Outstanding Graduate Faculty Teaching Award

We honor our faculty who provides outstanding graduate teaching

The Outstanding Graduate Faculty Teaching Award honors outstanding graduate teaching, which includes: commitment to academic excellence; attention to individual student needs, interests, and development; excellent teaching of graduate courses; and service on thesis and dissertation committees.

Nominees must be full-time tenured or tenure-track Regular Graduate Faculty members who have been on the UNI faculty for a minimum of three years at the time of nomination. A faculty member may receive the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Teaching Award only once and may not be nominated for any additional University teaching award in the same academic year.

Division of Graduate Studies

Required Actions

  • Official nomination email or letter accepted from graduate students (nominators cannot currently be enrolled in a course taught by the faculty), any faculty, department heads, or coordinators. Email gradcollege@uni.edu with a description of how the faculty meet the criteria.
  • Graduate Studies informs nominees of selection and requests materials.

Due Dates

  • Friday, November 2, 2026: Nominations due to Graduate Studies by 4:30 p.m.
     
     
  • Monday, February 5, 2027: Nominee’s submission of digital materials due by 4:30 p.m.

How faculty should submit required materials after being nominated

  1. Submit documents as PDF files ONLY to gradcollege@uni.edu.
  2. Include your full last name, first name initial and the award title in the folder (Example: DOE, J. Outstanding Teaching Award).
  3. Include Cover Sheet with signatures, CV, and narrative - “The narrative is a brief written statement (1-2 pages) describing the nominee’s key activities, projects, achievements, recognition, or contributions related to the award criteria."
  4. One "Support letter" (separate from the nomination letter or email) must be written on official letterhead and signed by the individual providing the support. This letter should be sent directly to: gradcollege@uni.edu. 

Previous Recipients - Outstanding Graduate Faculty Teaching Award

  • Nicholas J. Bailey (2025-2026)
  • Jesse L. Wilcox (2024-2025)
  • Wendy Hoofnagle (2023-2024)
  • Eran Hanke (2022-2023)
  • Sheila Benson (2021-2022)
  • David I. Hernandez-Saca (2020-2021)
  • Wendy Miller (2019-2020)
  • Catherine Palczewski (2018-2019)
  • Heminigild Mpundu (2017-2018)
  • Jeremy Schraffenberger (2015-2016)
  • Todd Bohnenkamp (2014-2015)
  • Dawn Del Carlo (2013-2014)
  • Audrey Rule (2012-2013)
  • Susan Etscheidt (2011-2012)
  • Victoria DeFrancisco (2010-2011)
  • Marybeth Stalp (2008-2009)
  • Lynn Nielsen (2007-2008)
  • Ramanathan Sugumaran (2006-2007)
  • Helen Harton (2005-2006)
  • Samuel Gladden (2004-2005)
  • Catherine Zeman (2002-2003)
  • Deborah Gallagher (2001-2002)
  • George K. Zucker (2000-2001)
  • Sharon Smaldino (1999-2000)
  • Jane L. Wong (1998-1999)