Mary Beer, LCSW-S, assistant dean for practicum education, is one of two recipients of the President’s Associates Graduate Teaching Excellence Award for the 2025-26 academic year — a peer-nominated honor recognizing UT Austin’s most innovative graduate educators.
The award is made possible by the President’s Associates, friends of the University dedicated to advancing education and research.
Nominated by colleagues who have observed her teaching firsthand, Beer approaches pedagogy as a system — not just a classroom practice. She incorporates experiential learning, creative pedagogies, and alternative assessment methods through comprehensive feedback and student engagement. Her 2024 Provost Teaching Fellow project, “Compassionate Pedagogy and Experiential Learning,” extended that work to faculty across disciplines.
“Her work reflects a rare blend of intellectual rigor and emotional intelligence — qualities that define her teaching philosophy and elevate the learning experience for every student she encounters,” wrote Starla Simmons, LCSW-S, clinical associate professor and program director of the Earl Maxwell Scholars program.
Students consistently describe her courses as among the most useful of their graduate careers. “Goes to show how much you can learn from a professor who makes the learning so engaging and fun that it does not even feel like learning,” one student wrote.
“When your peers recognize you for teaching excellence, that means something,” said Allan Cole, dean of the School of Social Work. “Mary Beer brings the same excellence to her classroom that social work demands in practice — and her students benefit. We celebrate this honor.”
“I’m honored to receive this recognition,” said Beer. “My goal is to design every course to build the confidence and curiosity students need to engage deeply — not just with the material, but with the work of becoming a social worker.”