Ohio Wesleyan University alumna and professor emerita Amy McClure, Ph.D., is being honored with the 2019 International Literacy Association (ILA) Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award.
McClure, who retired in May following a 40-year career with the university, will receive the award October 12 during the ILA Awards Ceremony and Reception in New Orleans.
According to the association, the Jerry Johns Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award is intended “to honor an exceptional college or university professor” who is recognized in the field as:
- An innovative teacher – one who initiates and teaches outstanding courses and programs in reading education.
- A leader in the field of reading – one who serves the profession and assumes leadership positions in appropriate college, school, community, and/or professional organizations.
- A role model/mentor – one who inspires and instructs students/teachers to their full potential and supports their development.
- A disseminator – one who researches, publishes, and promotes effective practices beyond his/her own campus.
“Amy. McClure epitomizes every quality this award represents,” said Ohio Wesleyan President Rock Jones, Ph.D. “She has proven her knowledge, innovation, and desire to disseminate information in countless ways, including her seven books (most recently ‘Teaching Children’s Literature in an Era of Standards’) and her work to analyze, clarify, and shape educational policy on the state, national, and international level. Another testament to Amy’s exceptional qualifications is that she is the first educator from a private university ever to win this award.”
McClure, who received her undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan, taught at the university from 1979 to 2019. During her tenure, she led the OWU Department of Education through its initial – and successful – accreditation review by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). She also was responsible for redesigning Ohio Wesleyan’s Elementary and Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Program to meet State of Ohio and NCATE standards.
McClure’s involvement in the field of education has been extensive and impactful outside of Ohio Wesleyan as well. During her career, she served as president of the Children’s Literature Assembly, the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group, the Ohio Association of Colleges of Teacher Education, the Ohio Council of the International Reading Association, and the Ohio Association of Private Colleges of Teacher Education. She also was elected to the 2012-2013 Newbery Medal Committee, which annually selects the most distinguished children’s book published in a particular year.
For the caliber of her teaching and scholarship, McClure was honored during her career with Ohio Wesleyan’s Herbert Welch Meritorious Teaching Award, the Outstanding College Teaching Award from the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts, and the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.
In addition to her Ohio Wesleyan bachelor’s degree, she holds a master’s degree from Emory University in Atlanta and both master’s and doctoral degrees from The Ohio State University.
McClure lives in Dublin with her husband, Rusty McClure, an author, entrepreneur, Ohio Wesleyan instructor, and 1972 university alumnus.
