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News
Duke community identifies 11 Judith Deckers Prize finalists
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Duke University’s Judith Deckers Prize honors excellence in undergraduate teaching. Finalists are identified through an open nomination process each spring, in which students, alumni, staff, and faculty nominate outstanding professors whose contributions to the undergraduate student experience impact lives both in and outside the classroom. This spring, 125 faculty were identified through this nomination cycle.
Reviewers have narrowed this large pool to these eleven finalists, each highlighted below by a nominator's quote. After further review by a committee of Duke University representatives, the Judith Deckers Prize winners will be revealed in January 2027 by Duke Provost Alec D. Gallimore.
2026 Judith Deckers FinalistS
Stephen Craig, Ph.D.
William T. Miller Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“Talking to Professor Craig has highlighted the type of individual I want to be in the future. Professor Craig's engagement with students in a more personable manner and welcoming charm towards teaching chemistry have become the gold standard.”
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Meagan Dunphy-Daly, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of the Practice in Experiential Education in the Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School for the Environment
“Dr. Meagan Dunphy-Daly has cultivated significant student outcomes not only through academic mentorship but also by fundamentally shaping how her students see themselves and what they believe is possible.”
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Peter Feaver. Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“Both inside and outside the classroom, Professor Feaver is challenging but fair, always inviting curiosity and genuine passion. You don’t have to be the next Henry Kissinger to do well in his classes – you need only a work ethic, passion, and genuine desire to improve.”
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Sarah Gaither, Ph.D.
Nicholas J. and Theresa M. Leonardy Associate Professor, Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“By embedding equity into every facet of her teaching and dismantling barriers to participation, Sarah Gaither is not only shaping students' trajectories but also redefining what undergraduate education can achieve at its best. Sarah is cultivating a generation of scholars who are intellectually rigorous and socially engaged, leaving an enduring imprint on Duke and far beyond.”
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Bridgette Hard. Ph.D.
Professor of the Practice of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“Dr. Bridgette Hard is simply the best teacher and intellectual mentor I have ever had. As a lecturer, she is awe-inspiring, capturing nearly every student's attention with TED Talk-style lectures and engaging in-class demonstrations.”
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Maha Houssami, M.A.
Senior Lecturer of Arabic Language in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“Her advanced courses are known for their thoroughness, their toughness, and also, the set of original, authentic materials that she has developed over the years. She produces results in students- a love of the Arabic language, authentic engagement with Arabic speakers in a variety of contexts, pride and joy in the learning of Arabic at the advanced levels. This is not something that can easily be replicated.”
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Jessica Namakkal, Ph.D.
Professor of the Practice in the Department of International Comparative Studies, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“She also integrated a student's published translation work as a course reading, which was a brilliant way to honor student efforts while bringing in an enriching source as a basis for our learning. Her teaching is innovative, infused with care, and locally and globally grounded- a trifecta that is rare and extraordinary.”
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Susie Post-Rust, M.A.
Documentary Photographer & Lecturing Fellow, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“Susie Post-Rust's contribution to Duke's teaching culture is grounded in a simple but demanding idea: that students owe something to the communities they study, and that a university owes something to the communities around it.”
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Duncan Thomas, Ph.D.
Norb F. Schaefer Distinguished Professor of International Studies, Economics, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“Inside the classroom, Prof. Thomas always created the most collaborative and friendly learning environment I have ever seen. The goal he pursues -- mastering material through intuition more than memorization -- was very effective and most students to this day can still fully grasp the content and recall with great love and warmth the class they took with Prof. Thomas.”
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Angela Vieth, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer of Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“As a colleague, Angie models the values we hope to instill in our students-collaboration, humility, equity, and care. She is generous with her time, ideas, and feedback, and she consistently makes the programs around her stronger. In short, Angie is a true unsung hero who doesn't just teach excellence-she builds the systems and relationships that allow it to thrive.”
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Leonard White, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Neurology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
“To interact with Dr. White is to read a living textbook on how to effectively care for, support, and cheer on those around you. He has taught me so much about what it looks like to ensure an individual is loved, even in the shortest of conversations; the incredible part of that is these lessons have not been shared with me verbally but simply by observing his character.”