Faculty Awards
2024
CU President’s Teaching Scholars Award
The CU President's Teaching Scholars honors faculty "who exemplify a zeal for teaching and learning, a passion for their discipline, high regard for their students, an altruistic attitude towards students and colleagues, full respect for diversity in teaching styles and learning communities, an interest in assessing the effects of classroom teaching, and a desire to promote civil discourse both inside and outside the classroom.
Best Should Teach Gold Award
The Best Should Teach Initiative strives to acknowledge excellence in teaching and academic leadership. The initiative is managed by the Center for Teaching & Learning in coordination with the School of Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. Lindley and Marguerite Stiles established the initiative in 1996 to promulgate the message that “The Best Should Teach.”
Cogswell Award for Inspirational Teaching
Supported by a generous donation from Craig Cogswell, a three-time alumnus of CU Boulder, the award recognizes outstanding instruction in the college, honoring individuals for their inspirational qualities and teaching abilities.
Boulder Faculty Assembly, Excellence in Teaching
The BFA Excellence Awards specifically recognize outstanding work and a concerted effort to make advances in the academy. The Excellence in Teaching award recognizes the vital importance of teaching and mentoring students as significant components of faculty duties that are central to the university’s mission.
Faculty who have completed the LA Program “newer faculty” professional development series:
We would like to acknowledge faculty who have recently started working with LAs and have participated in all aspects of faculty learning sessions designed for faculty who are new to the LA Program. We appreciate their commitment to building strong instructional teams that include LAs while also making changes to their course that foster meaningful student and LA interactions. These faculty completed sessions including (1) All Faculty Meetings, (2) Essential Elements of the LA Model (LAA Workshop), (3) Transforming your Course (LAA Workshop), (4) What is the weekly prep session? (LAA Workshop), and (5) at least one early-semester check-in during weeks 3 or 4 of the semester. Thank you for your time and efforts and for contributing meaningfully to our program!
2023 - 2024:
- Yuan Shi, PHYS
- Tyler McMaken, PHYS
- Sasha Novack, PHYS
- Marialis Rosario Franco, ASTR
- Leah Simon, ASTR
Previous Recipients from 2022 - 2023
- Lori Poole, COMM
- Renee Gurganus, PHYS
- Supriya Naidu, CSCI
- Eric Vance, AHUM
- Liz Cassano, ATOC
- Alison Vigers, NRSC
- Kimberly Campbell, BCOR
- Marc Rich, COMM
- Brooke Huibregtse, PSYC
2023
World Laureates Association Prize
The World Laureates Association (WLA) Prize is an international science prize established in 2021 that recognizes researchers and technologists worldwide for their contributions to science. It aims to “support global science and technology advancement, address the challenges to humanity and promote society's long-term progress,” according to the WLA.
The Svend Pedersen Lecture
The Svend Pedersen Lecture Award honors Valerie Otero, in collaboration with Noah Finkelstein, for their significant contributions to teacher education praxis. Their cross-disciplinary collaboration (between the Physics and Education Departments) led to the development of the highly influential and successful Learning Assistant Program. The intervention has been highly successful, with the model being adopted both nationally and internationally. The model has been disseminated in major academic journals across disciplines such as Science, Physical Review Physics Education Research and the American Journal of Physics.
Fellows for the Faculty Leadership Institute
The Faculty Leadership Institute(FLI) helps identify and support emerging leaders; it provides an opportunity for faculty across the CU Boulder campus to work together to break down barriers and build community, collaboration and connectedness across schools, programs and departments. FLI also offers each cohort the opportunity to engage in targeted discussions with campus leaders on current campus issues and to build leadership skills. Since its inception in 2013, FLI has had over 150 fellows.
Open Educational Resources Champion Awards
The honor celebrates an educator from each of the four CU campuses who contributes to the open educational movement through the creation of open access learning materials, and in so doing, increases OER awareness and interest in exploring, adopting and creating OER to benefit CU students.
Best Should Teach Gold Award
The Best Should Teach Initiative strives to acknowledge excellence in teaching and academic leadership. The initiative is managed by the Center for Teaching & Learning in coordination with the School of Education, and the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. Lindley and Marguerite Stiles established the initiative in 1996 to promulgate the message that “The Best Should Teach.”
Previous LA Faculty who have also won this award include:
2018: Janet Y. Tsai, Mechanical Engineering; Jenny Knight, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
2014: William Kuskin, English
2009: Michael Klymkowski, Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology
2008: Michael Dubson, Physics
2007: Valerie Otero, Education; Noah Finkelstein, Physics
2006: Steven Pollock, Physics
2004: Martin Bickman, English
Outstanding Physics Teacher of the Year
Marinus Smith Award
The Marinus Smith Award recognizes faculty and staff members who have had a particularly positive impact on our students. Honorees are nominated by those they teach, mentor, support and serve.
Open Educator Award
The award is given annually by the University Libraries and the University of Colorado Boulder Student Government to honor educators who reduce the cost of an education and enhance learning by creating, sharing, supporting or using open educational materials in their teaching.
Excellence in Research, Scholarly, and Creative Work
The BFA Excellence Awards specifically recognize outstanding work and a concerted effort to make advances in the academy. The Award for Excellence in Research, Scholarly, and Creative Work celebrates faculty contributions of the highest quality. Emphasis will be on work that may not receive recognition through the usual channels, has an interdisciplinary focus, or is the culmination of long-term achievement in one’s field.
Distinguished Professor
This title is extended to recognize the outstanding contributions of tenured faculty members to their academic disciplines. Candidates nominated for a distinguished professorship must demonstrate accomplishments in accordance with university-wide criteria. As of fall 2020, 118 University of Colorado professors hold the title of distinguished professor.
2022
Teaching Professor of Distinction
These teaching professors, who range from historians to biologists, are being recognized with the college’s highest honor for their exemplary teaching and participation in the university community. They were chosen by their peers and confirmed by previous teaching professors of distinction.
Marinus Smith Award Winners
The Marinus Smith Award recognizes faculty and staff members who have had a particularly positive impact on our students. Honorees are nominated by those they teach, mentor, support and serve.
CU President’s Teaching Scholars Award
The CU President's Teaching Scholars honors faculty "who exemplify a zeal for teaching and learning, a passion for their discipline, high regard for their students, an altruistic attitude towards students and colleagues, full respect for diversity in teaching styles and learning communities, an interest in assessing the effects of classroom teaching, and a desire to promote civil discourse both inside and outside the classroom."
Boulder Faculty Assembly, Excellence in Teaching
The BFA Excellence Awards specifically recognize outstanding work and a concerted effort to make advances in the academy. The Excellence in Teaching award recognizes the vital importance of teaching and mentoring students as significant components of faculty duties that are central to the university’s mission.
2021
American Physical Society's Fellows
The APS Fellowship Program recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the physics enterprise in physics research, important applications of physics, leadership in or service to physics, or significant contributions to physics education.
Graduate School Outstanding Mentor Award Winners
This award recognizes dedicated faculty members for their many contributions in mentoring graduate students and supporting the mission of graduate education.
Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Leadership and Service
Excellence in faculty leadership and service is defined as all of those professional activities other than teaching and research that are performed by faculty members as part of their University responsibilities or as community outreach (internal, external, or both kinds of service).
Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Teaching and Pedagogy
This award recognizes the importance of teaching and mentoring students as significant components of faculty duties.
Marinus Smith Award Winners
The Marinus Smith Award recognizes faculty and staff members who have had a particularly positive impact on our students. Honorees are nominated by those they teach, mentor, support and serve.
2020
Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Leadership and Service
Excellence in faculty leadership and service is defined as all of those professional activities other than teaching and research that are performed by faculty members as part of their University responsibilities or as community outreach (internal, external, or both kinds of service).
Boulder Faculty Assembly Excellence in Teaching and Pedagogy
This award recognizes the importance of teaching and mentoring students as significant components of faculty duties.
Marinus Smith Award Winners
The Marinus Smith Award recognizes faculty and staff members who have had a particularly positive impact on our students. Honorees are nominated by those they teach, mentor, support and serve.
