The Academy of Distinguished Teaching (ADT) at UCR, in partnership with the Division of Undergraduate Education, is soliciting nominations for the 2026 Inaugural Lecturer Award. The Lecturer Award recognizes superior teaching by lecturers. All non-Senate continuing lecturers (Unit 18) and lecturers who have taught at least one full quarter at UCR are eligible to apply.

The Lecturer Award honors lecturers who demonstrate the commitment and determination of an outstanding teacher. Hallmarks of successful nominees are: 1) passion and devotion to the teaching mission, 2) a record of identifiable impacts on student success, and 3) evidence of utilizing evidence-based best practices in teaching.

Awardee(s) will receive a one-time research stipend in the amount of $1,500. Awardee(s) will be honored at the Celebration of Teaching reception on a Wednesday near the end of May 2026 (exact date TBD). Additionally, winners will be invited to present on their award-winning teaching at the ADT-sponsored campus-wide Symposium on Teaching Excellence and Innovation, to be held in AY 2026-2027.

Awardee(s) will be selected by members of the Academy of Distinguished Teaching. The deadline for receipt of application materials is April 3, 2026, 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 (See #2 below) 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, using the linked Google form by April 3, 2026.
   Nomination submission form
2. 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 Kyle Ingram, Chair of the ADT Awards Committee (kingram@ucr.edu).