Award Winning Teachers

Dean's Diversity Award

This award recognizes how diversity drives excellence in research, teaching, advising, mentoring, and service. All Trinity faculty, staff, and graduate students are eligible.

2022 Recipient:

Esther Kim Lee, Professor of Theater Studies

Since joining Duke in 2018, Esther has made a significant impact on the university through her directorship of the Asian American & Diaspora Studies program. Building on a foundation of advocacy by Duke students, alumni and faculty like AADS founding director Aimee Kwon, Esther successfully guided the creation of a new minor in Asian American & Diaspora Studies.

Housed within the Department of Asian & Middle Eastern Studies, this new minor is dedicated to an interdisciplinary study of the people of Asian descent in the U.S. and will offer an exploration of the history, culture and experiences of Asian Americans and the Asian diaspora, focusing on the pan-Asian coalition of East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian Americans.

Esther’s work and the clarity she brought to this effort has enriched the diversity of our curricular offerings in ways that add value to the world-class liberal arts education Trinity promises, and that reflect the priorities and interests of Duke undergraduates.

2021 Recipients:

Shaundra Daily and Nicki Washington, Professors of the Practice of Computer Science

Computer scientists Shaundra Daily and Nicki Washington designed the Cultural Competence in Computing Fellows Program – known as 3C – to address issues of systemic racism and bias that directly impact students from minoritized groups and also faculty, as issues of race, gender and intersectionality impact hiring, promotion, and tenure decisions in higher education.

Initially hoping to attract 20 computer science faculty into the program's Spring 2021 launch, they instead garnered 144 individuals from 67 different organizations across four countries for the inaugural cohort.

The program has its roots in Nicki's research, which is focused on identity and broadening participation in computing. Shortly after joining Duke in 2020, she connected with Shaundra, a faculty member in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and Computer Science, who shared her goal of creating a program that centers the perspectives and expertise of Black women, in particular.

In addition to the success of 3C, they have extended their successful partnership through the distinct but complementary Alliance for Identity-Inclusive Computing Education, which earned $10 million in funding from the National Science Foundation in August. These two are transforming participation and perspectives in computing.

Past Recipients

Dean's Leadership Award

This award recognizes a group of people or an individual who have demonstrated exceptional leadership to the department, college or university through research, teaching or service. All faculty and staff of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences are eligible for the award.

2022 Recipient:

Richard J. Powell, John Spencer Bassett Distinguished Professor of Art and Art History

Since 1989, Rick has taught legions of fortunate Duke students about American art, contemporary visual studies, and the art of the African Diaspora.

Particularly recognized for his authority on African American art and culture, Rick has organized numerous art exhibitions at major museums including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, London’s Whitechapel Art Gallery, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Rick has also written extensively on topics ranging from primitivism to postmodernism, in works including: Homecoming: The Art and Life of William H. Johnson; Black Art: A Cultural History; Cutting a Figure: Fashioning Black Portraiture; and, most recently, Going There: Black Visual Satire, which examines satirical cartoons, paintings, films, and videos by modern and contemporary African American artists.

This year, Rick was selected to present the 71st A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. He delivered his six-part series on “Colorstruck! Painting, Pigment, Affect” – an examination of how colors, whether chromatic interactions in paintings and the sociocultural dynamics of race, collide in unanticipated ways.

2021 Recipient:

Steve Haase, Professor of Biology

Steve is an essential member of the team that shaped Duke’s COVID-19 response and, in particular, organized and monitored our surveillance testing program, which at its peak included a dozen self-administered test sites serving undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff.

Before vaccines were available, the use of surveillance testing and rapid turnaround of test results was credited with keeping infections low.

The data produced at those sites – routed through Steve and his colleagues for analysis and modeling – was invaluable in guiding university decisions throughout the pandemic.

As an example, in June 2021 they elected to continue surveillance testing of students and the university community despite a significant decline in cases. At the time, Duke was the only university to do so, but with the arrival of Delta in September last year, many others followed suit – and quickly.
 

Past Recipients

Undergraduate Teaching Awards

David and Janet Vaughan Brooks Award

2025 Recipient:

Natalie Klco, Assistant Professor of Physics

A theoretical physicist specializing in nuclear physics and quantum information science, Natalie Klco is redefining how students engage with quantum mechanics by integrating cutting-edge research into the classroom.

Her recent courses, including Quantum Computing and Quantum Mechanics I, reflect her pioneering approach of linking teaching with active research in quantum simulation. As Klco explains, her goal is to merge teaching and research by developing “quantum computing protocols for quantum simulating the particles and fields of nuclear and high-energy physics” to achieve what she calls “quantum many-body physics education.”

Student testimonials praise her for creating a collaborative, supportive environment where peers are colleagues rather than competitors. Through her guidance, students gain not only technical expertise but also the metalingual skills necessary to navigate across disciplines such as chemistry, mathematics and computer science.

Past Recipients

Robert B. Cox Award

2025 Recipient:

Kristin Stephens-Martinez, Associate Professor of Computer Science 

Since joining Duke seven years ago, Kristin Stephens-Martinez has taught nearly 3,000 students in courses ranging from small seminars to large lectures, while also mentoring more than 30 undergraduates in research and independent studies. 

The awards committee was struck by her deep commitment to student-centered learning and her innovative and equitable approach to teaching. Her active learning classrooms thrive on peer instruction, real-time discussion and collaborative engagement, creating an environment where even the largest course feels personal. Stephens-Martinez employs mastery-based grading, flexible deadlines, exam retakes and late-token systems. 

“These are not just policies,” Stephens-Martinez said. “They are signals to students: what matters most is learning, not high-stakes test-taking under pressure.”

Past Recipients

Howard D. Johnson Award

2025 Recipient:

Katya Wesolowski, Lecturing Fellow in Cultural Anthropology

A scholar, dancer and anthropologist, Katya Wesolowski’s teaching draws from the African Diaspora, from Brazil to Angola, where movement and embodied practice become powerful tools for understanding culture, identity and belonging.

Her courses blend seminar and studio experiences, immersing students in experiential learning. In her course Performing Brazil, for instance, students created carnival parades complete with floats, costumes and samba songs — projects that challenged them to critically explore race, class, gender and representation in Brazilian culture. As one student reflected, the course “allowed me to express thoughts and ideas in new ways while also teaching me how to discuss difficult topics such as racism.”

Wesolowski adapts her teaching with remarkable flexibility, from pandemic-era collaborative online ethnography projects to community engagement initiatives that connect students with Duke service workers. Her approach emphasizes collective knowledge creation and invites students to embrace risk-taking and creativity. 

Past Recipients

Richard K. Lublin Award

2025 Recipient:

Lauren Ginsberg, Associate Professor of Classical Studies

An expert in Roman history and ancient civilizations, Lauren Ginsberg is celebrated for designing courses that are both intellectually rigorous and deeply engaging, guiding students to think critically about the ancient world while drawing connections to the present.

Her teaching centers on active student participation. As Ginsberg explains, “My teaching directly challenges these traditional narratives of Rome and the idea that ancient history is fixed or unable to yield new perspectives. I empower students to engage in the process of ‘doing’ ancient history through authentic activities which mirror professional research methods.”

In her classes, students regularly work hands-on with a wide range of primary sources — from poetry and political speeches to graffiti and gravestones — learning how to piece together fragmentary evidence into meaningful historical interpretations. With museum-quality replicas of Roman coins, for example, students studied iconography, how the coins circulated through society and how they were used for political messaging, uncovering how visual stereotypes shaped Roman perspectives.

Past Recipients

Award for Excellence in Advising

The Award for Excellence in Advising, first presented in 2007, honors faculty and staff advisers who have helped guide undergraduates in the first two years at Duke.

2021 Recipient:

Makeba Parramore Wilbourn, Associate Professor of the Practice, Psychology & Neuroscience

From students: "I would’ve been lost without her…she helped me choose classes that really helped me grow and learn what I wanted to do. She gave me advice and explained things to me in ways I had never thought of before. She really helped me come to terms with my identity and who I am, and that itself is something so valuable to me, I could never be grateful enough for that. Words she said to me my first semester freshman year I can still remember so clearly, her impact on my life is unmeasurable."

“I always appreciate the time that Dr. Wilbourn took to make sure that I was always doing okay, both with my physical and mental health. I always knew that I had a faculty member that cared about me and knew me for who I was outside of my academics, which I know not all students experience."

Past Recipients

Award for Excellence in Teaching Writing

This award recognizes exceptionally strong teachers of academic writing. The award is made possible by the generosity of the Karen Blumenthal and Scott McCartney Endowment.

2022 Recipient:

Susan Thananopavarn, Lecturing Fellow, Thompson Writing Program

Find more information about past winners at the Thompson Writing Program website.

Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award (ADUTA)

2023 Recipient:

Sandra Valnes Quammen, Senior Lecturer in Romance Studies

Sandra Valnes Quammen ’06 is a Senior Lecturer in Romance Studies and the Director of the French Language Program. She teaches beginning to advanced French language courses, with a particular focus on introductory and intermediate levels. Her current research focuses on the intersections of sustainability and equity with language teaching and learning, and on multilingual and translanguaging pedagogies in the L2 classroom. Sandra received her Master's degree in Romance Studies from Duke University, and in her undergraduate studies she majored in French and English at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota.

Find more information about past winners at the Duke Alumni Association website.

University Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award

Past Recipients

Teaching with Technology Award

This award, co-sponsored by the Center for Instructional Technology, recognizes teaching excellence with a significant technology component. The faculty winner will receive a $5,000 prize. The award is open to all faculty who teach Trinity College of Arts & Sciences undergraduates.

Past Recipients

Dean's Distinguished Service Award

Past Recipients

Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award

Past Recipient