Neag School of Education faculty member Adam McCready has been named the 2025 Dr. Perry A. Zirkel Distinguished Teaching Award recipient. McCready teaches in the Neag School’s Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA) master’s program. His scholarly work examines the college student experience to identify and challenge oppressive educational structures. His research includes studies on students’ experiences in historically white college social fraternities; college men and masculinities; and the impact of social media on student attitudes and behavior.

The Zirkel Distinguished Teaching Award is awarded annually to a full-time faculty member in the Neag School. Alumnus Perry A. Zirkel ’68 MA, ’72 Ph.D., ’76 JD is a university professor emeritus of education and law at Lehigh University, where he formerly was dean of the College of Education and more recently held the Iacocca Chair in Education for its five-year term. He has a Ph.D. in educational administration and a JD from the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Laws degree from Yale University.

“To me, the Zirkel Distinguished Teaching Award indicates that my colleagues, students (particularly, those in the Higher Education and Student Affairs master’s program), and other members of the Neag School community value my teaching philosophy and practices,” McCready says. “Teaching is at the core of my identity as a faculty member, and I view learning as a community effort that honors and respects students’ identities, lived experiences, and contexts. Therefore, receiving this award also indicates that I have made progress toward valuing students’ humanity, and fostering community that aids learning and growth.”

To me, the Zirkel Distinguished Teaching Award indicates that my colleagues, students … and other members of the Neag School community value my teaching philosophy and practices. &#8212 Adam McCready

“Dr. McCready incorporates flexibility in his teaching, especially when it comes to centering learners’ needs in his courses,” wrote nominators H. Kenny Nienhusser and Milagros Castillo-Montoya, associate professors in the HESA program. “He always wants to find ways to better meet students’ learning needs by asking them for feedback – formally and informally – and making adjustments during and after the course.”

Nienhusser and Castillo-Montoya also highlighted McCready’s commitment to inclusive pedagogy.

“At the core of Dr. McCready’s teaching is addressing issues related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in the higher education setting,” they wrote. “As a white, cisgendered, heterosexual, able-bodied man, he has thoughtfully reflected on how his privileged identities may surface in his teaching. To address this, he has dedicated time to reflecting on and deconstructing how to include material in his courses that focus on minoritized college students, teach subject matter that centers on minoritized students’ strengths, and engage in conversations in the classroom about issues of race/ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, among other important topics in preparing future HESA professionals.”

“Dr. McCready exemplifies rigor in his course instruction while fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all his students,” wrote nominator Laura Burton, professor and head of the Department of Educational Leadership.

“The mission of the Neag School of Education is, ‘to improve educational and social systems to be more effective, equitable, and just for all,’ ” McCready says. “Although outstanding teaching is important to student learning and development across UConn, it is vital to mission of our School. In short, it is crucial that Neag School faculty members embody the outstanding teaching that we hope our students will provide to their students. The Zirkel Teaching Award helps our faculty community strive for this mission.”

Since joining the HESA program, McCready has taught diverse core courses that blend academic scholarship with professional practice. His commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in course content and how he engages students in reflective dialogue and creates space for marginalized voices.

McCready’s research has been published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities, Research in Higher Education Innovative Higher Education, Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, and the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice. McCready serves as the editor for the Journal of Sorority and Fraternity Life Research and Practice, and previously served as the vice chair for scholarship and research for the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Coalition on Men and Masculinities.

In spring 2022, McCready introduced an innovative “ungrading” philosophy, focusing on feedback and reflection rather than numerical scores. This approach has strengthened student learning while influencing fellow faculty members to rethink their evaluation methods. Known for his flexibility, McCready proactively seeks student feedback and adjusts his courses to meet learners’ evolving needs.

His thoughtful course preparation, commitment to student success, and emphasis on inclusivity have earned him high evaluation scores and praise from students and colleagues. McCready has nearly 20 years of higher education experience, including the past six years at the Neag School. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies from The George Washington University, a master’s in college student personnel from Bowling State University, and a Ph.D. in higher education from Boston College.

Neag School alumni, current students, and faculty were invited to nominate a faculty member for the annual Zirkel Distinguished Teaching Award, and a committee selected the recipient. Previous awardees include Saran Stewart in 2024, Danielle Filipiak  in 2023, Tamika LaSalle in 2022, Milagros Castillo-Montoya in 2020, Jennie Weiner in 2019, and D. Betsy McCoach as the inaugural recipient in 2018.

McCready received the award during the Neag School’s year-end meeting on May 2. His name will be added to the award plaque on display in the Neag School Dean’s Office.