The University of Kentucky Alumni Association established the Great Teacher Awards in 1961 to recognize outstanding teaching at UK. More than 300 faculty members have received the honor, and nominations may only be submitted by current students. Honorees must demonstrate exceptional knowledge of their subject, innovative teaching, and a strong commitment to students inside and outside the classroom. On this episode of Behind the Blue, Steve Shaffer speaks with 2026 award recipient ToniMarie Marchioni, professor of oboe in the UK College of Fine Arts, about the highly personal nature of one-on-one music instruction, the connection between performing and teaching, and her goal of helping students become independent problem-solvers who carry lessons in excellence, accountability and integrity far beyond the oboe studio.

Some stories require a little more – a little more discussion, more context, more depth and breadth.
 
          That's the idea behind "Behind the Blue" – a new weekly podcast created by UK Public Relations and Marketing. It is designed to explore through probing interviews the in-depth the stories that make UK the university for Kentucky and that have impact across the institution, the Commonwealth and, in some cases, the world.