Faculty excellence honored at annual teaching awards

Faculty excellence honored at annual teaching awards

East Carolina University faculty members who have made an impact in the classroom and beyond were celebrated at the 2025-26 University Teaching Awards ceremony on Monday in the Main Campus Student Center. The ECU Office for Faculty Excellence hosted the event. In his opening remarks, ECU Chancellor Philip Rogers highlighted the university's recognition in a variety of national venues and explained how the dedication of faculty members allows ECU to deliver on its mission of student success, public service and regional transformation.

"ECU's outstanding faculty bring passionate and creative approaches to teaching and are committed to ensuring that students have transformative, high-quality experiences at ECU - both inside and outside of the classroom," he said.

Mark Bowler, faculty senate chair, noted that great teaching takes many forms and is remembered by students long after completing a course.

"Students do not only remember what they were taught, very often, they remember how they were taught, by whom they were taught," he said. "They remember the faculty member who made a difficult subject finally make sense. They remember the person who believed they were capable of more than they thought possible. They remember the teacher who held them to a high standard and, at the same time, helped them rise to meet it."

Faculty members from multiple departments and colleges were honored for outstanding teaching in several categories.

Dr. Randall Etheridge, associate professor in the Department of Engineering and associate director for the Center for Sustainable Energy and Environmental Engineering in the College of Engineering and Technology, received the Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. The award recognizes a sustained record of distinguished teaching by a tenured faculty member and is one of the highest teaching awards presented at ECU.

During a video played at the ceremony, current and former students described what makes Etheridge a great teacher. One student mentioned that Etheridge consistently asks them during class if they have any questions for him, while another described him simply as "a legend."

Etheridge, a Pitt County native, shared how his teaching journey began when he was asked by his parents to help tutor his sister with algebra after they struggled to help her. He explained that this didn't go as hoped and that the failure stuck with him as he learned he needed to learn from others how to be more effective once he started in a faculty position.

He explained that he came to ECU to help the region through research. Etheridge told a story about an environmental engineering student who joined his research team during his first summer at ECU. He wanted to hire her for the next summer, but she received an internship offer from an international engineering consulting firm based in Atlanta. She told Etheridge that her research experiences the previous summer made her stand out to the hiring manager, even though she and her environmental engineering classmates had yet to graduate.

"That is when the importance and potential of teaching really clicked for me," he said. "It showed how high-impact experiences can elevate our students, which then benefits the region. This caused me to focus on how I could become better at incorporating real-world problems and research into courses."

Etheridge highlighted student capstone projects that have helped rural communities address environmental challenges. He also lauded Dr. Joi Walker, associate professor of chemistry, and Dr. Heather Vance-Chalcraft, associate professor of biology, for their influence and assistance in implementing course-based undergraduate research experiences, or CUREs, in his courses. Their advocacy for CUREs and their impact on the student experience enabled Etheridge to implement a CURE in one of his hydrology courses and to take over additional CURE courses after the initial instructor left.

To conclude his remarks, Etheridge explained how faculty mentorship and partnership with the Office of Faculty Excellence to make CUREs available in the College of Engineering and Technology has helped both students and the region.

"I am not standing here tonight because I came up with some new teaching technique that transforms student learning," Etheridge said. "To put it bluntly, I am here tonight because I was willing to learn from the great people around me. We need to keep learning from each other to promote student success."

Other awards presented at the ceremony include:

Board of Governors Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award - recognition of full-time faculty who have taught at ECU for three or more years and who demonstrate exceptional teaching ability:

• Cody Logan Chullen, management, College of Business
• Cindy Elmore, communication, College of Fine Arts and Communication
• Suranga Gunerathne, engineering, College of Engineering and Technology
• Misun Hur, earth, environment and planning, Harriot College
• Eli Hvastkovs, chemistry, Harriot College

Scholar-Teaching Award - recognition of faculty who effectively integrate research and creativity with their teaching roles:

• Uduak S. Akpan, pediatrics, Brody School of Medicine
• Courtney Baker, psychology, Harriot College
• Nikki Caswell, English, Harriot College
• Cody Logan Chullen, management, College of Business
• Xiaoxi Cui, general dentistry, School of Dental Medicine
• Nic Herndon, computer science, College of Engineering and Technology
• Hilary Huskey, art and design, College of Fine Arts and Communication
• Stacey Meardon, physical therapy, College of Allied Health Sciences
• Roberto Portela, emergency medicine, Brody School of Medicine
• Cameron Schmidt, biology, Harriot College
• Brian Shewchuk, biochemistry and molecular biology, Brody School of Medicine
• Alison Swift, advanced nursing practice and education, College of Nursing

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards - new this year, recognition of graduate teaching assistants that make an impact across campus supporting undergraduate education from lectures to labs, office hours and study sections:

• Elly Scrantz, doctoral candidate in health psychology, Harriot College
• Briana Toplin, doctoral candidate in counselor preparation and research, College of Allied Health Sciences

ECU Alumni Association and Robert L. Jones Awards for Outstanding Teaching - recognition of faculty who exemplify the characteristics of effective teaching outlined in the ECU faculty manual:

• Brian Sylcott, engineering, College of Engineering and Technology
• Sarah Tyson, foreign language, Harriot College

Robert L. Jones Award

• Yilei Huang, construction management, College of Engineering and Technology

Max Ray Joyner Award for Outstanding Teaching in Distance Education - honors a faculty member who has shown commitment and enthusiasm for teaching and mentoring off-campus students, demonstrating excellence in the delivery of online courses:

• Lisa Ellison, foreign languages and literature, Harriot College

Ellison's name will be added to a sculpture in the main campus library designed by School of Art and Design students to represent the spirit of the award.

Rogers concluded the event by thanking members of the Faculty Senate Academic Awards Committee and the selection committee for their work.

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