Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award

The Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award (EUTA) encourages and honors outstanding teaching at NIU. It also promotes discussion about teaching excellence and improvement on campus. Undergraduate students have a major role in selecting faculty for the annual award. Their comments on nominees' qualifications are considered in the process, along with those of faculty, administrators and others.

Each department nominates a faculty member by providing their college with nomination materials. The colleges then select nominees for consideration by the Committee for the Improvement of Undergraduate Academic Experience (CIUAE). The committee chooses the award recipients.

If you have any questions about the award or nomination process, contact the CIUAE chair, Farah Ishaq at fishaq@niu.edu.

2023 Award Winners

Bill Cassidy

Department of Communications

Scott Sibley

School of Family and Consumer Sciences

Criteria and Eligibility

Nominees for the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award (EUTA) should:

  • Help their students grow in appreciation and knowledge of their subject area.
  • Vary their methods of instruction to meet students' needs.
  • Support students outside of class time.
  • Receive consistently positive teaching evaluations.
  • Have in-depth knowledge of their subject area and its teaching methods.
  • Work to improve undergraduate education at NIU.

In order to be eligible, a nominee must:

  • Be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at NIU with regular teaching responsibilities.
  • Have completed at least five full academic years at NIU as a tenure-track faculty member.
  • Have taught at least six evaluated course sections at the undergraduate level over the last three years.

An individual can only receive the EUTA once. Members of the CIUAE are not eligible.

Timetable/Deadlines

Date Activity
October 10, 2023 Competition opens. CIUAE notifies deans and department chairs, who notify faculty and student advisory committees.
December 15, 2023 Nominations due to departments (suggested deadline).
January 5, 2024 Nominations due to colleges (suggested deadline).
January 29, 2024 Nominations due to CIUAE (firm deadline).
March 25, 2024 Applicants and chairs notified of results.
April 2024 Awards presented at Faculty Awards Ceremony.

Nomination Form and Process

In general, the nomination process is as follows:

  1. Department receives nominations; may interview nominees or request updated CVs.
  2. Department selects nominee and sends nomination materials to college.
  3. College selects nominee(s), adds information to nomination materials and submits to the CIUAE.
  4. CIUAE selects recipients.

Departments and colleges must ensure there is no discrimination based on race, sex, age or other characteristic not related to teaching ability.

Nominees may not participate in the selection process. Anyone assisting in the process must remove themselves from consideration.

Nomination Form

Department Nomination Process

Each department can select one nominee. The department's student advisory committee should make the selection, or the department should follow procedures set by the department and committee. Undergraduate students from a range of department programs should form at least half of any selection committee.

Faculty and administrators can assist students with the nomination process by:

  • Providing a list of eligible faculty members.
  • Ensuring consideration of those who regularly teach introductory and general education courses.
  • Mentoring the advisory committee.
  • Serving on a selection committee.
  • Organizing nomination materials.
  • Requesting nomination and recommendation letters through newsletters or other means.

If the department doesn't have a student advisory committee, a faculty committee can submit a nominee. Student input should still be considered and must be documented.

Departments must provide complete nomination materials to their college:

  • Completed nomination form (all six prompts).
  • Uploaded letters of recommendation.
  • Certification that department procedures met requirements.

College Nomination Process

The number of nominees a college can submit to the CIUAE depends on its percentage of total university faculty. The number of nominees for the academic year are:

  • College of Business: 1
  • College of Engineering and Engineering Technology: 1
  • College of Education: 2
  • College of Health and Human Sciences: 2
  • College of Visual and Performing Arts: 2
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: 4

The college's student advisory committee, or similar group, should consider nominations received from all the college's departments when selecting nominee(s).

The college must add information to the nomination form and submit it to the CIUAE by the specified deadline.

Past Recipients

2022
  • Stephanie DeSpain, Department of Special and Early Education
  • Keith Millis, Department of Psychology
  • Artemus Ward, Department of Political Science
2021
  • Leonard "Lenny" Clapp, Department of Philosophy
  • Allison Gladfelter, Speech-Language Pathology
  • Beatrix Hoffman, Department of History
2020
  • Alicia Finch, Department of Philosophy
  • Jamie Mayer, School of Allied Health and Communicative Disorders
  • Douglas Wallace, Department of Psychology
2019
  • Kate Cady, Department of Communication
  • Myoung Jung, Department of Special and Early Education
  • Tim Ryan, Department of English
2018
  • Emma Kuby, Department of History
  • Jie Chen, School of Nursing
  • Amanda Littauer, Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
2017
  • Paul Dawkins, Mathematical Sciences
  • Diane Rodgers, Sociology
  • Katja Wiemer, Psychology
2016
  • Jason Hanna, Philosophy
  • Jeanne Isabel, Allied Heath and Communicative Disorders
  • Qingkai Kong, Mathematical Sciences
2015
  • Steven Daskal, Philosophy
  • Amanda Durik, Psychology
  • James Horn, Chemistry and Biochemistry
2014
  • Mary Lynn Henningsen, Communication
  • Geoffrey Pynn, Philosophy
  • Toni VanLaarhoven, Special and Early Education
2013
  • Timothy Aurand, Management
  • Rebecca Hannagan, Political Science
  • Betty Helen LaFrance, Communication
2012 
  • Terry Bishop, Management
  • Nancy LaCursia, Nursing and Health Studies
  • Andrea Radasanu, Political Science
2011
  • Michael Konen, Geography
  • Michael Morris, Foreign Languages and Literatures
  • Brendan Swedlow, Political Science
2010
  • J.D. Bowers, History
  • Dennis Cessarotti, Technology
  • Kenneth Gasser, Biological Sciences
2009
  • Mylan Engel, Philosophy
  • Lesley Rigg, Geography
  • Jeanette Rossetti, Nursing
2008
  • Anne Britt, Psychology
  • Ed Klonoski, Music
  • Melissa Lenczewski, Geology and Environmental Geosciences
2007
  • Judith Lukaszuk, Family, Consumer and Nutrition Sciences
  • Carla Montgomery, Geology and Environmental Geosciences
  • Julie Robertson, Nursing
2006
  • Katharina Barbe, German
  • Lisa Finkelstein, Psychology
  • David Gunkel, Communication
2005
  • Julie Hillery, Family Consumer and Nutrition Science
  • Lee Shumow, Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations
  • Allan Zollman, Mathematical Sciences
2004
  • Kristen Myers, Sociology
  • Amy Newman, English
  • Lawrence Stoffel, Music
2003
  • Jenny Parker, Kinesiology and Physical Education
  • Joseph Scudder, Communication
  • David Sinason, Accountancy
2002
  • Richard Blecksmith, Mathematical Sciences
  • James Giles, English
  • Christopher Jones, Political Science
2001
  • Rick Ridnour, Marketing
  • William Koehler, Music
  • Judith Testa, Art
2000
  • Donald E. Hardy, English
  • Ayhan Lash, Nursing
  • Ronnie Wooten, Music
1999
  • Daniel Grubb, Mathematical Science
  • Chhiu-Tsu Lin, Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Kathleen Propp, Communication Studies
1998
  • David S. Ballantine, Jr., Chemistry
  • Linda M. Johnson, Accountancy
  • Jay A. Stravers, Geology
1997
  • Dianne Cearlock, Allied Health
  • Angela Powers, Communication
  • Stephen Squires, Music
1996
  • Elizabeth Kay, Allied Health
  • Sean Shesgreen, English
  • Gordon Hilton, Political Science
1995
  • Gary Glenn, Political Science
  • Bernard Harris, Mathematical Sciences
  • Promod Vohra, Technology
1994
  • Arthur Doederlein, Communication Studies
  • Henry Leonard, Mathematical Sciences
  • Seymour Simon, Psychology
1993
  • Curtiss Behrens, Management
  • Harvey Blau, Mathematical Sciences
  • B. Diane Kinder, Educ. Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education
1992
  • Arra M. Garab, English
  • Antonio J. Garcia, School of Music
  • Sondra King, Human and Family Resources
1991
  • David E. Keys, Accountancy
  • Charles Larson, Communication Studies
  • Charles J. Olson, School of Art
1990
  • William Blair, Mathematical Science
  • Robert LaConto, Journalism
  • Helen Merritt, School of Art
1989
  • Jeffrey Chown, Communication Studies
  • Curtis Norton, Accountancy
  • Carl Roskott, Music
1988
  • William Johnson, English
  • Randall Newsom, Theatre Arts
  • Ahmed Rifai, BSA
1987
  • Donald Brod, Journalism
  • Elliott Lessen, LDSE
  • Peter Nicholls, Math
1986
  • John Beachy, Math
  • Darrell E. Newell, Electrical Engineering
  • J. Patrick White, History
1985
  • Arnold Hampel, Biological Sciences
  • Richard H. Howland, Marketing
  • William Snyder, Chemistry
1984
  • Sue Warrick Doederlein, English
  • Kuo-Huang Han, Music
  • John R. Simon, Accountancy
1983
  • Charles A. Pennel, English
  • William M. Shearer, Communicative Disorders
  • Harold O. Wright, Jr., BEAS
1982
  • Laszlo Hanzely, Biological Sciences
  • Askari H. Kizilbash, Marketing
  • Avra Liakos, Art
1981
  • Jaroslaw Komarynsky, Finance
  • F. Marion Miller, Chemistry
  • Diane Ragains, Music
1980
  • Charles (Tim) Blickhan, Music
  • Walter S. Dewey, Theatre Arts
  • Linda R. Sons, Math
1979
  • Floyd L. Crank, BEAS
  • Gustaaf Van Cromphout, English
  • Robert F. Wheeler, Math
1978
  • Jan Bach, Music
  • James Hendricks, Accountancy
  • Doris Crank, BEAS
1977
  • Lawrence Hapeman, LDSE
  • Jack Villmow, Geography
  • Richard Preston, Physics
1976
  • Esther Mocega-Gonzales, Foreign Languages and Literature
  • Patrick Delaney, Accountancy
  • Louis Mustari, Art
1975
  • Sharon A. Plowman, Physical Education
  • Norman Potts, Theatre Arts
  • John Starkey, LDSE
1974
  • Dimitri Liakos, Art
  • Margaret Wood, Speech Communication
  • Ruth Woolschlager, BEAS
1973
  • Mazhar Hasan, Physics
  • Kathryn Iliff, Accountancy
  • Paul Steg, Music
1972
  • Leonard Kouba, Geography
  • M. Jack Parker, Speech Communication
  • Vernon Wills, LEPS
1971
  • Frank Bazeli, LEPS
  • Allan Dionisopoulos, Political Science
  • Hallie Hamilton, Journalism
  • Ralph Novak, Management
  • Elwood Smith, Music
  • Joe Vaughn, Chemistry
1970
  • Abdul Basti, Finance
  • Mary Frances Reed, Home Economics
  • John Rhoads, Sociology
1969
  • Arnold Fox, English
  • E. Edward Harris, BEAS
  • Edward Herbert, English
1968
  • J. Hubert Dunn, Physical Education
  • Parvine Mahmoud, Foreign Languages and Literature
  • Rosalie Reynolds, Chemistry
1967
  • John Bower, Chemistry
  • John Collins, History
  • Lucien Stryk, English
1966
  • Donald Kieso, Accountancy
  • Richard Little, Political Science
  • Donald Murray, English

Contact Us

Division of Academic Affairs

Altgeld Hall 215
Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL 60115
815-753-8387
provost@niu.edu

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