The Judith Deckers Prize is a new honour given by Duke University to acknowledge and honour exceptional undergraduate teaching. Each year, three outstanding Duke faculty members will be recognised for their excellence in teaching and mentoring undergraduate students by Duke, thanks to the Bingle Family Teaching Excellence Fund, an endowment created by Eryn and Mike Bingle (Pratt ’94).
The prize money, $35,000 apiece, and a distinguished honour will be given to three faculty members.
This honour will highlight and commemorate Duke University’s outstanding teachers, both inside and outside the classroom. The recipients of this award will be thought leaders in education who have a proven track record of having a significant impact on the educational experience of their students. Regardless of position, title, classification, or research history, all faculty members who are currently employed by Duke and who have instructed undergraduate students in any undergraduate school during the last four semesters—Pratt, Nicholas, Sanford, or Trinity—are eligible.
This award is unique in a number of ways. In the first place, it honours Duke faculty members who have made notable contributions to education, student care, and the creation of creative, welcoming learning environments. Second, there are many qualifying requirements for this prize, according to Candis Watts Smith, interim vice provost for undergraduate education at Duke.
Most significantly, this award gives Duke the chance to clearly define teaching quality and demonstrate how this culture of teaching excellence, coupled with outstanding research, is what sets Duke University apart from other academic institutions.
Beginning this spring, the whole university community—faculty, students, staff, and alumni—will be able to submit nominations for the prize. The nominations will be evaluated by a renowned panel of administrators and educators, who will then choose three worthy beneficiaries. In January 2025, Duke Provost Alec D. Gallimore will reveal the recipients of the inaugural prize.
One of the most crucial investments we can make in higher education, according to Gallimore, is to reward revolutionary pedagogy. “I’m excited to use this new award to honour outstanding undergraduate instructors.
