Colleagues have described Alison Molinero as approachable and caring — key attributes that earned her the 2026 Adjunct Professor of the Year Award.
“I was floored to hear I was chosen for this award. I really didn’t know if I stood a chance since I’m new to teaching and to Moraine Valley,” said Molinero, who teaches anatomy and physiology. “I was honest with the committee about how much I care about my students and how hard I try to make them connect with the subject matter. So, I’m deeply honored and humbled to be chosen for this award.”
There are many reasons Molinero is happy to be teaching at Moraine Valley, but her favorite is that she is surrounded by a supportive group of professors in her department.
“Everybody is ready to help everybody else. My teaching has definitely been shaped by everyone here, but I’m especially grateful to Peter Placas, who has generously worked very closely with me since I started to help me grow into my role at Moraine Valley. I’m very grateful to be a part of a great team of educators.”
Molinero’s previous career focused on physiology in the veterinary medicine field. “I had very good training on how to explain physiology. That work focused on animals, and now I focus on humans,” she said, sharing that her mother was a huge influence on her career choice.
“My mom was a teacher for a long time and became exceptionally good at adjusting her teaching style to match different ages, abilities, learning styles. I’ve always admired that and wanted to try to emulate that in my teaching.”
Her teaching style is well received by her students, many of whom have given her excellent reviews on one of the largest online destinations used by college students across North America to rate and review professors. They describe her as a professor who is caring, flexible, very approachable and willing to provide extra help as needed.
“Any time I have new students who feel overwhelmed, I tell them, ‘We will figure this out together,’” Molinero said, sharing that she brings in items like modeling clay, flash cards, worksheets and videos to help students better learn the material. She presents new study techniques, helps students hone test-taking skills and always lets them know she is available to help, even with matters other than tests or the curriculum.
“I let them know I care about them as people beyond the classroom,” she said, adding that she soon will be a faculty advisor for a student club for women entering medical careers. “Hearing that I’ve been described as very approachable and caring makes me very proud to know my students received the message that I care about them as well as their education.”
Molinero recalled a favorite line from the “Ted Lasso” Apple TV series: “Success is not about wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best version of themselves on and off the field.”
“That’s really how I feel about being a successful teacher,” she said.