University Teaching Awards

Each year, the University recognizes faculty, staff, and students for outstanding teaching.

Congratulations to the 2023 University Teaching Award Winners!

Please visit the Office of the Provost University Teaching Awards webpage for more details.

• Patrick Conway, Economics, Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching
• Susan Jean Beck, School of Medicine, Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement
• Wendy Clark, School of Dentistry, Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction
• Susan Coppola, School of Medicine, Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction
• Jo Ellen Rodgers, School of Pharmacy, Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction
• Matthew Springer, School of Education, Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction
• Amy Cooke, Environment, Ecology, and Energy Program, Tanner Award for Undergraduate Teaching
• Carla Merino-Rajme, Philosophy, Tanner Award for Undergraduate Teaching
• Cherie Rivers Ndaliko, Geography, Tanner Award for Undergraduate Teaching
• Katherine Turk, History, Tanner Award for Undergraduate Teaching
• Sidney Malik Wilkerson-Hill, Chemistry, Tanner Award for Undergraduate Teaching
• Patrick Harrison, Psychology and Neuroscience, Chapman Family Teaching Award
• Anastacia Kohl, Romance Studies, Chapman Family Teaching Award
• Soren Palmer, English and Comparative Literature, Chapman Family Teaching Award
• Milada Anna Vachudova, Political Science, Chapman Family Teaching Award
• Megan Plenge, Earth; Marine; and Environmental Sciences, Sitterson Award for Teaching First-Year Students
• Danielle Zurcher, Chemistry, Sitterson Award for Teaching First-Year Students
• Brian Hsu, Linguistics, Friday Award for Excellence in Teaching
• Gary Pielak, Chemistry, Johnston Teaching Excellence Award
• Aalyia Sadruddin, Anthropology, Johnston Teaching Excellence Award
• Seth Alexander, School of Medicine, Tanner Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants
• Elizabeth Baldwin, School of Nursing, Tanner Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants
• Abigail Newell, Sociology, Tanner Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants
• Rafael Núñez Rodríguez, Romance Studies, Tanner Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants
• Alexandra Wojda-Burlij, Psychology and Neuroscience, Tanner Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants

The University Committee on Teaching Awards strongly encourages you to nominate deserving faculty members and graduate teaching assistants for distinguished teaching awards. Please read the award requirements carefully to determine eligibility and provide comments in the nomination to help the committee understand why your nominee is the best candidate for the award.

Nominations are accepted year-round, but please note that the deadline for the Spring 2024 awards is September 29, 2023 5 pm ET. The University Teaching Awards Committee meets in the fall to review nominees, collect additional information about their teaching, and recommend winners to the Chancellor.

This year, the committee will recommend recipients for six types of awards.

1. Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching: The Board of Governors gives this award to a tenured faculty member on each campus of the UNC System for excellent and exceptional undergraduate teaching over a sustained period of time.
2. Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement: This award acknowledges lifetime contributions to teaching, learning, and mentoring beyond the classroom.
3. Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction: Four awards are given to faculty members for exceptional teaching of post-baccalaureate students.
4. Tanner Awards to Graduate Teaching Assistants: Five Tanner Awards are given to graduate teaching assistants for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
5. Chapman Family Teaching Awards: Three or four Chapman Family Awards are given to full-time faculty members for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
6. Awards to Faculty for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching: Four different awards are available to full-time faculty members.
   1. Tanner Awards (5 recipients)
   2. Friday Award (1 recipient)
   3. Sitterson Awards (2 recipients)
   4. Johnston Awards (2 recipients)

For more information about UNC-Chapel Hill Teaching Awards, please contact Tim Smith at timsmith@unc.edu.