Faculty excellence is at the core of NC State’s mission. For many years, the university has honored faculty through a variety of awards and recognitions. Nominations for a number of faculty awards for the 2025-26 academic year are now open.
This information was shared last month with deans and department heads, and we want to share with faculty as well. Specific timelines, criteria, forms, selection processes and recognition for awards managed by the Office for Faculty Excellence are available via go.ncsu.edu/internal-faculty-awards.
- Nominations for the O. Max Gardner Award are due by Wednesday, September 24. This award, named in honor of the former governor of North Carolina, is given annually to a member or members of the faculties of the University of North Carolina system.
- Nominations for the Goodnight Early Career Innovators Award Program are due by Wednesday, October 1. The program, established in spring 2021 through the generous support of James and Ann Goodnight, was created to recognize and reward early career tenure-track faculty with outstanding promise for scholarly achievement and impact in STEM or STEM education.
- Nominations for the Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching are due by Wednesday, October 8. This prestigious award was established in 1993 to underscore the importance of teaching and to encourage, identify, recognize, reward and support good teaching at the university.
- Nominations for the 2025-26 University Faculty Scholars Program are due by Wednesday, October 22. This program, established in 2012 by Chancellor Randy Woodson, recognizes and rewards emerging academic leaders among NC State’s faculty. Nominations are limited to assistant professors who have been reappointed for a second term, all associate professors, and professors within the first three years of appointment at that rank. Each college has specific nominating procedures with earlier due dates.
- Nominations for the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence are due by Wednesday, November 5. This award, established by the NC State Board of Trustees in 1992 and named for NC State’s first chief executive, recognizes and rewards faculty whose careers demonstrate excellence in achievement and sustained impact in research, teaching, service or extension and engagement. It is NC State’s highest faculty award.
- Nominations for the Outstanding Teacher Award are due by Wednesday, November 19. This award recognizes excellence in teaching at all levels. Faculty must be recognized as an Outstanding Teacher before they can receive the Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching or the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award.
- Nominations for the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award are due by Wednesday, December 3. This is one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards given on campus. To be eligible, a nominee must have previously received an Outstanding Teacher Award and have provided distinguished service in support of undergraduate teaching.
- Nominations for The Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology are due by Wednesday, January 14, 2026. This teaching award was created to honor the creative pedagogy of NC State’s faculty and their work in integrating new technologies into effective teaching strategies. The award was first given in fall 2002 and named for Gertrude Cox, “The First Lady of Statistics,” who came to NC State in 1940 to establish the university’s distinguished Department of Statistics.
- Nominations for the Provost’s Award for High Impact Experiential Learning are due by Wednesday, January 21, 2026. The Provost’s Award recognizes excellence in the development, delivery, accessibility, and outcomes of high-impact and interdisciplinary experiences that engage NC State students, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional populations.
- Nominations for the Warwick A. Arden Interdisciplinary Teaching Excellence Award are due by Wednesday, January 28, 2026. The award honors faculty members or faculty teams who demonstrate exceptional creativity, innovation, and effectiveness in integrating interdisciplinary approaches into their teaching at NC State. Interdisciplinarity is defined as the integration of knowledge, expertise, and methodologies from multiple disciplines. The award was named in honor of the provost, recognizing his visionary leadership and steadfast support for interdisciplinary teaching at NC State. The designation reflects his lasting impact on advancing interdisciplinary innovation across our campus.
For more information about nominations for any of the awards listed, contact Sherry Bailey, internal faculty awards coordinator and faculty affairs support specialist at sbbailey@ncsu.edu.
