The Teaching Enhancement Committee and the Center for Teaching Excellence have announced this year’s UNM teaching awards. Twelve teachers have been selected for the various awards and will be honored Wednesday, May 7 from 2-4 p.m. in the SUB Ballroom C.

Philosophy Professor Mary Domski won this year’s ‘Presidential Teaching Fellow.’ As a Fellow, she is responsible for ensuring teaching excellence by sharing her expertise with the university community. She is also eligible to receive special award compensation during her two year time as an active fellow, and has earned a permanent base salary increase.

Two teachers were awarded ‘Outstanding Teacher of the Year’ this year. Helen J. Wearing, UNM Department of Biology, and Gary A. Smith of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences department have been honored with this award. The Outstanding Teacher award recognizes excellence in teaching and fosters a campus climate that supports teaching improvement and accomplishment.

The ‘New Teacher of the Year’ award has also been given to two teachers this year. Bethany Davila of the English department and Ann V. Murphy of the philosophy department have received this award. This award recognizes accomplished educators that are either pre-tenure or tenure-track assistant professors.

The ‘Online Teacher of the Year’ award has been given to Cody J. Wiley, a geography teacher. This award recognizes excellence in the challenging teaching and learning arena of online education.

Charles H. Kalm of the philosophy department has been given the ‘Lecturer or Affiliated Teacher of the Year’ award recognizes excellence in teaching and is given to a non-tenure track faculty member who has taught at least four sections during three consecutive school years.

The ‘Susan Deese-Roberts Outstanding Teaching Assistant’ awards have been given to Justin Messmore, philosophy; Cynthia Meléndrez, Spanish and Portuguese; Bryan W. Turo, history; Brittany Ortiz, political science; and Victor A. Valdivia Ruiz, Spanish and Portuguese.