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.