25 Recognized with University Teaching Awards

Posted on Feb. 27, 2024

UNC has recognized 25 members of the faculty and graduate teaching assistants with the 2024 University Teaching Awards.

Founded in 1994, the annual awards recognize excellent teaching of undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students. Faculty, staff, students and alumni are allowed to submit nominations.

More than 675 nominations were considered by The Center for Faculty Excellence’s University Teaching Awards Committee.

The winners are:

Board of Governors’ Award for Excellence in Teaching

• Florence Dore, professor, English and comparative literature

Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement

• Lois Boynton ’17 (MA, ’01 PhD), associate professor, Hussman School of Journalism and Media

Distinguished Teaching Awards for Post-Baccalaureate Instruction

• Sarah Dempsey, associate professor, communication
• Casey Rawson ’11 (MSLS, ’16 PhD), teaching assistant professor, School of Information and Library Science
• Amanda Reid, associate professor, Hussman School of Journalism and Media
• Erianne Weight, professor, exercise and sports science

Chapman Family Teaching Awards

• Anna Krome-Lukens ’09 (MA, ’14 PhD), director of experiential education
• Mariska Leunissen, professor, philosophy
• Michal Osterweil ’01 (’04 MA, ’10 PhD), teaching professor, global studies
• Issac Unah, associate professor, political science

Tanner Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

• Luoyi Cai, teaching associate professor, Asian and Middle Eastern studies
• Joshua Beaver ’14 (PhD), teaching associate professor, chemistry
• Joseph Megel, teaching professor, communication
• Suja Davis ’13 CERT, clinical associate professor, School of Nursing
• Rachel Willis, professor, American studies

William C. Friday Award for Excellence in Teaching

• Michael Waltman, associate professor, communication

Carlyle Sitterson Award for Teaching First-Year Students

• Bradley Hammer, teaching professor, English and comparative literature
• Michael Palm, associate professor, communication

Johnston Teaching Excellence Awards

• Naji Husseini, teaching associate professor, biomedical engineering
• Lorna Aviles, teaching associate professor, Romance studies

Tanner Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Graduate Teaching Assistants

• Ling Beisecker, exercise and sport science
• Courtney Blackington, political science
• Santiago Gesteira ’18 (MA) Romance studies
• Karah Mitchell, English and comparative literature
• Emanuele Stefanori, Romance studies