Judith Deckers Prize Finalists Announced
The Judith Deckers Prize is a recently established award at Duke University that recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching. It aims to celebrate and promote outstanding teaching practices in and outside the classroom, focusing on faculty who have significantly impacted the student experience. The Deckers Prize acknowledges individual achievements and underscores Duke's commitment to fostering a culture of undergraduate teaching excellence. Three exceptional faculty members will receive this prestigious honor, which includes a monetary prize of $35,000 for each winner.
In its inaugural cycle, the Deckers Prize award received nominations for 120 faculty from over 500 Duke staff, students, alums, and faculty. Reviewers worked to narrow the candidate pool to 12 exceptional faculty finalists listed below along with an excerpt from their nomination. A committee of representatives across the schools teaching undergraduates are reviewing materials from each candidate. Duke Provost Alec D. Gallimore will announce the inaugural award winners in January 2025.
2024 Judith Deckers Finalists
Catherine Admay, JD
Senior Lecturer in the Sanford School of Public Policy
“Admay inspires with every fiber of her being in class, her enthusiasm for teaching and effort into each class motivates her students to do the same.”
David Banks, Ph.D
Professor of the Practice of Statistical Science
“He (Banks) instilled in me and my classmates the idea that even though we may not have started college with a strong quantitative background, we all have the ability to learn what is needed to achieve our goals.”
Ingrid Bianca Byerly, Ph.D.
Senior Lecturing Fellow Thompson Writing Program
“She (Byerly) is a positive force and has transformed classrooms of diverse strangers into an authentic, vulnerable, and loving family.”
Dorian Canelas, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of the Practice of Chemistry
“I am a better teacher because of Dori - she is an inspiration to me and all of her students.”
Charlie Cox, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of the Practice of Chemistry
“Dr. Cox knows Organic Chemistry is an extremely challenging class, and also knows that a lot of students fear taking the course. The first words out of Dr. Cox's mouth on our first day of class in Organic Chemistry II were, "I'm supposed to teach for about 10 hours a week, but I don't care about what I'm supposed to do. I'll do whatever it takes for you guys to succeed, and I'll listen and respond to whatever you need".”
Meagan Dunphy-Daly, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of the Practice in Experiential Education in the Division of Marine Science and Conservation
“To put it simply, Meagan changes students' lives. Many of our graduates are in medical school, pursuing Ph.D. programs, or otherwise making the world a better place, because of her engagement.”
Peter Feaver, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
“Peter is an architect of communities within and outside Duke, and a brilliant builder of bridges between the two.”
Bridgette Hard, Ph.D.
Professor of the Practice of Psychology and Neuroscience
“She made me fall in love with psychology. She made me take an active role in how I'm educated. She made me a part of my education instead of just a recipient.”
Adam Hollowell, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Program in Education
“To Duke students, Dr. Hollowell is more than a professor - he’s a mentor, he’s a friend, he’s a book recommender, he’s a coffee-chat-philosopher. He challenges students’ presumptions and assumptions about the world, and deeply appreciates when students challenge him back.”
Karin Shapiro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of the Practice in the Department of African and African American Studies
“Working with her (Shapiro) is like an apprenticeship. I witnessed undergraduates’ transformation as Karin pushed them to sharpen their thinking and writing, to hold themselves to high standards, to collaborate generously.”
Sheryl Welte Emch, Ph.D.
Lecturing Fellow of Thompson Writing Program
“This type of instructor is one that I think every human should be blessed with at least once in their lifetime.”
Leonard White, Ph.D.
Associate Professor in Neurology
“Through his leadership, our neuroscience program has developed a robust culture of research that's manifest in student participation in many research laboratories, a vibrant summer research program, and a high rate of graduation with distinction.”