UNM educators honored at annual Teaching Excellence Awards

A total of 22 educators - including faculty and graduate students - were honored April 8 at the annual UNM Teaching Excellence Awards.

The awards were held as part of the Spring Teaching Conference, held April 8-9 by the Center for Teaching and Learning in partnership with the Teaching Enhancement Committee and the College of Arts and Sciences.

Erin Shortlidge, executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, presided over the event, with presenters including various academic and administrative leaders from UNM's Albuquerque and branch campuses.

"I'm so grateful not only for your knowledge and expertise, but also for your compassion and creativity, and your commitment to your students, your colleagues, and The University of New Mexico," said UNM President Garnett Stokes. "I'm so honored to be with you today to help celebrate the very best of our very best."

The following awards were given:

The 2026-2028 Presidential Teaching Fellow Award

• Vanessa Svihla, professor in the Organization, Information and Learning Science Program in the College of University Libraries and Learning Sciences; and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in the School of Engineering. This award was presented by President Stokes.

College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award for Tenured/Tenure-Track Faculty

• Jonathan Davis-Secord, associate professor in the Department of English

College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award for Lecturers

• Shatam Ray, Lecturer III, Department of History

Teaching Excellence Award for Active and Relevant Learning

• Tomasz Falkowski, assistant professor, Honors College

Teaching Excellence Award for Open Communication and Assessment

• Andisheh Dadashi, assistant professor of mathematics and statistics in the Department of Mathematics, Engineering and Computer Science Division at UNM-Valencia

Teaching Excellence Award for Culture of Growth

• Jessamyn Lovell, principal lecturer III, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts

College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award for Adjunct Instructors

• Peter Njagi Mwangi, postdoctoral fellow, Department of Africana Studies

College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Excellence Award for Graduate Teaching Assistants

• Averie Basch, Department of English

Teaching Excellence Award for Cultivating Community

• Dominique Rodríguez, assistant professor of Spanish, Humanities Division and Chicana/o Studies, UNM-Valencia

Teaching Excellence Award for Research-Centered and Experiential Learning

• Andreas Hernandez, senior lecturer III, Geography and Environmental Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

Teaching Excellence Award for Reflection and Continuous Improvement

• Tracy Lassiter, associate professor of English and coordinator of digital learning, UNM-Gallup

Teaching Excellence Award for Supporting the Potential of All Learners

• Jamie Gomez, senior lecturer III, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, School of Engineering

Susan Deese-Roberts Outstanding Teaching Assistants of the Year

• Ross Cocks, graduate teaching assistant, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences
• Brisa del Bosque, graduate teaching assistant, Department of Spanish and Portuguese, College of Arts and Sciences
• Saskia Becker, graduate teaching assistant, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts
• Atul Ojha, graduate teaching assistant, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, College of Arts and Sciences
• Dayna Dominguez, graduate teaching assistant, Geography and Environmental Studies, College of Arts and Sciences

Graduate Teaching Academy Certificate recipients

• Jessica Nico
• Laura Barker
• Christie Duhigg
• Jaime Branaman
• Nicholas Baldwin
• Dayna Dominguez