Yuko Taniguchi Wins the Horace T. Morse Alumni Award
The University of Minnesota Rochester (UMR) is proud to announce that Assistant Professor in Medicine and Arts, Yuko Taniguchi, has been awarded the Horace T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education.
This prestigious award recognizes Taniguchi’s influential work at the intersection of art, medicine and mental health and her profound impact on undergraduate learning at UMR. Since joining the faculty in 2009, Taniguchi has been a driving force in developing UMR’s unique, health-focused curriculum, consistently demonstrating the power of creative expression to instill healing, critical thinking, meaning and community connection.
Throughout her tenure, she has designed and co-taught nearly 20 interdisciplinary courses that merge STEM subjects with the creative arts. Her innovative courses Contemplation of Mental Health Using Creativity and Qualitative Analysis and Imagination Central, encourage students to use creative mediums to internalize complex knowledge and develop empathy.
Taniguchi's influence is woven into the very fabric of UMR. She was the architect of the university’s individualized Capstone program, guiding more than 1,000 students in synthesizing their education through public, creative presentations. More recently, she secured a grant to establish UMR’s first dedicated Art Studio, creating a permanent space for creative exploration for all students and faculty.
Her impact extends far beyond the UMR campus. Taniguchi has forged vital community partnerships with organizations including Mayo Clinic, the Rochester Alternative Learning Center and the Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain, the American Indian Family Center, as well as globally in Nagasaki University School of Medicine and the University of Cape Town to support youth living with HIV who navigate mental health challenges through arts engagement. Taniguchi engaged her students in examining complex contemporary challenges through her teaching."My scholarly agenda is rooted in being intentional about creating learning opportunities that maximize students’ talents and respond to societal needs," shared Taniguchi.
"Yuko’s creativity, humanity and scholarly leadership make her a remarkable educator and researcher," shared a former UMR student who is currently attending the University of Minnesota Medical School. While previously deployed with the National Guard, the student utilized Taniguchi’s methods to support fellow soldiers, adding, "She connects academic rigor with genuine compassion."
About Yuko Taniguchi
Yuko Taniguchi earned her bachelor’s degree in English from the College of St. Benedicts/St. John’s University and a master’s in fine arts from the University of Minnesota. Her work focuses on designing and facilitating creative interventions in the field of medicine. She also teaches facilitation and qualitative research methods at UMR. She is committed to being visible, accountable and supportive for her students by reminding them of their immense capacity for growth.
Taniguchi’s pedagogical style is flexible, adaptive and deeply student‐centered. She uses diverse creative mediums, such as writing, drawing, painting and collage, to cultivate reflection and help students uncover insights beneath their academic thinking, allowing them to connect with their unique and authentic ideas.
About the Morse Alumni Award
Each year since 1965, the Horace T. Morse-University of Minnesota Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Contributions to Undergraduate Education (Morse-Alumni Award) has been given to a select group of teachers who reflect the University's emphasis on the importance of high-quality undergraduate education. Other UMR Morse-Alumni award winners include Shanna Altrichter, Cassidy Terrell, Jered Bright, Kelsey Metzger, Jake Wright, Jessie Barnett, Jeffrey Ratliff-Crain and Robb Dunbar.