Office of the Provost
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award
2026 Guidelines
Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award (PDF)
The Award
The Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes teaching excellence by members of the University of Pittsburgh’s faculty. Up to five awardees may be chosen annually. Each award consists of a cash prize to the faculty member of $2,000 and a grant of $3,000 to support the faculty
member’s teaching activities. All awardees are honored publicly.
Definition
Teaching is defined broadly and includes all activities that faculty members engage in to facilitate learning by undergraduate, professional, or graduate students: lecturing; clinical teaching; conducting seminars, tutorials, or recitations; etc.
Evidence of Excellence in Teaching
Because of the diversity of students, teachers, subject matters, teaching methods, and settings in which instruction occurs, there is no single, simple definition of teaching excellence. Teaching excellence is demonstrated by the manner through which faculty members fulfill the University’s mission to provide high quality undergraduate and graduate programs in the arts and sciences and professional fields. This includes how a member of the faculty generates intellectual excitement in students and how he or she motivates students to acquire the knowledge essential to personal and professional achievement. Distinguished teaching implies sustained commitment, effectiveness in helping students achieve meaningful goals, and overall teaching excellence.
Eligibility
Any faculty member who has served full-time at the University of Pittsburgh for at least five years is eligible, provided that they have been active as a teacher. Previous winners are not eligible.
Nominations
Any person or group of persons who possesses evidence of the nominee’s teaching ability and accomplishments may submit a written nomination. Letters of nomination should be limited to two single-spaced pages and should describe the nominee’s teaching strengths by means of specific examples, such as: how the nominee encourages his or her students’ development; innovative teaching methods used by the nominee; particularly effective assignments; special skills in communicating subject matter; how the nominee has influenced students or colleagues; and particular ways in which the nominee integrates his or her research with teaching.
The nomination letter should include the signatures, mailing addresses, email addresses and telephone numbers of all nominators and indicate their relationship to the nominee (e.g., faculty colleague, student, chair of the department, etc.). Nomination letters are due by October 10, 2025, and should be sent electronically to Vice Provost Adam Lee (VPLee@pitt.edu) and copied to Meghan Culpepper (msc80@pitt.edu).
Selection Procedures
Faculty members who are nominated for this award will be invited to submit a mini-packet of materials that more fully describe their teaching accomplishments. In addition, one letter of support from the department/division chair, associate dean, or dean will be requested by the Office of the Provost. These materials must be received by November 14, 2025, and should be sent electronically to: Meghan Culpepper (msc80@pitt.edu).
The Awards Committee is composed of distinguished faculty members and students, who are appointed by the Provost. The Committee will review the mini-packets in early December and select up to ten finalists. Finalists will be asked to submit a more complete teaching dossier by January 5,
2026. Guidelines will be provided for the preparation of materials for this dossier. Based on these dossiers, the Awards Committee will select up to five faculty members to receive the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award for 2026.