Taryn Lindhorst, Carol LaMare Associate Professor of Social Work, received the UW Award of Excellence for Distinguished Teaching Award on April 2.
A dedicated and rigorous educator, Lindhorst is regularly sought out by graduate students looking for a superior educational experience and by doctoral students seeking an enthusiastic mentor to guide the development of their pedagogic skills and perspectives.
“We are thrilled that Taryn was selected for this highly competitive and prestigious award,” said Eddie Uehara, Professor and Ballmer Endowed Dean in Social Work. “Taryn is one of our most beloved and respected faculty members. She cares deeply about academic excellence and gives generously of her time and expertise to students and colleagues alike.”
In 2010, Lindhorst was appointed the Carol LaMare Associate Professor of Social Work, where her knowledge, commitment and passion made the Carol LaMare Program a national model for innovation in oncology and palliative social work care. She teaches MSW-level advanced practice in health care settings and doctoral-level interpretive/qualitative research methods, and for years has served as the faculty sponsor for the Social Work Q (LBGTQ) student group.
“Receiving the UW Distinguished Teaching Award is like reaching the summit of the mountain after a long, effortful hike,” said Lindhorst. “I am honored and incredibly grateful to have received excellent mentoring throughout my evolution as a teacher. This award inspires me to ‘double down’ on my efforts to offer that kind of mentoring to others, and to work for social justice through my relationship with students both in and outside the classroom.”
Before arriving at the UW, Lindhorst worked for more than a decade in public health settings in New Orleans. There she served as an in-patient social worker, hospice social worker, bereavement counselor and manager of social work services in an HIV outpatient program. She received an MSW from Southern University at New Orleans and a PhD in social work from Louisiana State University.
Lindhorst serves on the leadership team of the UW Palliative Care Center of Excellence, one of several centers nationwide that train clinicians, educators and researchers to serve individuals coping with end-of-life issues. She has worked diligently to advance Inter-Professional Education among the UW’s six health sciences schools, enabling students to gain critical skills to help them navigate inter-professional settings.
In addition to the Distinguished Teaching Award, Lindhorst recently received the 2015 Society for Social Work and Research award for her book on battered women, children and international law, and was named a SSWR fellow. In 2014, she received the Excellence in Professional Education Award from the Social Work Hospice and Palliative Care Network.
The Distinguished Teaching Award is given annually to seven faculty members: five from the Seattle campus and one each from UW Bothell and UW Tacoma. A committee of faculty, students and alumni make the selections each year.
A UW ceremony to honor Lindhorst and her fellow awardees will be held on June 11, 3:30 p.m. in Meany Hall for the campus and general public.