EIU Media Relations

EIU professor, administrator wins prestigious teaching award in science

Dr. Andrew Kerins earns 2026 Innovation in Teaching Award from The Academy of Leisure Sciences (TALS)

(Charleston, IL) — Professor of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation and Director of the University’s Faculty Development and Innovation Center, Dr. Andrew Kerins, recently was recognized as the recipient of the 2026 Innovation in Teaching Award from The Academy of Leisure Sciences (TALS).

“I am honored and grateful to have been recognized with the Innovation in Teaching Award from TALS,” Dr. Kerins said. “This recognition is a broader affirmation that mutual collaboration and engagement inside and outside the classroom is critical to student success. Building strong relationships with students is a shared personal passion of every employee in our department, and a central theme of EIU’s stellar reputation.” 

According to its website, the purpose of The Academy of Leisure Sciences is the intellectual advancement of leisure sciences. Recognizing outstanding scholars, holding meetings and symposia, and facilitating related activities promote research and scholarly activity that help fulfill this purpose. The Innovation in Teaching Award focuses on classroom innovations, with pioneering curriculum advancements serving as the foundation for the award.

Examples of strategies Kerins has employed include student-driven course syllabus and policy creation, mock public meetings that simulate parks and recreation board sessions where students roleplay as community stakeholders, and hands-on community projects in which students present recreation solutions to local leaders. Beyond incorporating such strategies into his varied learning environments across the curriculum, Dr. Kerins now serves as director of EIU’s Faculty Development and Innovation Center (FDIC). The FDIC primarily focuses on promoting faculty excellence at EIU by offering multimodal opportunities designed to empower development, innovation, and continuous improvement in and outside of the classroom.

Dr. Kerins was nominated by Dr. Mark Kattenbraker and Dr. James Barkley, peer faculty members in EIU’s Department of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, and Ryan Palmer of Bolingbrook, a junior EIU Track & Field student-athlete studying Sports and Recreation Management and Business Administration.

Nomination materials highlight Dr. Kerins’ collaborative approach to developing innovative teaching strategies across the curriculum and his strong awareness of the evolving characteristics of college-aged learners. Specifically, his nomination articulated how Dr. Kerins “consistently goes above and beyond to make class time impactful—through mock board meetings, real-world program implementation, and sample job application exercises—ensuring students gain both practical skills and a deeper understanding of their career field.”

According to Dr. Kerins, active learning strategies in the classroom have the ability to challenge traditional lecturing by grounding instruction in evidence-based practices that prioritize what works best for learners. He feels strongly that adopting strategies emphasizing engagement, curiosity, and critical thinking encourages his students to develop their own understanding of the material. Doing so, he says, gives students more agency by creating opportunities for student independence, and more confidently empowers student learning through autonomy when delivered in a supportive, semi-structured environment.

“Together, these strategies help students achieve learning outcomes while cultivating the habits of curiosity and engagement that are essential for future professionals in the sport and recreation field,” Kerins said. 

To be eligible for the award, educators must be current teachers in the leisure services discipline or field, including but not limited to recreation, parks, tourism, sport, therapeutic recreation/recreational therapy, outdoor recreation, and/or leisure education.

Dr. Kerins earned a bachelor of science degree from North Carolina State University in 2003 and a master’s degree in Recreation, Park and Tourism Services from Texas A&M University in 2005. In 2012, he earned a Ph.D. in Recreation, Sport & Tourism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In Dr. Kerins’ time at EIU, he served as Instructor, Assistant and Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator before assuming his role as Associate Professor & FDIC Director. Prior to EIU, Dr. Kerins lent his expertise to Danville Area Community College as a Sustainability Instructor and Regional Coordinator of the Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) Career Pathways Program. He has published extensively in research journals, papers, and editorials across a variety of topics and interests spanning the parks, recreation, and sport arenas. He also has demonstrated a rich history in securing internally and externally funded grants for projects and services benefiting the institutions he has served throughout his career.

Dr. Kerins was also the recipient of the Dale & Deb Wolf Outstanding Service Award from EIU’s College of Health and Human Services during the 2024-25 academic year.

EIU prepares students to accomplish their life goals through a combination of quality academics, personal relationships, and both on-campus and online learning opportunities. For more information about Eastern Illinois University, including its broad array of academic and career readiness programs, or any of EIU’s other community-based services and opportunities, visit eiu.edu or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.