Professors of English and art education receive Distinguished Service Award
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Two Western Michigan University professors are being recognized for their exceptional service to students, the University and the broader community. Dr. Christina Chin and Dr. Brian Gogan have received the Distinguished Service Award, one of the University’s highest honors recognizing faculty members whose innovative and impactful contributions enhance academic programs and strengthen the WMU community.
“Dr. Christina Chin and Dr. Brian Gogan exemplify the reach and value of faculty service,” says Dr. Chris Cheatham, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. “Christina has expanded access to arts education while preparing future educators, and Brian has advanced community-engaged learning and brought Western’s expertise to important conversations about generative artificial intelligence. Their contributions have strengthened our University, created opportunities for others and deepened Western’s connections with the communities we serve.”
Both professors will be formally recognized at the Fall Awards Celebration alongside recipients of the Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Distinguished Teaching, Emerging Scholar and annual Make a Difference awards. The event on Friday, Oct. 2, begins at 11 a.m. in the Fetzer Center’s Kirsch Auditorium.
Dr. Christina Chin: Expanding arts access and preparing future educators
Chin, professor of art education, is being recognized for more than 15 years of service through the Saturday Morning Art (SMArt) program, a community outreach initiative that has introduced thousands of local young people to the visual arts while helping prepare future art educators.
“Professor Chin’s service through SMArt is truly deserving of recognition,” wrote Kimberly Barrett, a WMU alumna, former SMArt instructor and visual arts teacher at Portage Northern High School. “She has developed an innovative and effective program that has extended the reach and presence of WMU into the broader community in a meaningful and lasting way. Her work stands as an outstanding example of how higher education can serve and uplift the local community.”
Chin began directing the SMArt program shortly after joining WMU in 2010. Since then, it has served more than 2,000 young people ages 7 to 15 from throughout the Kalamazoo region. Each fall and spring semester, between 75 and 150 students participate in seven weeks of studio-based instruction led by upper-level WMU art education majors under her supervision and mentorship.
The program provides Experience-Driven Learning opportunities for both young artists and future teachers. Participants explore a variety of artistic media while learning about contemporary artists and ideas, and WMU students gain hands-on experience in lesson planning, curriculum development and classroom instruction before entering student teaching placements. Each semester concludes with a public exhibition that brings families and supporters to campus.
Beyond teaching and mentoring, Chin oversees all aspects of the program, including recruitment, registration, budgeting and exhibition planning. SMArt consistently fills to capacity, creating lasting connections between WMU and families throughout the Kalamazoo area.
Chin’s service also extends across the University through leadership, advising and committee work focused on curriculum, recruitment, assessment and equity initiatives.
“As a result of these years of service to WMU and our community, Christina was recently recognized with the Michigan Art Ed Association Distinguished Service Award, the highest service award presented to teachers in her field. Not only is this an outstanding achievement, but it clearly demonstrates how much Christina deserves this award from WMU,” wrote nominator Daniel Guyette, dean of the College of Fine Arts.
Dr. Brian Gogan: Advancing student success and strengthening community partnerships
For 15 years at WMU, Gogan, professor of English and director of the First-Year Writing Program, has helped shape initiatives that support student success, strengthen community partnerships and advance institutional priorities. His work has brought students, faculty and community partners together while raising the profile of WMU’s engagement efforts locally and nationally.
“Through innovative teaching and research, including service-learning, Dr. Brian Gogan has demonstrated that community engagement is more than the University simply being a good neighbor. Under his leadership, faculty have had increased research opportunities, students have expanded learning beyond the classroom, and the community has truly benefited from Western Michigan University through his and his students’ work,” wrote Shawn Tenney, director of service-learning.
Since joining WMU in 2011, Gogan has served in numerous leadership roles, including faculty fellow for service-learning, faculty fellow for institutional effectiveness and director of the First-Year Writing Program. In those positions, he has supported thousands of students and helped shape initiatives focused on academic achievement, writing instruction and student engagement. Under his leadership, the First-Year Writing Program implemented a shared curriculum and achieved historically high pass rates in foundational writing courses.
Gogan has also played a key role in advancing WMU’s community engagement efforts. He served as lead author of the University’s successful application for the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification and authored Shared Gold, WMU’s Campus Compact Civic Action Plan, helping showcase WMU’s partnerships and earning national recognition for the University’s engagement work. Through service-learning projects, he has connected students with schools, nonprofits and other community organizations across the region, creating Experience-Driven Learning opportunities that address local needs while helping students build professional skills.
In recent years, Gogan has emerged as a leader in conversations about artificial intelligence in education, leading workshops and presentations for students, faculty, staff and community organizations. In 2026, he was named co-editor-in-chief of The Journal of Writing Analytics, expanding WMU’s visibility within an international community of scholars focused on writing, learning and technology.
“I believe Dr. Gogan surely merits the Distinguished Service Award, both for his ongoing ‘day job’ in first-year writing, for the impact and importance of his research and expertise with text generated by artificial intelligence, and for the clear contribution to the prominence of WMU that comes with his lead on The Journal of Writing Analytics,” wrote Dr. Duncan Buell, editor emeritus of The Journal of Writing Analytics and chair emeritus of computer science and engineering at the University of South Carolina.
For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.