University Teaching Excellence Award Winners: Outstanding teaching is an integral part of Mason’s mission and is deserving of significant recognition. The Teaching Excellence Awards are both institutional recognition and a monetary acknowledgment of the significant work that faculty members devote to course planning and preparation; curriculum development; and innovative teaching, advising, and undergraduate and graduate mentoring.
Teachers of Distinction: Our Teachers of Distinction are faculty members who have been finalists for the Teaching Excellence Award, and who are recognized across campus for their exceptional teaching and their commitment to teaching-related activities.
View all 2023 Teaching Excellence Award Winners here.
2023 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
 | Sanja Avramovic | Health Administration and Policy – CPH | Supporting Intensive Collaboration |
 | Carrie Bonilla | Modern and Classical Languages – CHSS | Tailoring Feedback to Students |
 | David Lattanzi, Special Recognition for High Impact Teaching | Civil Engineering – CEC | Pitch and Present |
 | Shayna Maskell | School of Integrative Studies – CHSS | Create Your Own Folk Song |
 | Alison Heinhold Melley, Special Recognition for Teaching in Mason Core | Psychology – CHSS | Helping Students to Help Themselves |
2022 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Cortney Hughes Rinker | Global Affairs Director, Sociology and Anthropology – CHSS | Experimenting with Assignments |
| Aditya Johri – High Impact Winner | Information Sciences and Technology – CEC | Role-Play for Teaching Technology Ethics |
| Margaret “Peggy” King-Sears | Graduate School of Education – CEHD | |
| Haagen Klaus | Sociology and Anthropology – CHSS | |
| Susan Lawrence – General Education Winner | English – CHSS | Scaffolding Lit Reviews |
| Amykate “Kate” Sweeney | Communication – CHSS |
2022 Teachers of Distinction
 | Jane Flinn | Neuroscience – COS | Performing Well |
 | Emily Green | School of Music – CVPA | |
 | Jenna Krall | Global and Community Health – CHHS | |
 | Michael von Fricken | Global and Community Health – CHHS |
2021 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Jennifer Hathaway | School of Education – CEHD | |
| Susan Hirsch Winner of High Impact | Vernon M. and Minnie I. Lynch Chair – Carter School | |
| Anthony Hoefer Winner of High Impact | English – CHSS | How Humans Learn |
| Lauren Kuykendall Winner of High Impact | Psychology – CHSS | |
| Stephanie Lessard-Pillon Winner of High Impact | Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation – COS | Student-led Journal Club |
| Tehama Lopez-Bunyasi | Conflict Analysis and Resolution – Carter School | |
| David Luther Winner of General Education | Biology – COS | |
| Cindy Parker | Management – BUSI | Interview Preparation and Practice |
| Kathleen Ramos | Education – CEHD | |
| Cindy Smith Winner of High Impact | Environmental Science and Policy – COS |
2020 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Justin Gest | Schar School of Policy and Government | |
| Anna Habib | English (CHSS), INTO Mason | |
| Kelly Knight | Forensic Science (COS) | No Exams? Portfolios in STEM? But How Will They Learn?! |
| Sean Lawton | Mathematical Sciences (COS) | Community and Experimentation |
| Shun Ye | Information Systems and Operations Management (BUSI) | |
| Benjamin Dreyfus Winner of General Education | Physics and Astronomy (COS) | |
| Qi Wei Winner of High Impact | Bioengineering (VSE) |
2020 Teachers of Distinction
| Jon Bell | Computer Science (VSE) | |
| Keith Clark | English (CHSS) | |
| Jason Kinser | Computational and Data Sciences (COS) | Winning Teaching Strategies |
| Katherine Russell | Computer Science (VSE) | |
| Ioulia Rytikova | Information Sciences and Technology (VSE) | |
| Catherine Wright | Communication (CHSS) |
2019 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit | Featured Teaching Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Paul Ammann | Computer Science (VSE) | Using ShowMe Videos to Explain Class Concepts |
| Wendi Manuel-Scott | School of Integrative Studies (CHSS) | Active Reading: Syllabus Statement |
| Eric Piccione | Computer Game Design (CVPA) | Using Discord to Build Community Online |
| Justin Ramsdell | Psychology (CHSS) | Rethinking the Group Project: Presentation Relays |
| Emily Rancourt | Forensic Science (COS) | No Such Thing as Enough Questions |
| Sunny Harris Rome: High Impact Teaching | Social Work (CHHS) | Compose an Advocacy Portfolio |
| Jennifer Victor: General Education | Schar School of Policy and Government | Prepare Students for Political and Nonpartisan Discussion |
2019 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit | Featured Teaching Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Seth Hudson | Computer Game Design (CVPA) | |
| Natalie Burls | Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences (COS) | |
| Kelley Regan | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
2018 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit | Featured Teaching Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| James Carroll: General Education | School of Music (CVPA) | A Pedagogy of Listening |
| Dawn Hathaway: Technology-Enhanced Teaching | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) | Beyond “Lesson Plan”: Teaching as a Design Process |
| Younsung Kim | Environmental Science & Policy (COS) | Flex Learning via “Real-Time-Based” Student Feedback |
| Alexandra Masterson | Biology (COS) | Dramatizing the Heart |
| Graziella McCarron | School of Integrative Studies (CHSS) | Building Common Ground: Introductory Blog Post |
| Laura Poms | Global & Community Health (CHHS) | Group Contract Guidelines |
| Amarda Shehu | Computer Science (VSE) | Supporting High-Complexity Coding |
2018 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit | Featured Teaching Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Laurence Bray | Bioengineering (VSE) | |
| Kristy Park | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) | Coming Out from Behind the Curtain: Facetime in Online Teaching |
| Chris Parsons | Environmental Science & Policy (COS) |
2017 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit | Featured Teaching Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Autum Casey | School of Theater (CVPA) | End of Semester Debrief questions |
| Lauren Cattaneo | Psychology (CHSS) | |
| Yotam Gingold | Computer Science (VSE) | Postmortems and Temperature-taking |
| Chris Kauffman: Technology-Enhanced Teaching | Computer Science (VSE) | Discussion Hot Seats |
| Malda Kocache | Biology (COS) | |
| April Mattix Foster | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) | Teacher Talk Moves: Keeping Dialogue Productive |
| Angela Miller | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) | No-Penalty Quizzes Lower Statistics Anxiety |
| Julia Nord: General Education | Atmospheric, Oceanic, & Earth Sciences (COS) | Formative Evaluation for Learning Retention |
2017 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit | Featured Teaching Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Changwoo Ahn | Environmental Science & Policy (COS) | |
| Diana D’Amico | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) | |
| Greg Foster | Chemistry & Biochemistry (COS) | |
| Edward Huang | Systems Engineering & Operations Research (VSE) | |
| Jeffrey Kulick | Marketing (BUSI) | |
| Audra Parker | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) | |
| Margaret Slavin | Nutrition & Food Studies (CHHS) |
2016 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Jennifer Brielmaier | Psychology (CHSS) |
| Christopher Coyne | Economics (CHSS) |
| Kinga Dobolyi | Computer Science (VSE) |
| Anya Evmenova; Technology-Enhanced Teaching | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
| Laura Kosoglu | Civil, Environmental, & Infrastructure Engineering (VSE) |
| Mark Snyder | Computer Science (VSE) |
| Joseph Weingartner | Physics & Astronomy (COS) |
| Ali Weinstein | Global & Community Health (CHHS) |
2016 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Angela Miller | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
| Seth Parsons | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
| Kathleen Wage | Electrical & Computer Engineering (VSE) |
| Douglas Wulf | English (CHSS) |
2015 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Tommy Britt | Film & Video Studies (CVPA) |
| Rebecca Ericson; General Education | School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Sciences (COS) |
| Sean Luke; Teaching with Technology | Computer Science (VSE) |
| Nathalia Peixoto | Electrical & Computer Engineering (VSE) |
| Keith Renshaw | Psychology (CHSS) |
| Girum Urgessa | Civil, Environmental, & Infrastructure Engineering (VSE) |
| Gerald Weatherspoon | Chemistry & Biochemistry (COS) |
| Kristien Zenkov | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
2015 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Mihai Boicu | Applied Information Technology (VSE) |
| Lynne Scott Constantine | School of Art (CVPA) |
| Rebecca Goldin | Mathematical Sciences (COS) |
| Cortney Hughes-Rinker | Sociology & Anthropology (CHSS) |
| Pelin Kurtay | Electrical & Computer Engineering (VSE) |
| Ricardo Vivancos Pérez | Modern & Classical Languages (CHSS) |
2014 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Eric Anderson; General Education | English (CHSS) |
| Rebecca Forkner | Environmental Science & Policy (COS) |
| Gregory Grimsby; Teaching with Technology | Computer Game Design Program (CVPA) |
| Jill Nelson | Electrical & Computer Engineering (VSE) |
| Huzefa Rangwala | Computer Science (VSE) |
| Pallab Sanyal | Information Systems & Operations Management (SOM) |
| David Schleicher | School of Law (SOL) |
| Michael Summers | School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Sciences (COS) |
2014 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Amy Best | Sociology & Anthropology (CHSS) |
| Thomas Britt | Film & Video Studies (CVPA) |
| Robin Couch | Chemistry & Biochemistry (COS) |
| J. Robert Cressman | School of Physics, Astronomy, and Computational Sciences (COS); Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study |
| Jeremy Hodgson | Communication (CHSS) |
| Panagiota Kitsantas | Health Administration & Policy (CHHS) |
| Seungwon “Shawn” Lee | School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism (CEHD) |
| Matthew Rice | Geography & Geoinformation Science (COS) |
| Kristien Zenkov | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
2013 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Daniel Cox | School of Systems Biology (COS); Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study |
| Shannon Davis | Sociology & Anthropology (CHSS) |
| Paul Gorski; General Education | New Century College (CHSS) |
| Christopher Hamner | History & Art History (CHSS) |
| Kathryn Jacobsen | Global & Community Health (CHHS) |
| Jaime Lester | Higher Education Program (CHSS) |
| Jeffrey Mantz | Sociology & Anthropology (CHSS) |
| Jeff Offutt; Teaching with Technology | Computer Science (VSE) |
2013 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Gérard Beck | Modern & Classical Languages (CHSS) |
| Guido Cervone | Geography & Geoinformation Science (COS) |
| Maria Dakake | Religious Studies (CHSS) |
| Marci Kinas-Jerome | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
| Mary Lechter | Theater (CVPA) |
| Seungwon “Shawn” Lee | School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism (CEHD) |
| Kristien Zenkov | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
2012 University Teaching Excellence Award Winners
| Award Winners | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Yoosun Chung; Teaching with Technology | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
| Paul Cooper | Chemistry & Biochemistry (COS) |
| Margaret Daniels | School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism (CEHD) |
| Lisa Lister; General Education | English (CHSS) |
| Tamara Maddox | Computer Science (VSE) |
| Julie Owen | New Century College (CHSS) |
| Danielle Rudes | Criminology, Law & Society (CHSS) |
2012 Teachers of Distinction
| Teachers of Distinction | Academic Unit |
|---|---|
| Shannon Davis | Sociology & Anthropology (CHSS) |
| Rajesh Ganesan | Systems Engineering & Operations Research (VSE) |
| Hugh Gusterson | Sociology & Anthropology (CHSS) |
| Jaime Lester | Higher Education Program (CHSS) |
| Erin Peters Burton | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |
| Shannon Portillo | Criminology, Law & Society (CHSS) |
| Jennifer Suh | Graduate School of Education (CEHD) |