Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award
Organized in 1977, the Chancellors Club Career Teaching Award, made possible through funds provided to the KU Endowment Association by members of the Chancellors Club at the University of Kansas, unites a group of individuals who desire to provide a substantial amount of unrestricted resources on an annual sustaining basis. The award carries a stipend of $10,000, less applicable taxes, and is presented annually to a longtime KU professor whose career best exemplifies the university's commitment to outstanding teaching and the long-term success of students. An announcement of the recipient of the award is made at the Chancellor's Club dinner during the fall semester. Nominations are invited from students, faculty, staff, and alumni of the University.
The nomination cycle for the 2026 award is currently closed. We will begin accepting submissions for the 2027 award in Fall 2026.
Eligibility and Nomination Procedures
To be eligible for consideration for the Career Teaching Award award, the faculty member must be:
- A full professor with 20 or more years of service as a KU faculty member
- Planning full retirement from the university within the next five calendar years (2027–2031)
Please submit an electronic version of the nomination as a single PDF attachment via the submission link below.
The nomination file must be assembled as one (1) PDF document. Name the file as follows: YearCCCTA_LastnameFirstname (e.g., 2027CCCTA_HawkJay). No hard copies are accepted, unless the demonstration of teaching excellence is not capable of reduction to a digital document.
The PDF file should include the following and be presented in this order:
- Nomination Letter
- Maximum of five pages —written by a faculty member, chair, or dean, current or former students of the nominee, or staff member of the University.
- The letter should help the committee to see the unique contributions and ongoing dedication of the nominee to the education and long-term success of students.
- Additional letters or other supporting documents
- A current CV of the nominee
- Chair Endorsement (if applicable)
- Unless the chair has written the letter of nomination
For this award, excellence is considered broadly and from within a discipline’s lens. From this perspective, excellence may be demonstrated by a record of: (1) outstanding teaching through unique contributions over an extended period as evidenced in support letters, (2) ongoing dedication of the nominee to the education and long-term success of students as evidenced in support letters, and (3) a commitment to the welfare and overall education of their students, whether undergraduate or graduate, during an extended teaching career at the University of Kansas.
Within the nominations from their unit, the Office of Faculty Affairs will ask each dean and CLAS divisional associate dean (in consultation with the CLAS executive dean) to rank nominations based upon the merit of the application and with the goal of ensuring distribution of the award across disciplines over time. These rankings will remain confidential. Following their review and ranking, the dean, or divisional associate dean, will return all nomination packets and this confidential ranking to the Vice Provost of Faculty Affairs Office.
University Committee: The Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs will convene a committee who will select, by majority vote, the most meritorious application with the goal of ensuring distribution of the award across disciplines over time.
The nomination cycle for the 2026 award is currently closed. We will begin accepting submissions for the 2027 award in Fall 2026.
Recipients of the Chancellors Club Teaching Professorship
- 2025, Stevin Gehrke, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
- 2024, Brian Laird, Chemistry
- 2023, Kent Spreckelmeyer, Architecture
- 2022, Steve Hillmer, Business
- 2021, Paul Laird, Music
- 2020, Maryemma Graham, English
- 2019, Jack Porter, Mathematics
- 2018, Charles Marsh, Journalism and Mass Communication
- 2017, Edwin Hecker, Law
- 2016, Barbara J. Anthony-Twarog, Physics and Astronomy
- 2015, James Carothers, English
- 2014, James Orr, Molecular Biosciences
- 2013, Kathryn Vickers Unruh, Spanish and Portuguese
- 2012, John Nalbandian, School of Public Affairs and Administration
- 2011, Allen Ford, School of Business
- 2010, Richard T. DeGeorge, Philosophy
- 2009, James Shortridge, Geography
- 2008, Val Stella, Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- 2007, Mohamed El-Hodiri, Economics
- 2006, Donn Parson, Communication Studies
- 2005, Ron Borchardt, Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- 2004, William Tuttle, American Studies
- 2003, Jan Roskam, Aerospace Engineering
- 2002, Roger Shimomura, Art
- 2001, Don Green, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
- 2000, Robert D. Brown, Mathematics
- 1999, Jack Landgrebe, Chemistry
- 1998, Cynthia Schira, Design
- 1997, Marilyn Stokstad, Art History
- 1996, Dick Wright, Fine Arts
- 1995, Nancy Dahl, Physiology
- 1994, George Worth, English
- 1993, Earl Huyser, Chemistry
- 1992, Ross McKinney, Civil Engineering
- 1991, Robert Hersh, Biological Sciences
- 1990, John Augelli, Geography
- 1990, Bill Conboy, Communication Studies
- 1989, Marie Cross, HDFL
- 1988, Robert Antonio, Sociology
- 1988, Howard Baumgartel, Psychology
- 1987, Hob Crockett, Communication Studies and Psychology
- 1987, Calder Pickett, Journalism
- 1986, Francis Heller, Law
- 1985, Jed Davis, Theatre
- 1984, George Jenks, Geography
- 1983, Kenneth Rose, Mechanical Engineering
- 1982, Barbara Craig, French