UNCW Celebrates 2026 Faculty Award Recipients

UNC Wilmington honored outstanding faculty achievement, dedication and academic success at the third annual Faculty Awards Celebration, now titled “Soaring Together: Celebrating Our Faculty,” on April 28. Chancellor Aswani K. Volety, Interim Provost Rob Burrus, the deans and other academic leaders were present to formally recognize the 2026 award recipients. Hosted by the Office of Faculty Affairs, the event is a celebration of faculty commitment, innovation and excellence.

“This was a celebration of true excellence, and each award recipient has spent countless hours honing and perfecting their teaching, research, service and engagement skills,” said Interim Provost Burrus. “They exemplify the very best from our outstanding faculty, and it is our honor to celebrate their contributions.”

The Full List of Honorees:

Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching

Presented at UNCW Commencement by the Board of Governors

• Diana Ashe, professor, Department of English

Board of Trustees Teaching Excellence Award

Presented by Interim Provost Burrus

• Alison Taylor, professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award

Presented by Chancellor Volety

• Cameron School of Business | Alexandra Krallman Barnes, associate professor, Department of Marketing
• College of Health and Human Services | Anka Roberto, associate professor, School of Nursing
• College of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts | David Houpt, associate professor, Department of History
• College of Science and Engineering | Richard Pond, professor, Department of Psychology
• Watson College of Education | Sara Movahedazarhouligh, associate professor, Department of Early Childhood Education, Elementary, Middle, Literacy, and Special Education

Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award

Presented by Faculty Senate President Colleen Reilly

• Alexander McDaniel, associate professor, School of Health and Applied Human Sciences
• Michele Parker, professor, Department of Educational Leadership

Distinguished Scholarly Engagement and Public Service Award

Presented by Interim Provost Burrus

• Jessie C. Jarvis, professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Distinguished Teaching Professorship Award

Presented by Interim Provost Burrus

• Brian Chandler, professor, Department of World Languages and Cultures
• Alison Taylor, professor, Department of Biology and Marine Biology

Excellence in Online Education Award

Presented by Dean Lucy Holman, on behalf of the Office of Distance Education and eLearning

• David Glew, associate professor, Department of Management

Graduate Faculty Mentor Award

Presented by Dean Chris Finelli, on behalf of the Graduate School

• Daisyane Barreto, associate professor, Department of Instructional Technology, Foundation, and Secondary Education

J. Marshall Crews Distinguished Faculty Award

Presented by Dr. Teresa Warner, on behalf of the Alumni Association

• Stephanie Duea, associate professor, School of Nursing

Lecturer of the Year Award

Presented by Dean Lucy Holman, on behalf of the Center for Teaching Excellence

• Brandon Brice, lecturer, Department of Economics and Finance
• Maggie Guggenheimer, senior lecturer, Department of Early Childhood Education, Elementary, Middle, Literacy, and Special Education

UNCW Library Faculty Engagement Award

Presented by Dean Lucy Holman, on behalf of the UNCW Library

• Christopher Stuart, assistant professor, Department of Communication Studies

More information on many of the awards may be found on the Faculty Excellence Awards webpage.