Samantha Daley honored with university award for excellence in graduate teaching
Samantha (Sami) Daley, associate professor and associate dean for research at the Warner School, is the recipient of the 2025 . This prestigious honor recognizes her exceptional contributions to graduate education at the Ƶ and her profound impact as a teacher, advisor, mentor, and researcher.
The Riker Award is presented annually to a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding teaching, particularly within doctoral programs. Since joining the Warner School in 2016, Daley has consistently demonstrated an extraordinary level of teaching skill across a diverse range of graduate-level courses.
“Sami cares deeply about our students and their academic and research journeys at Warner,” says Melissa Sturge-Apple, interim dean of the Warner School. “Her innovative teaching methods, combined with genuine compassion and a deep commitment to student success, have created a welcoming and engaging learning environment that empowers students to reach their highest potential. This award recognizes her unwavering focus on improving student experience through her teaching, research, and leadership.”
Daley’s course evaluations reflect her teaching excellence and the deep respect her students hold for her. Students regularly praise her not only for her academic guidance but also for her care and interest in their growth. At Warner, she is uniquely appointed across three program areas — teaching and curriculum, counseling and human development, and educational leadership — allowing her to teach and advise a broad range of students and showcasing her versatility and commitment to student success.
“Individually and collectively, the course evaluations speak to her instructional excellence, her deep dedication, and her drive to help others reach their highest potential,” says Jeffrey Choppin, professor and former chair of the teaching & curriculum program. “Sami’s work ethic, versatility, compassion, and professionalism leave a lasting impression on everyone she teaches, advises, and mentors.”
To Daley, excellence in graduate teaching extends well beyond the classroom. She advises more than 10 doctoral students each year and serves on numerous dissertation committees. She also leads a bi-weekly lab group that fosters a community of learners, offering students opportunities to learn from each other, gain professional development, and strengthen their research skills.
Her impact is deeply felt by her current and former students. Rebecca Rosen ’23W (PhD), who served as a research assistant and postdoctoral advisee and had Daley on her dissertation committee, shares:
“Professor Daley’s approach to teaching and mentoring is centered around empowering students to become independent thinkers, researchers, and professionals in their fields. This dedication to holistic student development has been invaluable to my own career trajectory. She provided immense support throughout my job search, advising me on all of the necessary steps that led me to my current position at the McGraw Center for Teaching and Learning at Princeton University.”
As the inaugural associate dean for research since 2023, Daley has expanded research opportunities for Warner students and faculty. She established and leads initiatives such as Warner Research Days, an annual event showcasing students and faculty research, and the Quantitative Consulting Services Office, which supports students with data analysis for theses, dissertations, and publications. Through her grant-funded research projects, she employs and mentors students in her bi-weekly lab.
Daley is a nationally recognized scholar whose work aims to reduce barriers for students with learning disabilities. Her research spans the motivational and emotional experiences of these students, inclusive instructional design, and the broader role of emotion and learning. She conducts studies in various educational settings, including K-12 STEM classrooms, informal learning environments, and postsecondary institutions.
Her work has appeared in journals such as Educational Psychologist, Remedial and Special Education, and Curator: The Museum Journal.
Daley holds an EdD in human development and psychology and an EdM in mind, brain, and education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also earned a master’s degree in learning disabilities from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a bachelor’s in journalism and political science from Northwestern University. Before entering academia, she worked as a special education teacher and learning disabilities specialist.
She was recognized at the University’s Doctoral Degree Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 16, in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Daley is the third Warner School faculty member to receive the Riker Award, following Joanne Larson (2018) and Brian Brent (2021).
Learn more about the Warner School's doctoral programs in education and human development. Read more about the being presented during Commencement.