Faculty and staff recognized by their schools for teaching, service and more

Emory University faculty and staff were recognized with multiple awards in conjunction with the 2026 school ceremonies and the conclusion of the academic year. The following awards were conferred across the university’s nine schools:

Candler School of Theology

• Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Alison Collis Greene, associate professor of American religious history and director of the Master of Theological Studies Program
• Outstanding Service to the Candler Community by a Faculty Member: Alison Collis Greene, associate professor of American religious history and director of the Master of Theological Studies Program
• Outstanding Service to the Candler Community by a Staff Member: Tayler Johnson
• On Eagle’s Wings Excellence in Teaching Award: Craig Ford, visiting assistant professor of ethics

Emory College of Arts and Sciences

• George P. Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring: Patty Brennan, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Psychology
• Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: Elizabeth Kim, associate teaching professor in psychology and director of undergraduate studies; Christine Ristaino, professor of practice in Italian studies and director of the Emory College Language Center; and William Wuest, professor of chemistry and Georgia Research Alliance Distinguished Investigator

Emory University School of Law

• Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Ifeoma Ajunwa, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law
• Most Outstanding Professor Award: Samuel Donaldson, adjunct professor
• Faculty Marshal: Magdalena Tulibacka, assistant teaching professor

Emory University School of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine Diploma Ceremony Awards

• Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Mohammad Khan, professor of radiation oncology, and Jessica Harding, associate professor of surgery
• Evangeline T. Papageorge Distinguished Teaching Award: Clifford Gunthel, associate professor of medicine

Master of Medical Science Genetic Counseling Diploma Ceremony Awards

• Teacher of the Year Award: Nadia Ali, associate professor of human genetics
• Supervisor of the Year Award: Paige E. Black, adjunct instructor of human genetics

Bachelor of Medical Science, Medical Imaging Diploma Ceremony Awards

• The Patricia Aycock Kimbell Technologist Educator of the Year Award: Alexandria D. Simmons
• Rising Star Clinical Educator Award: Divine Bryanna Afua Ofeibea King
• The Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) Certificate of Excellence for Outstanding Performance as a Clinical Educator in the Radiologic Science: Jesse Serrano Gonzalez

Goizueta Business School

• Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Allison Kays, associate professor in the practice of accounting
• Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: Jake (Jae Kwon) Jo, assistant professor in the practice of organization and management

Department Distinguished Teaching Awards

• BBA Distinguished Educator: Allison Burdette, professor in the practice of business law
• Evening MBA Distinguished Core Educator: Omar Rodríguez-Vilá, professor in the practice of marketing 
• Evening MBA Distinguished Elective Educator: Marina Cooley, assistant professor in the practice of marketing
• Executive MBA Distinguished Core Educator: Rob Kazanjian, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Organization and Management
• Executive MBA Distinguished Elective Educator: Kevin Crowley, professor in the practice of finance
• Full-Time One-Year MBA Distinguished Core Educator: Shankar Ramachandran, associate professor in the practice of finance
• Full-Time Two-Year MBA Distinguished Core Educator: Omar Rodríguez-Vilá, professor in the practice of marketing  
• Full-Time MBA Distinguished Elective Educator: Klaas Baks, professor in the practice of finance
• Full-Time MBA Las Lecturer: JB Kurish, professor in the practice of finance
• Master of Finance (MF) Distinguished Educator: Kevin Crowley, professor in the practice of finance, and Nicholas Valerio, professor in the practice of finance
• Master of Finance (MF) Outstanding Service Award: George Easton, associate professor of information systems and operations management, and William Mann associate professor of finance
• Master in Business for Veterans (MBV) Distinguished Educator Award: JB Kurish, professor in the practice of finance
• Master in Management (MiM) Distinguished Educator Award: Usha Rackliffe, professor in the practice of accounting
• MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) Distinguished Core Educator: Tian Chan, associate professor of information systems and operations management
• MS in Business Analytics (MSBA) Distinguished Elective Educator: Nikolay Osadchiy, associate professor of information systems and operations management

2026 Goizueta Awards

• Roberto C. Goizueta Award for Leadership, BBA Honoree: Jeff Rosensweig, associate professor of international business and finance
• Roberto C. Goizueta Award for Leadership, MBA Honoree: Renée Elaine Dye, associate professor in the practice of organization and management

James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies 

• Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Jessica Harding, associate professor of surgery, Emory University School of Medicine; associate professor of epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health; faculty in the Epidemiology PhD Program and the Master of Clinical Research Program, James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies
• Eleanor Main Graduate Student Mentor Award (Faculty): Cari Jo Clark, associate professor of global health, Rollins School of Public Health
• Eleanor Main Graduate Student Mentor Award (Student): Felipe Issamu Takaesu, PhD, Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

• Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Susan Brasher, assistant professor of nursing
• Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: Patricia Moreland, associate clinical professor
• Distance Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing Heart of the Students Award: Deanna Womack, senior clinical instructor
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing Heart of the Students Award: Miranda Hawks, clinical assistant professor
• Master of Nursing Heart of the Students Award: Kathy Forte, assistant professor
• Cardiovascular Perfusion Heart of the Students Award: Benjamin Giddens, associate professor

Oxford College

• Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: Sarah Higinbotham, associate professor of English
• Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award: Cristina Tarazona, associate teaching professor of Spanish

Rollins School of Public Health

• Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Elizabeth Rhodes, assistant professor of global health
• Faculty Established Practice Excellence Award: Briana Woods-Jaeger, associate professor
• Faculty Emerging Practice Excellence Award: Lillian Madrigal, assistant research professor, and Bethany Caruso, associate professor
• Thomas F. Sellers Jr. Award for Support of Faculty Colleagues in Public Health: Laurie Gaydos
• Foundations Research Excellence Award: Anke Huels, associate professor, and Donghai Liang, associate professor
• Early Career Research Excellence Award: Megan Winkler, assistant professor, and Kristin Nelson, assistant professor
• Senior Research Excellence Award: Kelli Komro, professor of epidemiology

Department Excellence in Teaching Awards 

• Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health: Timothy (Tim) Frederick, adjunct instructor
• Executive MPH Program: Laurie Gaydos, professor
• DrPH Program: Kaitlin Piper, assistant professor
• Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences: Kimbi Hagen, assistant research professor
• Department of Health Policy and Management: William Pearson, professor
• Hubert Department of Global Health: Jim Lavery, professor and Conrad N. Hilton Chair in Global Health Ethics
• Department of Epidemiology: Michael Goodman, professor
• Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics: David Benkeser, associate professor

 Other Department Awards

• Faculty Community and Belonging Award: Elizabeth Walker, associate teaching professor
• Faculty Excellence in Public Health Communication Award: Jodie Guest, professor, and Regina Shih, professor
• Dean Surbey Staff Award of Distinction: Phyllis Peninger, Tiffaney Renfro and Eric Strait
• Award for Excellence in Research or Practice: Volha Yakimavets
• Staff Excellence Award in Leadership: Angela Rozo
• Rising Star Award: Jonathan Burman
• Innovation Award: Connor Van Meter
• Staff Community and Belonging Award: Josh Kaufmann
• Staff Excellence in Public Health Communication Award: Emilia (Emi) Grill