May 1, 2026
Renee Kruep, an assistant teaching professor in the College of Education and Human Development, recently received the Adelle F. Robertson Emerging Professional Continuing Education Award from UPCEA, an online and professional education association.
Kruep received the award at the UPCEA Annual Conference, held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The award recognizes the “scholarship, leadership and contributions to the profession of a person who has entered the continuing, online and professional education field in the past five to 10 years.”
Kruep’s students are typically current teachers themselves. She is the coordinator of the online master's in literacy education program. Her peers point to Kruep's penchant for providing lessons and feedback that her students can immediately put into practice. Through personalizing her students' assignments, they can “count twice” — for her class and for their own classrooms. This approach to her teaching, alongside her warmth and authenticity, are among her award-winning qualities, according to Kruep’s peers who nominated her.
“Dr. Kruep is a caring instructor who designs and facilitates engaging online courses that promote students’ learning and development as teachers and researchers,” Nikki Ashcraft, associate chair of the Department of Learning, Teaching and Curriculum, said. “She has also played a pivotal role in building the community of teaching professors within our department. I have no doubt that Dr. Kruep will continue to have a lasting impact on her students, colleagues, and online literacy teacher education.”
The award also recognizes ongoing contributions beyond the classroom. Kruep has acted as an unofficial mentor to Mizzou alumni during their first years of teaching through a program she co-founded — Overbooked: An Educator's Book Club. Through the club, Kruep and another Mizzou professor can engage with students and alumni in their own continued reading and teaching practices, allowing Kruep to continue offering her insights and advice to new teachers who’ve since left her classroom. The book club even served as the basis for an article Kruep published with a fellow professor in the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy.
About Mizzou Online
The University of Missouri (Mizzou) has invested heavily in online education since launching its online learning platform in 2012. Mizzou Online has become a leader in online education, delivering the same world-class Mizzou education to each of Mizzou's online students. Students have access to an ever-growing catalog of degree and certificate programs. Each of these programs allows students to become Mizzoumade® from wherever they are, opening doors to opportunities and experiences that elevate their careers. Visit online.missouri.edu to learn more.
