Undergraduate Teaching Award, Nominations Due April 30: New Judith Deckers Prize
Update: Nominations for prize are now open
EDITOR’S NOTE: Duke’s Office of Undergraduate Education welcomes nominations for the inaugural Judith Deckers Prize, a distinguished accolade designed to honor faculty members who exhibit exceptional dedication and effectiveness in undergraduate teaching at Duke University. Nominations are open throughout April. Duke students, faculty, staff, and alumni can nominate eligible candidates whose passion and expertise have made a profound difference in the lives of Duke undergraduates. To learn more and to submit a nomination visit, https://undergrad.duke.edu/deckers-prize/.
Duke University has established the Judith Deckers Prize, a new award that recognizes and rewards excellent undergraduate teaching. Duke will annually award three exceptional Duke faculty members for their excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate students.
The award will grant three faculty members a prestigious honor along with a monetary prize of $35,000 each.
This award will illuminate and celebrate teaching excellence at Duke—in and outside of the classroom. The award winners will be leaders in teaching and learning, who have demonstrated a strong track record of profoundly affecting the student experience. All faculty members currently employed at Duke, who have taught an undergraduate course within the last four semesters in any undergraduate school (Trinity, Pratt, Nicholas, or Sanford) are eligible regardless of rank, title, classification or research background.
“This award is special on several fronts. First, it celebrates Duke faculty of distinction with respect to teaching, care for students, and the development of innovative and inclusive learning environments. Second, the eligibility criterion for this award is capacious,” said Candis Watts Smith, Duke interim vice provost for undergraduate education.
“Perhaps most importantly, this award provides Duke with an opportunity to not only define teaching excellence but to also make clear that this culture of teaching excellence, alongside preeminent research, is what makes Duke University a peerless academic institution.”
Nominations for the award will be accepted from the university community, including faculty, students, staff, and alumni starting this spring. A distinguished panel of educators and administrators will review the nominations to select the three deserving recipients. Duke Provost Alec D. Gallimore will announce the inaugural award winners in January 2025.
“Rewarding transformative pedagogy is one of the most important investments we can make in higher education,” Gallimore said. “I look forward to recognizing exemplars of excellent undergraduate teaching with this new award.”
For more information about the Judith Deckers Price, including nomination criteria and the selection process, please visit www.undergrad.duke.edu/deckers-prize.