RALEIGH, NC – The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has selected 17 outstanding faculty members to receive the 2023 Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

The award winners represent all 16 of North Carolina’s public universities and the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics. Recipients were nominated by special committees at each institution and selected by the Board of Governors Committee on Educational Planning, Policies, and Programs.

“Education, a core pillar of our University mission, is made stronger by passionate, innovative teachers,” said Board of Governors Chair Randy Ramsey. “These world-class faculty members choose to be part of our outstanding public institutions, and we are grateful for their service to North Carolinians. Congratulations to all on these well-deserved awards.”

“It is an honor to recognize our faculty and the tremendous work they do in classrooms across the UNC System,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “I offer my deepest thanks and congratulations to them.”

Each of the winners will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize. The recipients will be honored at each of their institutions at a future date.

Appalachian State University

Maryam Ahmed

Professor of Biology

Elizabeth City State University

Shyamal Kumar Das

Professor of Social Sciences

East Carolina University

Elizabeth Tweedie Ables

Professor of Biology

Fayetteville State University

Sambit Bhattacharya

Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

Meeshay Williams-Wheeler

Associate Professor of Family and Computer Science

North Carolina Central University

Darlene Eberhardt-Burke

Associate Professor of Human Sciences

NC State University

Jason Boccarro

Professor of Parks and Recreation and Tourism Management

University of North Carolina Asheville

Keya Maitra

Professor of Philosophy

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Patrick Conway

Professor of Economics

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Adriana Medina

Associate Professor of Reading and Education

The University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Dan Yasaki

Professor of Mathematics and Statistics

The University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Jane Haladay

Professor of American Indian Studies

University of North Carolina School of the Arts

Eduardo Varela Sicangco

Assistant Professor of Design and Production

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Victor Malo-Juvera

Professor of English

Western Carolina University

Yanjun Yan

Associate Professor of Engineering and Technology

Winston-Salem State University

Elva J. Jones

Professor of Computer Science

North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics

David Cantrell

Instructor in Humanities

About The University of North Carolina System

The University of North Carolina System enrolls 240,000 students at 17 institutions, including the state’s 16 public universities and the nation’s first public residential high school for academically gifted students. The UNC System is among the strongest and most diverse higher education systems in the country, with more than $1.9 billion in research expenditures and campuses that serve every region of the state. Affiliate organizations include UNC Health and PBS North Carolina, with its 12-station broadcast network.