Recognized as a professor who prioritizes always being available for her students, Liz Haben has been chosen by those students at William Woods University (WWU) as this year’s distinguished professor at WWU.
Haben, associate professor of Equestrian Studies, Western, received the 2022 Louis D. Beaumont Dad’s Association Distinguished Professor of the Year Award as part of the University’s year-end academic honors. The award carries an honorarium and is presented annually to a faculty member who has displayed an outstanding dedication to teaching. Recipients of the award are nominated and chosen by students.
One student that nominated Haben for the award commented that “she is the reason I stayed and came to William Woods. Her door is always open, even if she is insanely busy, booked for the day or already in the middle of handling something else.”
Haben was further praised by another student as someone who is “always there for me to talk about my future, my classes, my personal life, my ideas, my hopes and dreams, and anything else I could think about to chat with her about.” Another added that Haben “values her students and wants each and every one of them to succeed.” A member of the William Woods faculty since 2011, Haben has served as a riding instructor, clinician, horse trainer and horse show judge in her career in addition to her more than ten years of teaching experience at WWU. She received her master’s (Equestrian Education) and bachelor’s (Equestrian Science) degrees from William Woods in 2015 and 2012, respectively, and her associate in applied science degree in Equestrian Science and Horse Science Technology from Black Hawk College in Kewanee, Illinois in 2005. She currently teaches Stable Management, Equestrian Senior Portfolio, Western Teaching Techniques, Horse Management Practicum, Survey of Ground Training, and all western ride courses including Advanced Projects, Advanced Western, Intermediate Western, and Fundamentals of Western Seat at WWU.
