Our Outstanding Faculty
Each spring, Honors Students submit their nominations for an Honors Faculty member who exemplifies the ideals of Honors instruction. The Honors Faculty Award recognizes faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to Honors, providing exceptional educational experiences to our Honors Students.
Most years, the Honors Faculty Award recipient is formally recognized at a Thank You Lunch toward the end of Spring Semester.
2025 - Jiadong Zang
Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Material Science
"I loved JD. He always came to class with excitement and a passion to teach us introductory physics. He was an excellent teacher and cared for all his students, ensuring we succeeded in the course. He ensured that his students actively participated, enhancing our knowledge and learning experience. Jiadong is a role model for me, and I hope to take a class with him soon once he is back from his trip to Southeast Asia." -student nomination
2024 - Lisa MacFarlane
Professor, English
"Yes, Professor MacFarlane really cares about each of her students and is beyond helpful in working to make sure everyone has the supports they need to succeed in her class. She makes a point to get to know and help each student as an individual." -student nomination
2023 - Alex Holznienkemper
Senior Lecturer, Languages, Literatures and Cultures
2022 - Leslie Curren
Senior Lecturer, Biological Sciences
"She works hard every class to foster a great learning environment for her students. Every student, no matter how reserved or extroverted they might be, feels comfortable participating and engaging within the community. It is clear how much she genuinely cares about her students' success. There is also a great standard of fairness both in her class structure, grading, and facilitation of learning. Every lecture is entertaining and informative. The discussions that emerge as a result are very beneficial-- it really requires you to think deeply and relate everything to the larger context of society. It is truly everything I hoped for in joining the honors program; classes like these make me look forward to coming to campus along with creating a very enjoyable learning experience for me at the university." -student nomination
2021 - Janet Polasky
Professor, History
"Professor Polasky cares incredibly about her students, she pushes us to think outside the box and prepares us for success, and always offers a helping hand along the way. She has deconstructed the normal classroom in a way that allows for students to take personal responsibility for the material they learn and what they will do with that information." -student nomination
2020 - David Richman
Professor Emeritus, Theatre and Dance, Classics, Humanities and Italian Studies
"I took this course with David in spring 2020. The lessons he taught us during that class have stuck with me to this day and I believe that it is important to reward him for his high-impact teaching. I am sad to see him retire but I am happy to hear that he will get to enjoy his retirement after this year." -student nomination
2019 - Nick Smith
Professor, Philosophy, Justice Studies, Responsible Governance and Sustainable Citizenship Project
"He is the most attentive and informative teacher I have ever had. He makes so much sense and puts a lot of time into making sure that the class is engaging and full of information. He brings ideas forward that open up your mind and really make you think. He has also made himself available to help outside of class with anything we need. Best professor I’ve ever had." -student nomination
2018 - Xuanmao Chen
Associate Professor, Molecular, Cellular and Biomedical Sciences
"Mao was always there whenever I had a question, no matter how dumb I thought the question was. He is infectious in his enthusiasm and I always looked forward to going to his class. I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction to lab work or college." -student nomination
