St. Cloud State University professors Dr. Eunju Choi and Dr. Odessa Luna have been named 2026-27 Miller Scholar Award recipients, which is awarded annually to support projects from faculty who have displayed innovative teaching practices.
The Miller Scholar Award is one of SCSU’s most prestigious recognitions of excellence in teaching and learning, and it was established through the generous gift of James W. and Marion Miller.
Dr. Choi and Luna, who are both faculty in the Department of Behavioral Health and Counseling and master’s program in Applied Behavior Analysis, have been awarded a $10K grant to further implement their project on interpersonal communication.
The project, titled “Collecting Data and Providing Feedback on Interpersonal Skills During Professional Interactions: A Personalized Simulation-Based Training Approach,” develops a web‑based, simulation‑driven instructional system that helps students learn to identify and give effective feedback on speaker–listener skills during real professional interaction.
The training will adapt to each learner’s performance, providing targeted practice and immediate feedback.
Dr. Choi will lead the design of the web‑based instructional framework, while Dr. Luna will refine the simulation and role‑play components that ground the training in authentic professional practice.
Their work aligns directly with the University’s mission of student success and scholarly contributions from faculty that inform professional practice.
Past winners of the Miller Scholar Award are listed on the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning website.
