UK Honors Outstanding Teaching Award Winners

The University of Kentucky recognized exceptional faculty and teaching assistants with the Outstanding Teaching Awards during the 2023 UK Faculty Awards Ceremony held Wednesday, April 26 in the J. David Rosenberg College of Law's Grand Courtroom.

The Outstanding Teaching Awards were established by the Provost to reward and encourage excellence in teaching. Selected via nomination, candidates were reviewed by a selection committee empaneled by the Center for Enhancement of Learning and Teaching in the Office for Faculty Advancement.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant university, our teaching mission is critical to the success and well-being of the Commonwealth. And, given the rapid changes in our educational landscape over the past few years, it’s critical that we cultivate a culture of innovative, inclusive, and engaging teaching and learning. This year’s winners of the Outstanding Teaching Award—and the UK teaching community broadly—continue to inspire us with their ingenuity and commitment to student success.

There are two categories of faculty awards and a category of graduate teaching assistant awards. The Category One Faculty Award recognizes regular and special-title series faculty for outstanding teaching performance. The Category Two Faculty Award recognizes lecturer and clinical title series faculty for outstanding performance in the classroom, laboratory, or clinical settings. The Graduate Teaching Assistant Award recognizes graduate teaching assistants for outstanding performance in the classroom or laboratory.

Each winner receives an award certificate, a commemorative engraved gift and a cash award in recognition of their teaching excellence.

Category One Faculty Award winners are:

• Amanda Ellis— College of Public Health —Department of Biostatistics
• Lynda Sharrett-Field— College of Arts and Sciences —Department of Psychology
• Robert "Lou" Hirsch— College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment—Department of Plant Pathology
• Elizabeth Williams— College of Arts and Sciences—Department of Gender and Women's Studies

Category Two Faculty Award winners are:

• Cathy Catlett— College of Nursing
• Ima Ebong— College of Medicine—Department of Neurology
• Doug Klein— College of Engineering—Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, First-Year Engineering Program

Teaching Assistant Award winners are:

• Angela Hanson— College of Arts and Sciences—Department of Mathematics
• Katie Kohls— College of Arts and Sciences—Department of English
• Weiss Mehrabi— College of Arts and Sciences—Department of Political Science