David Baylis awarded the 2026 College of Social Science Faculty Teaching Innovation Award

May 7, 2026 - Kelly Smith

The College of Social Science has named David Baylis, assistant professor in the Center for Integrative Studies in Social Science, the recipient of the 2026 Faculty Teaching Innovation Award. The honor recognizes his excellence in teaching, dedication to student success, and innovative contributions to interdisciplinary undergraduate education at Michigan State University. 

Dr. Baylis is admired by colleagues and students for his ability to design learning experiences that are both intellectually rigorous and deeply engaging. Across his teaching in Integrative Studies in Social Science (ISS), Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS), and Global and International Studies (GLIS), he consistently creates courses that emphasize integrative thinking, community engagement, and real‑world application.  

“David is one of those instructors who quietly and consistently designs innovative curriculum with the clear goal of student success and skill development,” noted colleague Eddie Boucher, associate director in MSU’s Center for Integrative Studies in Social Science. “He inspires students through creative, active, and engaged coursework that requires them to move beyond their comfort zones and better understand complex issues and diverse perspectives.” 

That commitment to innovation is also evident in how Dr. Baylis works with colleagues across campus. One recent example is his role in co‑designing an interdisciplinary set of “monster” courses with faculty from the Center for Integrative Studies in Arts and Humanities and Integrative Studies in Biology. “What resulted was a thoughtfully designed and uniquely formatted course about all things monsters,” said Brandy Ellison, director of the Center for Integrative Studies in Social Science. “And I do not use ‘unique’ hyperbolically—I am not aware of any other course at MSU with a similar structure.”  

While distinctive in format, the course reflects Dr. Baylis’s broader teaching philosophy: students learn best when they collaborate across disciplines, apply qualitative research methods, and create knowledge together.  

For Reed Blocksome, a sophomore majoring in materials science and engineering who enrolled in Dr. Baylis’s Society and Monsters course, the experience was transformative. 

“By engaging in class and working with my interdisciplinary team, I learned new perspectives about our world, gained a new appreciation for ‘monstrous’ media, strengthened the skills necessary for success in group work, exercised creativity, made genuine friends and came out knowing that I grew as a person,” said Blocksome. “These experiences make it easy for me to say that Society and Monsters was one of the most valuable and impactful classes I have taken at Michigan State.” 

Dr. Baylis previously won the 2024-25 Integrative Studies in Social Science Teaching Excellence Award. He earned his bachelor's degree in geography and political Science from Aquinas College and a Master of Science (2009) and PhD (2015) in geography from Michigan State University. In 2014, he was awarded a Fulbright Hays Fellowship to study the relationship between gender and environment in Ankara, Turkey.  Prior to returning to Michigan State University as an assistant professor in the Center for Integrative Studies in Social Science, Dr. Baylis spent several years teaching at Delta State University and later at the University of Arkansas.