Dr. Sharon M. Weaver, Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies in the Department of Counseling, Rehabilitation and Interpreter Training, is the recipient of Troy University’s 2022 Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching.

Weaver received the award from TROY Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins, Jr. and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics Dr. Lance Tatum during the University’s annual Honors Convocation held Monday night in the Claudia Crosby Theater on the Troy Campus.

The Ingalls Award is given annually to the teacher on the Troy Campus who has “most diligently, effectively and cheerfully conducted his or her classes during the current academic year.” Students nominate faculty members for the award, and a committee of students and faculty advisors selects the recipient. The award consists of a statue of Socrates, a plaque and a check for $1,000.

“I am greatly humbled and honored to receive the Ingalls Award. Since it is a student led and student nominated award, simply being nominated was so special to me,” Weaver said. “To be held in their good graces is a privilege. I am grateful to be a part of Troy University and to have the opportunity to teach, encourage, foster, and watch my students develop into amazing young adults. This is why I am here — for my students. To be recognized in this way is overwhelming, as I really just love what I do.”

Weaver earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology (2006) and her Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling (2009) from Alabama State University and her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling and Special Education (2017) from Auburn University. She has been a member of the TROY faculty since 2918.

Weaver joined the TROY faculty after having served as an Independent Living Specialist with the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services from 2016-2018. Other positions she has served in include Administrative Procedures Officer with the Alabama Medicaid Agency, Deputy Director of the Governor’s Office on Disability, a Disability Evaluator with Behavioral Medicine, Program Director for the Montgomery Center for Independent Living, a Learning Disability Evaluator for the Easter Seals of Central Alabama and Interim Executive Director of the Montgomery Center for Independent Living.

In addition to her classroom teaching, Weaver oversees curriculum and programmatic issues for the undergraduate program on the Dothan, Phenix City and Troy campuses. She has co-authored articles that have appeared in the Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, The Prison Journal, the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling and the Journal of Human Development, Disability, and Social Change. She has presented at national and international conferences including, the Hawaii International Conference on Education, the annual conference of the National Council on Rehabilitation Education and the biennial conference of the Association for Justice-Involved Females and Organizations, among many others.

“Dr. Sharon Weaver is a valuable addition to our College of Education team,” said Dr. Kerry Palmer, Dean of the College of Education. “She cares deeply about her students and works hard to help them succeed. The Ingalls Award is a fitting tribute to this outstanding educator.”