NC State has honored nearly 50 faculty for their commitment to educational excellence with the 2025-26 University Teaching Awards. Award recipients were recognized at a University Teaching Awards Luncheon and Ceremony on Tuesday, April 21, at the Duke Energy Hall in the James B. Hunt Library.
Katie Sheats, associate dean and director of professional education and admissions, 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 System. Each college may nominate two candidates (one tenured and one professional track faculty member) for this award, with one candidate selected as NC State’s winner.
Sheats will be recognized at NC State’s spring commencement exercises. The NC State Memorial Belltower will also be lit red in her honor at a time of her choosing.
Also nominated for the award were:
- Mark Beasley, Alan T. Dickson Distinguished Professor, Department of Accounting
- Autumn Mist Belk, teaching professor, Department of Performing Arts and Technology
- K.C. Busch, associate professor, Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education
- Mathew Gerard, teaching professor, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences
- Margaret Scaturro Heil, senior lecturer, Department of Computer Science
- Steph Jeffries, teaching professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
- Russell King, Dopaco Distinguished Professor, Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
- John Meitzen, professor, Department of Biological Sciences
- Shevaun Neupert, Distinguished Professor, Department of Psychology
- Travis Park, professor, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences
- Justin Post, teaching professor, Department of Statistics
- Scott Showalter, professor of practice, Department of Accounting
- Julianne Treme, teaching professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Panoramic Dance Project, led by Associate Teaching Professor Christa Oliver, is the winner of the Provost’s Award for High-Impact Experiential Learning. The Provost’s Award for High-Impact Experiential Learning recognizes excellence in the development, delivery, accessibility and outcomes of high-impact and interdisciplinary experiences that engage students, including undergraduate, graduate and professional populations.
An honorable mention was awarded to the Northeast Leadership Academy (NELA). Under the purview of the College of Education, NELA seeks to increase student achievement by preparing and retaining principals in high-poverty, hard-to-staff and historically low-performing schools. NELA creates a comprehensive leadership development and succession plan for NC high-need school districts. Each component is anchored in research-based best practices in leadership preparation and is designed to meet the specific contextualized needs of schools in North Carolina. Current cohorts are fully funded by the North Carolina Principal Fellows Program. The program is led by Professor Bonnie C. Fusarelli, Professor Lance D. Fusarelli, Associate Professor Timothy A. Drake, Associate Teaching Professor Lacey Seaton and Associate Director Lesley G. Wirt, all of the Department of Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development in the College of Education.
The Warwick A. Arden Interdisciplinary Teaching Excellence Award was presented to:
- Maru Gonzalez, associate professor, Department of Agricultural and Human Sciences
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.
The Gertrude Cox Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching and Learning with Technology was presented to:
- Erin McKenney, assistant professor, Department of Applied Ecology
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:
- Amy Adkins, assistant teaching professor, Department of Lampe Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Peter Askim, teaching professor, Department of Performing Arts and Technology
- Stefanie Chen, associate teaching professor, Department of Biological Sciences
- Jarrett Fuller, assistant professor, Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design
- Angela Harris, associate professor, Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
- Kama Kosenko, associate professor, Department of Communication
- Sarah Larson, associate professor, Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Jordan Lukins, assistant teaching professor, Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences
- Megan Lupek, associate teaching professor, Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources
- Carrie Pickworth Poole, associate professor, Department of Animal Science
- Leigh Shamblin, professor, Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Nicola Singletary, associate teaching professor, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Science
- Melissa Srougi, associate teaching professor, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences
- Katharina Stapelmann, associate professor, Department of Nuclear Engineering
- Pieter Verhallen, assistant teaching professor, Department of Marketing
- Mengmeng Zhu, assistant professor, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science
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. This is the 60th anniversary of the Outstanding Teacher Award at NC State.
The Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award was presented to the following faculty members:
- Tania Allen, professor, Department of Media Arts, Design and Technology
- Lina Battestilli, teaching professor, Department of Computer Science
- Jacqueline Cole, associate professor, Lampe Department of Biomedical Engineering
- Bevin Maultsby, teaching professor, Department of Mathematics
- Jeffrey Pollack, professor, Department of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Shweta Trivedi, teaching professor, Department of Animal Science
The award, sponsored by NC State Alumni, is one of the most prestigious awards to recognize undergraduate-level teaching 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. Each recipient will receive a cash award.
The Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professorship Award was presented to the following faculty members:
- Sunkyu Park, Jordan Family Distinguished Professor, Department of Forest Biomaterials
- Katherine Reed Saul, professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
- Ralph Smith, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Mathematics
- Temple Walkowiak, professor, Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences
The award, sponsored by NC State Alumni, is one of the most prestigious awards to recognize graduate-level teaching given on campus. Up to five recipients will receive this recognition each year and retain their title for the duration of their career as an NC State faculty member. Each recipient will receive a cash award.
