{"id":1785,"date":"2026-05-29T12:52:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T12:52:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/?p=1785"},"modified":"2026-05-29T13:26:49","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T13:26:49","slug":"dr-april-moreira-receives-cscu-bor-faculty-teaching-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/2026\/05\/29\/dr-april-moreira-receives-cscu-bor-faculty-teaching-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. April Moreira receives CSCU BOR Faculty Teaching Award"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dr.

Dr. April Moreira<\/p><\/div>\n

The Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) recently announced the names of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) faculty members who are recipients of 2025-26 Board of Regents Faculty Awards<\/a>. The awards, presented for excellence in research and teaching, are given to assistant and associate professors in tenure-track or tenured positions, as well as adjunct faculty members, and are awarded at the CSCU university and CT State Community College level, with overall winners recognized in the teaching and research categories at the System level as well.<\/p>\n

The Faculty Teaching awards are given in recognition of Assistant and Associate Professors in tenure-track or tenured positions and adjunct faculty members who have distinguished themselves as outstanding teachers and have established a track record of promoting instructional improvements for their departments; or who are doing exceptional research, scholarly, and\/or creative work.<\/p>\n

Western Connecticut State University<\/a> Associate Professor of Social Work<\/a> Dr. April Moreira was named the recipient of a BOR Faculty Teaching Award at the university level.<\/p>\n

Moreira said, \u201cReceiving the Board of Regents Teaching Award is a profound honor. As a first-generation college student and a proud alumna of the Social Work program at WestConn, this recognition is incredibly meaningful to me. Every day, working alongside our students is a gift, and to be acknowledged for doing the work I love is truly humbling. Thank you to the Board, the university, my colleagues, and most importantly, the students who inspire me daily.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her letter nominating Moreira, Social Work Professor and Department Chair Dr. Karen McLean said, \u201cDr. Moreira is a proud 2004 graduate of the social work program, and like many others, came to WCSU as a transfer student from Naugatuck Valley Community College. In her desire to advance her professional opportunities, in 2021 she earned a doctorate in Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University as part of its first DSW cohort. She is a living example of what I call the ‘continuum of quality’ of our state colleges and universities and how collaboratively, they produce a strong, viable workforce. Dr. Moreira was driven by a desire to give back and serve as an example to others about their limitless potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fellow nominator, Professor of Social Work Dr. Deneen Harris, added, \u201cWhat distinguishes Dr. Moreira most is her genuine commitment to mentorship and the overall well-being of her students. Colleagues and students alike frequently look to Dr. Moreira for guidance and support. Dr. Moreira is a great listener that provides thoughtful feedback, encouragement, and unwavering support. Students and colleagues trust Dr. Moreira. Students that are experiencing academic and\/or personal challenges often turn to Dr. Moreira for support. I have personally witnessed the positive impact of Dr. Moreira\u2019s mentorship on student confidence, professional readiness, and personal growth.”<\/p>\n

Harris continued, \u201cIn addition to contributions in the classroom, Dr. Moreira plays an integral role in strengthening our department\u2019s community partnerships and service initiatives. Dr. Moreira serves as the faculty advisor for Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society. In this role she works closely with students to encourage academic excellence and community service. Dr. Moreira models what it is she expects from her students. Dr. Moreira managed to obtain her Doctorate in Social Work while teaching full time. Her students were able to watch her work. Dr. Moreira serves on several committees: she is a member of the Program Review Committee, the Racial Justice Coalition and the Emergency Response Team. In addition to her work with these committees, Dr. Moreira has close ties with the practice community. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and former field instructor, Dr. Moreira collaborates effectively with local agencies, contributes meaningfully to interdisciplinary projects, and advances scholarship that centers equity, empowerment, and advocacy for marginalized populations. Dr. Moreira\u2019s work embodies the ethical commitments and values that define the social work profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University changes lives by providing all students with a high-quality education that fosters their growth as individuals, scholars, professionals, and leaders in a global society. Our vision: To be widely recognized as a premier public university with outstanding teachers and scholars who prepare students to contribute to the world in a meaningful way.<\/em><\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education (BOR) recently announced the names of Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (CSCU) faculty members who are recipients of 2025-26 Board of Regents Faculty Awards. The awards, presented for excellence in research and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":1786,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[94,95,51],"class_list":["post-1785","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-success-stories","tag-bor-faculty-teaching-award","tag-social-work","tag-success-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1785","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1785"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1785\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1786"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1785"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1785"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/success-stories\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1785"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}