Teaching That Improves the World
Faculty at the University of Kansas inspire students who will make the world better.
Award-winning faculty at the University of Kansas train the next generation of skilled professionals, leading to stronger, safer communities and economic growth in Kansas and beyond. Quality teaching expands what’s possible.
The instructors below showcase KU’s top-tier academics, grounded in a long tradition of curiosity, rigor, collaboration, and discovery. Keep scrolling to learn what KU’s teaching excellence means for you.
Caring for young patients and future pediatricians
“In the clinical setting, sometimes my role as a teacher is just to sit and check in: How does this make us feel? What’s our heart feeling today? What do we need today to take care of ourselves?”
Paul R. Teran, M.D.
Associate Professor and Division Director of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Wichita Department of Pediatrics
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
Paul R. Teran, M.D.
Associate Professor and Division Director of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Wichita Department of Pediatrics
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
Building community through communication
“[Teaching organizational communication] feels like investing in the next generation of the workforce, of leaders. Trying to get them engaged and excited about their futures is really just a joy.”
Angela Gist-Mackey
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Communication Studies
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
Angela Gist-Mackey
Associate Professor and Associate Chair, Department of Communication Studies
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
Finding empowerment in verse
“Working on their writing, understanding that people are interested in their story, to think of themselves as being valuable and important ... this can be a kind of lifeline.”
Brian Daldorph
Senior Lecturer, Department of English
Bob & Kathie Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award
Brian Daldorph
Senior Lecturer, Department of English
Bob & Kathie Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award
“Every fall when a new class of freshmen [comes] into my classroom … not only do I need to teach them chemistry, but I kind of need to … teach them how to be college students.”
Erin Burger-Dunn
Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry
Bob & Kathie Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award
Assistant Teaching Professor, Department of Chemistry
Bob & Kathie Taylor Excellence in Teaching Award
“I get to learn from my students as well. You can push them really hard, and maybe you push them harder than they think that they can go, and then they rise to the occasion.”
Chad Kraus
Professor and Studio 804 Director, Department of Architecture
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
Professor and Studio 804 Director, Department of Architecture
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
“When you love what you do, you want to share that knowledge with other people. And sharing that knowledge is really important to building the future of our physician workforce.”
Nicole T. Yedlinsky, M.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine & Community Health
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
Associate Professor, Department of Family Medicine & Community Health
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
“As a teacher and a researcher, how we communicate is so important in not just what we teach, but in the environment and culture we create with students.”
Meggie Mapes
Associate Teaching Professor and Introductory Course Director, Department of Communication Studies
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
Associate Teaching Professor and Introductory Course Director, Department of Communication Studies
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
Memorable lessons, starring spiders
“If I’m not excited about something, I don’t know why I should expect anybody else to be excited about it either.”
Deborah Smith
Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award
Deborah Smith
Professor, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award
Bringing biology class to life
“It’s the personal interactions with students that stimulate me as a teacher to do more. That’s very rewarding. The possibility to help them understand science and how beautiful biology is and see them grow.”
Gerrit de Boer
Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
Gerrit de Boer
Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
“I actually don’t think that the chemistry that I teach to them is as important as the ability to apply logic to situations you haven’t seen before.”
Ward H. Thompson
Professor and Richard S. Givens Chair, Department of Chemistry
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
Professor and Richard S. Givens Chair, Department of Chemistry
William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence
“Part of the role is to teach them how to be problem solvers, how to think critically, how to analyze problems.”
Cindy Berrie
Professor and Departmental Honors Program Coordinator, Department of Chemistry
Chancellors Club Teaching Professorship
Professor and Departmental Honors Program Coordinator, Department of Chemistry
Chancellors Club Teaching Professorship
“One good habit I teach to my students is asking themselves, ‘Why?’ a lot. Why this happens? Why this works?”
Eungsik Kim
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics
Byron T. Shutz Award for Excellence in Teaching
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics
Byron T. Shutz Award for Excellence in Teaching
“When a student can stand up for themselves and reason well … that feels like accomplishment. It feels like success.”
John Gluckman
Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Linguistics
Ned Fleming Trust Award for Excellence in Teaching
Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Studies, Department of Linguistics
Ned Fleming Trust Award for Excellence in Teaching
“How I approach my medical students as an educator would be linking the science to the art of medicine. … It’s not what you know; it’s how you think.”
Jane Broxterman, M.D.
Associate Professor and Olathe Internal Medicine Residency Program Director, Department of Internal Medicine
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
Associate Professor and Olathe Internal Medicine Residency Program Director, Department of Internal Medicine
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
“The teaching that we are doing now to the current generation, they’re going to teach other people and impact hundreds and hundreds of patients. That makes me feel proud.”
Katie L. Dennis, M.D.
Professor and Pathology Residency Program Director, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
Professor and Pathology Residency Program Director, Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
Academic excellence reaches far beyond KU’s five campuses and into your community. Jayhawks serve across the country and around the world as teachers, doctors, engineers, artists, scientists, and more. Transformative teaching shapes a skilled and thoughtful workforce ready to improve communities like yours.
Explore more ways KU creates stronger communities
From lab to life
Research at KU transforms brilliance into breakthroughs for your community.
Expertise at work
Kansans count on the skilled workforce KU creates.
First on the scene
First responders across the state receive state-of-the-art support and training from KU.