Celebrating the recipients of our annual teaching awards

Colleagues,

Excellence in teaching is central to KU’s mission and our students’ experience. With this in mind, today I am delighted to announce 16 faculty members from the Lawrence and KU Medical Center campuses as this year’s recipients of KU’s annual teaching awards.

This year’s teaching award recipients (listed below) include some of our finest educators and mentors, each of whom is worthy of recognition and thanks. I hope you’ll take a moment to reach out to these outstanding individuals to congratulate them.

Additionally, I invite you to join me and other KU academic leaders in honoring this year’s award recipients at our annual University Teaching Awards ceremony at 7 p.m. on October 8 at the Jayhawk Welcome Center. All members of the KU community are invited to attend this celebration. We ask that you RSVP in advance to assist in our planning.

This year’s teaching award recipients are:

Lawrence Campus

Bob & Kathie Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award

• Dyan Morgan, associate teaching professor, undergraduate biology program

Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award

• Brian Laird, professor, chemistry

Chancellor’s Club Teaching Professorship

• Shannon O’Lear, professor, geography & atmospheric science

International Affairs Advisory Board International Teaching Award

• Melinda Lewis, professor of the practice, social welfare

Ned Fleming Trust Award for Excellence in Teaching

• Jennifer Gleason, associate professor, ecology & evolutionary biology 

William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence (originally announced in July 2024)

• Jenny Archibald, associate teaching professor, undergraduate biology program
• Alison Gabriele, professor, linguistics
• Tim Jackson, professor, chemistry
• Allison Kirkpatrick, associate professor, physics & astronomy
• Nilou Vakil, associate professor, architecture

KU Medical Center

Chancellors Club Teaching Professorship

• Nelda Godfrey, professor, nursing
• Wolfram Zückert, professor, microbiology, molecular genetics & immunology

Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Awards

• Cheen Alkhatib, associate professor, anesthesiology, pain & perioperative medicine
• David Becker, assistant professor, internal medicine
• Kirk Miller, associate professor, radiology
• Ericka Sanner-Stiehr, clinical associate professor, nursing

To this year’s teaching award recipients — congratulations! Your work inspires your students and colleagues alike.

And to every member of the KU community — thank you for all you do on behalf of students. I look forward to seeing you October 8.

Respectfully,

Doug

Douglas A. Girod
Chancellor