Dr. Jon Mundorf Named 2025 Dennison Teacher Researcher Excellence Award Recipient
P.K. Yonge is honored to recognize the 2025 Dennison Teacher Researcher Excellence Award to Jon Mundorf, Ed.D., whose career reflects the spirit of inquiry, collaboration, and innovation.
The UF Dennison Teacher Researcher Excellence Award is presented by the University of Florida College of Education and continues to strengthen the future of education at P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School. This fund supports collaborative educational research and innovative teaching models that advance P.K. Yonge’s mission as a developmental research school.
“Dr. Jon Mundorf embodies the heart of P.K. Yonge’s mission—teaching as inquiry, innovation as practice, and collaboration as a path to impact,” said Dr. Carrie Geiger, P.K. Yonge director. “His work reminds us that when educators lead with curiosity and courage, the future of learning is transformed.”
A Teacher, Researcher, and Innovator
Mundorf’s professional journey bridges classroom teaching, educational research, and leadership. As a university school associate professor at P.K. Yonge and an affiliate faculty member at UF’s Lastinger Center for Learning, he consistently works at the intersection of theory and practice, ensuring that research directly benefits student learning.
His teaching is guided by teacher inquiry and his projects have explored:
- AI-powered pedagogy in middle school classrooms, examining how AI tools can boost literacy and engagement.
- Listening to student perspectives (“This Matters to Me”), shaping curriculum around authentic teenage voices.
- Identity-based information literacy instruction, investigating how personal identity influences how students engage with information.
In addition to his inquiry work, Mundorf’s influence extends beyond his classroom to partnerships and programs at UF:
- Wayfinders Summer Literacy Program: A civics-and-history integrated initiative for grades 4-8, designed to strengthen literacy and civic engagement. He is co-leading an IRB-approved study to evaluate its long-term impact.
- AI in Middle School Education: In partnership with UF’s College of Education, he helps lead research on AI literacy and contributes to practitioner publications shaping the national conversation on AI in schools.
- UF Lastinger Center Partnership: As affiliate faculty, he connects classroom practices with cutting-edge research to ensure findings translate directly into student learning outcomes.
The Dennison Award celebrates Mundorf’s unwavering commitment to teacher-led research, collaborative innovation, and student-centered learning. His work exemplifies how educators can shape the future of schools by continuously reflecting, inquiring, and collaborating.
Congratulations to Dr. Jon Mundorf, recipient of the 2025 Dennison Teacher Researcher Excellence Award. His contributions embody the vision of the Dennison Family Endowment and the academic mission of P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School.