Diane Bedford Honored With University-Level Distinguished Achievement Award For Teaching From The Association Of Former Students

Diane Bedford, M.F.A., clinical associate professor in the Dance Science program, will be honored with the 2026 Association of Former Students University-Level Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching.

The Association of Former Students honors outstanding faculty members for their dedication to teaching and their commitment, performance and positive impact on students. Recipients are selected by a campus-wide committee of faculty, staff and former students.

Bedford will be presented with the honor during an Academic Awards Ceremony on April 24 at 11 a.m. in the Memorial Student Center’s Bethancourt Ballroom.

“I’m really grateful for the award,” she said. “I am also incredibly grateful for the faculty and students that took time to write letters of support on my behalf, and everyone that helped me get to this place.”

Bedford came to Texas A&M University in 2014 as a clinical assistant professor in dance. She earned a Master of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and English Literature from Florida State University.

Her teaching interests focus on ballet, pedagogy, choreography and dance history. Her research explores progressive pedagogical practices alongside mental health and well-being. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the Aggie Ballet Company.

Bedford said her teaching philosophy revolves around three main principles: being a mentor and a guide for students; learning with and from students; and providing them with skills to foster autonomy and curiosity about their own learning process.

“I also seek their feedback and try to learn more about each of my students personally,” she said. “I want to know what their goals are, what they’re hoping to achieve, what classes they are taking, and then try to emphasize content that would also help them feel like the class is serving their ultimate career goals and purposes for learning.”

In her ballet courses, Bedford said she utilizes a growth mindset by encouraging students to set small, tangible goals, then find ways to achieve them.

Students’ achievements and “light-bulb moments” are always a highlight, Bedford said, as are conversations with inquisitive students. She recalled a student in her dance history class who wasn’t pursuing dance as a major, but wanted to further explore the topics outside of class.

“She just wanted to stay and chat with me about the class, and I just love when students ask questions or pick my brain or share something with me,” Bedford said. “Those are the moments, whether they’re big or little, that I know I’ve been able to make some sort of connection, and that keeps me coming back.”

Bedford emphasizes that educators can gain insight from their students just as students learn from the educators. Considering and implementing student feedback strengthens the relationship, she said.

“Listening to their thoughts ultimately helps you shape what you’re doing for them,” she said. “I think that when we stop thinking about students as being an empty vessel that we’re pouring into, we start seeing who they are as a person and what they have to teach us as well.”

The Distinguished Achievement Teaching Award helps to confirm her instructional approach is a beneficial one, Bedford said, and she hopes to help other educators build on their efforts to teach with enthusiasm and connect with students.

“I do the work because I love it,” she said. “Knowing that your peers also feel like you’re on the right track is just incredibly humbling and reaffirming. This recognition just keeps motivating me to be an even better teacher every day.”