A great teacher is an expert on a subject but also able to share that knowledge with students in a way that shapes a student’s intellectual life. As President Herman B Wells stated, “Students are the lifeblood of a great university; but to pump and move the blood, a great university must have great teachers.”
Indiana University is fortunate to have many outstanding teachers who demonstrate excellence in a wide range of pedagogical activities. Since the creation of the first teaching awards in 1947, these exemplary scholars have dedicated their careers to elevating the university and their students.
The Distinguished Teaching Awards are announced in early spring each year and awardees are recognized at the Celebration of Distinguished Teaching and Service dinner. You can view award presentations and honoree videos from previous celebrations on our events page. Award winners are included on the recognition plaques outside the Whittenberger Auditorium in the Indiana Memorial Union.
The award recipients are selected from nominations submitted by other faculty and staff. The president of Indiana University, upon recommendation of the distinguished teaching selection committees, confers the distinguished teaching awards.
All full-time faculty, regardless of rank or title, with a minimum of five years of service at Indiana University, are eligible for the following awards:
- Frederic Bachman Lieber Memorial Award
- Herman Frederic Lieber Memorial Award
- President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching
- Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award
- President Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Technology
- Sylvia E. Bowman Award
These additional two awards recognize excellence amongst the part-time faculty and graduate teaching associate instructors: