Byker, Michael named 2024 teaching excellence award winners

Erik Byker and Susan Michael are the 2024 recipients of the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence and UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence, respectively.

“Erik Byker and Susan Michael exemplify teaching excellence,” said Jennifer Troyer, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “They are intentional about creating learning environments where students, no matter their background, can succeed and feel that they belong. And they are continuously evolving their teaching, finding new and inspiring methods to spark their students’ desire to learn and to grow.” 

Byker, a professor in the Department of Reading and Elementary Education, is an accomplished teacher, mentor and leader known for encouraging and providing opportunities for students to display their scholarship. He uses the Hawaiian phrase, “E Komo Mai,” which means “the door is open, the house is yours” to describe his belief that the classroom is a shared space in which teaching and learning are collaborative.

“The objective of my educational philosophy is to guide undergraduate and graduate students in their professional development by deepening their understanding of what it means to be an engaged citizen and a scholar,” said Byker. “My goal is to guide learners toward a transformation from thinking like a student to becoming a critically engaged, citizen scholar who cares deeply for the world.”

S. Michael Putnam, professor and chair of the Department of Reading and Elementary Education, stated, “Byker has made and continues to make a strong impact across the Cato College of Education through his teaching, research and service. He has been a strong advocate for the development of students’ research skills as well as their growth as global citizens.”

Michael, a senior lecturer of chemistry, is an exceptional teacher who has touched the lives of her students through her desire to get to know them individually. She comes to each class prepared to present material in as many ways and contexts she can think of to accommodate the multiple learning styles that exist among her students. 

“As a teacher, I believe it is my responsibility to do four basic things for all of my students,” said Michael. “I must motivate my students to want to learn; I must present the material in a manner that makes it easy for students to learn effectively; I must provide meaningful opportunities for students to use or practice their newly acquired knowledge; and I must assess their learning in a fair and appropriate manner.”

Thomas A. Schmedake, professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry, stated, “Susan is an exceptional teacher. She has 25 years of experience teaching chemistry at UNC Charlotte and has taught over 10,000 students in introductory lectures and labs. Michael has had a tremendous impact on the department and on generations of chemistry students.” 

Biker and Michael were honored during a ceremony Thursday, Sept. 5, in the Popp Martin Student Union, along with teaching excellence award finalists Jeanette Bennett, associate professor, psychological science; Mark West, professor, English; Kevin Edwards-Knight, senior lecturer, School of Social Work; and John Taylor, teaching professor, mathematics and statistics.

In addition to the award winners and finalists, the following faculty members were recognized as honorable mention finalists: Daniel Alston, associate professor, reading and elementary education; Gregory Martin, associate professor of accounting; Hui-Kuan (Alice) Tseng, associate professor of economics; Andrew Goff, lecturer, biological sciences; Kathleen Nicolaides, teaching professor and director of the legal studies minor, criminal justice and criminology; and Per Norander, lecturer, economics.

The UNC Charlotte Award for Teaching Excellence honors full- or part-time non-tenure track faculty members who have at least five years of teaching service at UNC Charlotte (lecturers and adjunct faculty). Eligibility for the Bank of America Award for Teaching Excellence, first presented in 1968, is for full-time, tenured faculty members with at least seven years of service to UNC Charlotte.