The Academy of Distinguished Teaching (ADT) at UCR, in partnership with the Division of Undergraduate Education, is soliciting nominations for the 2025 Junior Excellence in Teaching (JET) Award. The JET award recognizes superior teaching at the Assistant Professor level. All ladder-rank Senate faculty members who are pre-tenure at the time of nomination are eligible (including Assistant Professors of Teaching).

The JET award honors junior faculty members who demonstrate the commitment and determination of an outstanding teacher while pursuing research excellence. Hallmarks of successful nominees are passion and devotion to the teaching mission, as well as having a record of identifiable impacts on student success.

Winner(s) will receive the title “UCR Junior Distinguished Teaching Professor,” in addition to a one-time research stipend in the amount of $1,000. Awardee(s) will be honored at a campus-wide Symposium on Teaching Excellence and Innovation, followed by a Celebration of Teaching reception on a Wednesday near the end of May 2025 (exact date TBD).

Awardee(s) will be selected by members of the Academy of Distinguished Teaching. The deadline for receipt of application materials is March 21, 2025, and awardees will be announced in Spring Quarter.

Instructions for assembly and submission of the nomination file:

1. One faculty member, serving as the lead nominator, should assemble all documents into a single PDF file. Requests for letters of support must be made by the person assembling the file, although these requests may be made in consultation with the nominee. The nomination file should be sent to the UCR Academy of Distinguished Teaching, c/o Jack Eichler (jeichler@ucr.edu) by March 21, 2025.
2. The subject line of an electronic submission should read, for example: "Nomination of Dr. (name) for the 2025 Junior Excellence in Teaching Award."
3. Nominations should include the following in a single PDF file in this specific order:
   1. A nomination letter from a faculty member who is taking the lead in assembling the nomination package. Self-nominations will also be considered and should be used as the nomination letter itself.
   2. The nominee's self-statement, not to exceed two pages, which details their teaching philosophy/approach, innovative and transformational aspects of their teaching strategies, and data-driven evidence of impact of these approaches on student success. If the nominee's classroom instructional innovations or broader teaching-related activities address issues related to equity and/or inclusivity they are encouraged to highlight these in the statement as well.
   3. Up to five letters of support from faculty, students, or individuals who can provide additional evidence of excellence in campus and/or non-university teaching venues.
   4. Representative student numerical and narrative evaluations for courses taught at UCR.

For any questions about the award and/or nominations, please contact Jack Eichler, Chair of the ADT Awards Committee.