies, came to UK in 2019. Her teaching philosophy centers on creating a space for critical thinking and connection. She has earned praised from her colleagues for her creativity, flexibility and adaptability in a range of teaching formats from large introductory classes to advanced seminars.

“In our department, Dr. Henderson has been amazingly creative, flexible and helpful in adapting to our larger classes, online and in-person combination formats, developing courses in her specialization and mentoring graduate students as emerging teachers,” said Srimati Basu, chair of the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies. “She models rigor, creativity and inspiration in teaching and has a profound impact as a teacher who both advocates and practices transformative learning.”

Basu noted that Henderson consistently receives strong student feedback, including rare high scores in large introductory courses, with students highlighting her clarity, comprehensiveness and ability to inspire critical thinking.

Beyond the classroom, Henderson actively pursues professional development opportunities through CELT, participates in workshops and publishes scholarship on teaching excellence. She singlehandedly organizes the department’s “How I Teach It” seminar series, which brings together faculty, graduate students and guest speakers to share innovative approaches to teaching gender studies.

Her colleagues describe her as “the greatest asset we have for our curriculum and classroom” and “a key part of our institutional commitment to being…‘a university for Kentucky’ because of her labor as a teacher-scholar.”

With this award, Henderson is recognized not only for her instructional skill, but also for her dedication to fostering engaged citizenship, mentoring emerging educators and strengthening the teaching culture across the university.

“For me, teaching requires a certain level of vulnerability, fortitude and empathy in order to facilitate learning,” Henderson said. “I view the classroom as a portal, and my goal is to open that door and invite students to engage and be present — without overwhelming them with all of the things that I know. How do I invite students to be in conversation with me, with the text and with each other? I think this is what excites me about teaching and what animates those of us who received the Outstanding Teaching Award.”