She has been teaching at UT Dallas for 20 years. “Joanna has deeply impacted UT Dallas students for a number of years by encouraging real-world connections and demonstrating student-focused compassion. “Making those connections is important.”Dr. Inga Musselman, vice president for academic affairs and provost at UT Dallas, said Gentsch brings innovation, strategic thinking and compassion to the academy. The group recently released a new book, The Little Orange Book II: Student Voices on Excellent Teaching, which features UT System students’ perspectives on what makes a teacher great. Other academy projects include teaching conferences on each of the academic campuses and a blog that includes teaching ideas and information.