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Previous Teaching Award Recipients

2024 Teaching Award Recipients

Distinguished Teaching Award

Phillip Guerty, History

Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

Thomas Greene, History

Esther Morgan-Ellis, Music

Stephanie Rountree, English

Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Dawn Drumtra, Biology

Haley Hodges, English

2023 Teaching Award Recipients

Distinguished Teaching Award

Robin O’Day, Anthropology

Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

Valerie Surrett, English

Lorraine Ramirez Villarin, Middle Grades, Secondary, & Science Education

Irina Avkhimovich, Modern and Classical Languages

Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Kasee Laster, English

Loretta Delargy, Nursing

2022 Teaching Award Recipients

Distinguished Teaching Award

Victoria Hightower History

Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

Tomoe Nishio, Modern and Classical Languages

Linda Purvis, Biology

Dee Gillespie, History

Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Sawako Tsutsumi, Modern and Classical Languages

Stephen Northam, Political Science

2021 Teaching Award Recipients

Distinguished Teaching Award

Timothy May, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Letters

Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

Miriam Moore, English

Kimberly Davidson, Elementary and Special Education

Danielle Hilaski, Elementary and Special Education

Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Tatiana Maslova, Modern & Classical Languages

Ana Pozzi Harris, Visual Arts

Heather Murray, History

2020 Teaching Award Recipients

Distinguished Teaching Award

Michelle Hill, Clinical Psychology

Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

Diana Chang, Education

Gabe Fankhauser, Music

Ralph Hale, Psychological Science

Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Patrick Hightower, History

Charlene Hudson, Political Science

Daniel Kornrumpf, Visual Arts

2019 Teaching Award Recipients

Distinguished Teaching Award

Jonathan Miner, Political Science

Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty

Victoria Hightower, History

Juman Al Bukhari, Arabic

T. Jameson Brewer, Teacher Education

Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Lisa Diehl, English

Barry Whittemore, History

2018 Teaching Award Recipients

2018 Distinguished Teaching Award

Cristian Harris, Political Science and International Affairs

2018 Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

Adam Frey, Music

Phillip Guerty, History

David Osmond, Teacher Education

2018 Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

George Justice, History

Vivian Liddell, Visual Arts

Hugh Scott, Management

2017 Teaching Award Recipients

2017 Distinguished Teaching Award

Donna Gessell, English

2017 Teaching Excellence Award for Tenure-Track Faculty

Martin Blackwell, History

Jennifer Graff, Visual Arts

Johanna Luthman, History

2017 Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Barry Whittemore, History

Heather Murray, History

Kendra Sanderson, English

2016 Teaching Award Recipients

2016 Distinguished Teaching Award

Miriam Segura-Totten, Biology

2016 Teaching Excellence Award for Tenure-Track Faculty

Kyounghye Kwon, English

Natalie Hyslop, Biology

Michallene McDaniel, Sociology

2016 Teaching Excellence Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty

Alana Berry, Sociology

Patrick Hightower, History, Anthropology, Philosophy

Linda Purvis, Biology

2015 Teaching Award Recipients

2015 Distinguished Teaching Award

Tamara Spike, History

2015 Teaching Excellence Tenure Track

Jiyoung Daniel, Modern and Classical Languages

Yunjuan He, Modern and Classical Languages

Kelly McFaden, Teacher Education

2015 Teaching Excellence Non-Tenure Track

Maria Albo, Political Science & International Affairs

Barry Whittermore, history

Dawn Lubeski, Biology

2014 Teaching Award Recipients

2014 Distinguished Teaching Award

Richard Byers, History

2014 Teaching Excellence Award

Kelly Cate, Psychological Science

Warren Caputo, Kinesiology

Statement on concerns about textbook

Recently, questions have been raised about a passage in a course textbook. After fully reviewing the concern, we want to be clear: the reference in question was not describing Christians or Christianity. The passage refers to an extremist group that misuses Christian symbols to promote hate.

In today’s world, misunderstandings can travel quickly. But our foundation at the University of North Georgia remains steady. We respect people of all beliefs. We reject hate. And we are committed to preparing students to think critically, lead with integrity, and serve in communities across our state, nation, and world.

Education is not about avoiding difficult words or ideas — it is about teaching students to navigate them with context, discernment, and respect. The world is complex, and we are developing students to lead in both these times and what lies ahead. That is what this course, and this university, are about.

We also recognize that learning and scholarship sometimes touch on sensitive, complex, or controversial ideas. That is not a weakness of higher education — it is its strength. Our responsibility is to provide the context, freedom, and support that allow both students and faculty to engage with these ideas thoughtfully. Academic freedom allows us to remain true to our values: protecting freedoms, honoring all beliefs, rejecting hate in every form, and preparing leaders who can meet a complex world with courage and integrity.

While one line in a textbook can get lost in translation, our values have never wavered. For 152 years, the University of North Georgia remains committed to building leaders through debate, dialogue, and learning. That is who we are. And that is what we will continue to do.