Jan. 29, 2026
For the past two years, University of Missouri faculty from across campus have brought their expertise directly to students through the Honors College Tarkow Teaching Fellows program.
The program was developed to honor the incredible teaching legacy of Ted Tarkow, a professor emeritus of classical studies. Funded, in part, through an endowed gift in honor of Ted and Marjorie Tarkow, the Tarkow Teaching Fellows form a collaborative cohort that work with Honors College faculty and administrators to develop and teach the “Honors Book Club” course, which offers students the opportunity to dive deeper into the selected One Read book. The gift was specifically designed to support faculty as they mentor students in smaller classroom settings.
The Honors College recently welcomed three new faculty to the cohort: Dennis Crouch, Jamie Hall and Ashlie Lester.
“We are thrilled to welcome this trio of incredible faculty as Tarkow Teaching Fellows,” Catherine Rymph, dean of the Honors College, said. “The program has allowed us to provide expanded classroom opportunities for Honors College students, led by award-winning faculty who bring different expertise to the table. Our three new Fellows have very unique backgrounds and will complement the program in many ways. I am excited to see how they approach the Honors Book Club course.”
Dennis Crouch — Judge C.A. Leedy Professor of Law, School of Law
Crouch joined the School of Law as a professor in 2007 after spending six years as a patent attorney in Chicago. His teaching has covered a wide range of subjects, from patent and copyright law to internet law and civil procedure, and his current research and instruction focus on technology policy and laws around artificial intelligence.
He has also been active in the Honors College, teaching Law of the Internet (LAW 2010H) and mentoring Honors College student researchers — an experience that has become a favorite part of his semester.
“The students write research papers, and working with these bright young minds as they develop their ideas has been tremendously rewarding,” he said.
Couch is a recipient of the Gold Chalk Award, which recognizes outstanding faculty who have contributed significantly to graduate and professional education. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Princeton University and his Juris Doctor from the University of Chicago.
Jamie Hall — assistant teaching professor, College of Health Sciences
Hall earned her bachelor’s degree in physical therapy from Mizzou in 1996 and returned to campus in 2015 as a tutor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the College of Health Sciences. Two years later, she advanced to assistant teaching professor, a role she continues to hold.
As a Tarkow Teaching Fellow, Hall will teach an Honors College course for the first time.
“I was very excited when I learned about this program,” she said. “I actually submitted my application that same day.”
At Mizzou, her teaching focuses on pediatric physical therapy in classroom and clinic settings. She also serves as assistant director of the Mizzou Motion Analysis Center, which integrates engineering tools with clinical expertise to address musculoskeletal health.
Hall earned a post-professional doctorate of physical therapy from Des Moines University and her doctorate in pediatric science from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions.
Ashlie Lester — associate teaching professor, College of Education and Human Development
Lester was an active participant in the Honors College as an undergraduate in the College of Education and Human Development. She earned her bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies and a master’s degree in family studies and human services from Kansas State University, specializing in marriage and family therapy. She later returned to Mizzou to earn her doctorate in human environmental sciences, with an emphasis on human development and family science.
Some of Leester’s most treasured academic experiences were at the Honors College.
“It will be a pleasure to repay the benefit I received all those years ago and, hopefully, to contribute to students’ experiences in a meaningful way,” she said.
She joined the Mizzou faculty in 2014 as an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and was named an associate teaching professor in 2020. Lester currently serves as co-director of graduate studies for the department and as an academic advisor for students studying family and community services.
Support for the program also comes from the Chancellor’s Fund for Excellence.
Read more from the Honors College
