2019-20 University Teaching Awards Announced

NC State has honored more than 30 faculty for their commitment to educational excellence with the 2019-20 University Teaching Awards. Award recipients will be recognized at a University Teaching Awards Luncheon and Ceremony to be scheduled at a future date. 

Hollylynne Lee received the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching, the most prestigious award given to faculty for teaching excellence. In 1993, the UNC Board of Governors established the award to underscore the importance of teaching and to encourage, identify, recognize, reward and support good teaching within the UNC university system. Each college may nominate one candidate for this award, with one candidate selected as NC State’s winner.

A member of the NC State faculty since 2000, Lee is a professor of mathematics and statistics education in the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education in the College of Education. She is also a Senior Faculty Fellow at the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation.

Her research interests include teaching and learning of probability, statistics, and data science, especially incorporating technology use and designing technology environments that facilitate students’ learning. She situates her work in educational design in order to provide the best learning opportunities for students in K-12, her university students, and educators around the world that engage with her in online professional development.

Lee was a RTI University Scholar for 2018-19. She currently has over 4.5 million in funding from the Institute of Education Sciences and the National Science Foundation to fund her research, and is the director of the Hub for Innovation and Research in Statistics Education at the Friday Institute. She collaborates with a strong team of researchers and graduate students at the Friday Institute, as well as faculty, researchers, and technological designers at organizations such as RTI International, Research Matters Inc, University of Georgia, Eastern Michigan University, University of Southern Indiana, Middle Tennessee State University, UNC Charlotte, and Concord Consortium. Her current work includes developing and implementing massive open online courses and microcredentials to assist teachers in preparing to teach statistics and data science.

Lee will be recognized at NC State’s next commencement exercises. The Talley Technology Tower will also be lit red in her honor at a time of her choosing.

Also nominated for the award were:

• Russell Gorga, professor, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science
• Hasan Jameel, Jordan Family Distinguished Professor of Natural Resource Innovation, Department of Forest Biomaterials
• Bong-Il Jin, associate professor, Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design
• Russell King, Henry A. Foscue Distinguished Professor, Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
• Paul Mulvey, associate professor, Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Shevaun Neupert, professor, Department of Psychology
• Jacqueline Hughes-Oliver, professor, Department of Statistics
• Shannon Phillips, professor, Department of Animal Science
• Lysa Posner, professor, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences

The Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology will be presented to:

• Deborah Littlejohn, associate professor, Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design

The award, first given in 2002, honors the creative pedagogy of NC State’s faculty and their work in integrating new technologies into effective teaching strategies. Gertrude Cox, “The First Lady of Statistics” and the award’s namesake, came to NC State in 1940 to establish the university’s distinguished Department of Statistics. 

The Outstanding Teacher Award was presented to the following faculty members:

• Kimberly Ange-van Heugten, teaching assistant professor, Department of Animal Science
• Katherine Annett-Hitchcock, associate professor, Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management
• K.C. Busch, assistant professor, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
• Jonathan Casper, associate professor, Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
• Heather Dretsch, assistant professor, Department of Business Management
• Marc Dudley, associate professor, Department of English
• Carla Fröhlich, professor, Department of Physics
• Hsiao-Ying Shadow Huang, associate professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
• Naji Husseini, teaching assistant professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering
• John Meitzen, associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences
• John Millhauser, associate professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
• Jennifer Neel, professor, Department of Population Health and Pathobiology
• Wes Parker, teaching professor, Department of Music
• Stephen Puryear, associate professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
• Roby Sawyers, professor, Department of Accounting
• Kristen Schaffer, associate professor, School of Architecture
• Steven Shannon, professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering
• Julianne Treme, teaching associate professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

The award recognizes excellence in teaching at all levels. Faculty must receive the Outstanding Teacher Award in order to be eligible for the Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award.

Recipients of the Outstanding Teacher Award become members of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers for as long as they remain NC State faculty. 

The Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award was presented to the following faculty members:

• Gary Comstock, professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
• Miles Engell, teaching associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences
• Douglas Irving, associate professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
• David McConnell, professor, Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
• Gary Roberson, professor and extension specialist, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
• John Russ, senior lecturer, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

The award, sponsored by the NC State Alumni Association, is one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards given on campus. Up to six recipients will receive this recognition each year and retain their title for the duration of their career as an NC State faculty member. A cash award will be presented to each recipient.