INDIANAPOLIS—Dr. Beth Patton of Ashland University has won the 2025 Great Midwest Faculty Mentor of the Year Award for her impact on student-athlete development on AU’s campus. Each year, the conference’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) honors one faculty member who has made a difference at the annual awards banquet in Blue Ash, Ohio, which will be held Tuesday, May 20.
“I have two mentor awards and I have been nominated for the Taylor (Excellence in Teaching) Award a few times and was a finalist last year, but I think this one means more just because of the level it’s at,” Patton said. “I am going to be representing the university, and I am proud of that.”
Patton currently serves as the Associate Professor of Health Science and joined Ashland’s Faculty in 1998.
At Ashland, Patton serves as the internship coordinator for exercise science majors, providing immense opportunities beyond the classroom to student-athletes. She sets up a four year plan for each exercise science student-athlete to ensure the completion of their major during their time at Ashland. Dr. Patton has become a mentor to exercise science students by helping them figure out what path they want to go down within the major and providing opportunities to intern and shadow within these professions. Dr. Patton has shown her students support by showing up to her students’ sporting events, keeping up with their schedules, and
working with the student athletes to ensure the student athlete has plenty of time to complete coursework, without overloading them.
“We are grateful for the support and guidance that our institutions’ faculty members provide to G-MAC student-athletes. Their mentorship provides student-athletes the opportunity to excel not only in the classroom but also in all aspects of life,” said Great Midwest Commissioner Tom Daeger. “Congratulations and thank you to Dr. Patton for the impact she has had on Ashland’s campus. It was evident in the information provided for his nomination that he has gone to great lengths to serve the Panthers' student-athlete experiences, while imparting valuable life skills. She is a well-deserved recipient of this year's Faculty Mentor of the Year Award.”
The Great Midwest Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) annually votes one faculty member to be honored and recognized for his/her impact on the student-athlete body on their respective campus at the spring awards banquet. As the Great Midwest award winner at the conference level, the league winner will also be nominated at the national level for consideration for the NCAA Division II Dr. Dave Pariser Faculty Mentor of the Year honor.