March 12, 2025
Contact: Eric Stann, 573-882-3346, StannE@missouri.edu
Photos by Abbie Lankitus
Matthew Martens, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Missouri, and Sarah Dubbert, president of Commerce Bank’s Missouri community markets, awarded a 2025 William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence to Tamara Hancock today. Hancock is an assistant teaching professor at Mizzou’s College of Veterinary Medicine and a clinical pathologist at the university’s Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory.
Srinand Sreevatsan, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, joined other leaders in surprising Hancock by honoring her with the fellowship, which includes a $15,000 stipend. Kemper Fellowships are awarded to five outstanding teachers at the University of Missouri each year.
The William T. Kemper Fellowships for Teaching Excellence were established in 1991 with a $500,000 gift. Kemper, a 1926 Mizzou graduate, was a well-known civic leader in Kansas City until his death in 1989. His 52-year career in banking included top positions at banks in Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma. Commerce Bank manages the trust fund.
Tamara Hancock biography
A specialist in veterinary clinical pathology, Hancock sees her students as more than just future veterinarians. She recognizes them as individuals with lives beyond veterinary school, acknowledging the challenges they face and demonstrating compassion and understanding.
“Tamara constantly seeks to uplift and support her students, and we often hear from them how they feel truly ‘seen’ by her,” Craig Franklin and Christopher Baines, who co-direct the Veterinary Research and Scholars Program with Hancock, wrote in their nomination letter. “She cares deeply about their mental health, taking the time both inside and outside the classroom to make sure they are okay.”
At the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), Hancock teaches both didactic and clinical portions of the veterinary curriculum, oversees the orientation program and advises the CVM’s chapter of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association, all while training and mentoring graduate students, interns and residents.
She also serves as an active member of the CVM’s teaching and curriculum committees, always with an eye on making improvements to benefit students.
“Her infectious enthusiasm, empathetic nature, and unwavering dedication to both her profession and her students make her a cornerstone of our veterinary education,” Gabriella Balaa, a veterinary doctoral student and president of the CVM class of 2025, wrote in a letter supporting the nomination. “In her clinical pathology course, many of us feel as though she is transforming us into superheroes with new powers to turn that seemingly nonsensical alphabet soup of GGTs, CKs, and BUNs reported in a dog, cat, horse or cow’s blood work into meaningful information that can ultimately be used to heal the patient and serve the client.”
Hancock earned the Wendy Coe Leadership Award from the American College of Veterinary Pathologists in 2024, the Dadd Teaching Award from the CVM in 2023 and the Golden Aesculapius Teaching Award from the CVM in 2022.
“I believe deep and meaningful learning occurs best with social interactions, intrinsic motivation and emotional buy-in,” Hancock wrote about her teaching philosophy. “Teaching is as much about flexibility of thought and engaging, trusting and respecting learners as whole persons, as it is about pedagogy and content knowledge.”
Hancock earned an associate’s degree in applied science at Ivy Tech State College in 2002, a doctoral degree in veterinary medicine from Iowa State University in 2011, a master’s degree in biomedical sciences from Mizzou in 2014 and a doctoral degree in learning, teaching and curriculum from Mizzou in 2018.
Her passion for teaching and unwavering support for her students are held in high regard by the students she has impacted.
“After hearing from students about needing in-depth quiz reviews, she willingly gave up her own lunch breaks to host weekly review sessions,” Marika Austad, a veterinary doctoral student and president of the CVM class of 2026, wrote in a letter of support. “Those sessions weren’t just invaluable for improving our academic understanding — they also boosted our confidence in tackling difficult material and helped us strengthen and build on our knowledge week by week. Her contributions to our education extend far beyond the classroom, leaving a lasting impression on each of us that will shape not only our careers but also the kind of veterinarians and people we strive to be.”
