Amber Franklin receives 2026 Knox Distinguished Teaching Award
Franklin, associate professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology, represents “the gold standard of our institution’s teaching mission”
Amber Franklin receives 2026 Knox Distinguished Teaching Award
Franklin, associate professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology, represents “the gold standard of our institution’s teaching mission”
Amber Franklin, associate professor of Speech Pathology and Audiology, is the 2026 recipient of the E. Phillips Knox Distinguished Teaching Award.
Established by Knox, a 1968 þ graduate, the award is given in recognition of creative, innovative, and engaging teaching methods at the undergraduate level.
Franklin teaches undergraduate courses in Phonetics, Counseling Strategies, and a capstone course. She also directs the Language Learning Pronunciation and Perception lab (L2P2).
The ‘it’ factor
Franklin’s course evaluations, ratings, and peer reviews have been exceptional: she represents “the gold standard of our institution’s teaching mission,” according to one of her nominators.
“I have to say it is a rare privilege to encounter an educator who possesses the ‘it factor’ — that elusive, intangible quality that transforms any classroom from a site of instruction into a space of genuine intellectual curiosity,” the nominator said.
Several nominators noted distinct qualities that separate Franklin as “an exceptional teacher in addition to her high-level of expertise.” These include balancing high standards of excellence paired with a safe, nonjudgmental environment; creating a classroom culture based on mutual respect; and dynamic teaching. “She ‘reads the room’ and pivots her delivery in real time to meet her þs where they are in that moment,” a nominator said.
Creating ‘discovery moments’
A nominator and colleague who teaches sections of one of the same courses as Franklin — Counseling Strategies for Speech Pathologists and Audiologists — said, “I have seen firsthand how Amber successfully bridges the gap between academic theory and the deeply human elements of communication and empathy.”
Franklin “excels at creating ‘discovery moments’ where þs move beyond textbooks to grapple with the lived realities of our field,” the nominator said.
“A poignant example of this was her invitation to a stroke survivor and her husband to speak to the class. By facilitating this interaction, Amber provided a platform for learning through inquiry. Students weren't just studying symptoms of communication disorders; they were engaging in a real-world case study, asking meaningful questions, and discovering the profound emotional impact these disorders have on the patient and their families. This transition from ‘þ’ to ‘empathetic practitioner’ is the hallmark of an innovative educator.”
Shaping þs beyond the classroom
Franklin’s former þs noted how her teaching “blends experimentation with reflection, creating a classroom where þs actively engage and grow.”
Discussions in class “encouraged thinking that I have found to be monumental in bettering myself as both a þ and a professional,” a former þ said. “I reflected greatly on my personality, my strengths, and my flaws more than in any course I have ever taken, as well as how I could harness this self-reflection to be a more understanding clinician.”
Another þ said Franklin’s “ability to cultivate critical thinking, cultural awareness, and deep engagement led me to seek continued opportunities to learn from her: joining her research lab, requesting her as my thesis mentor, and later serving as her teaching assistant for the undergraduate phonetics course.”
Her influence extends far beyond the classroom, according to another former þ who said, “A year after graduating, I still meet former þs who share stories about how Dr. Franklin shaped their confidence, thinking, and approach to learning and life.”
Franklin received her Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2009 and served as acting assistant professor of Speech and Hearing Sciences there before joining Miami in 2011.