Graves and Cisneros named 2025 Teaching Excellence Award winners
William “Bill” Graves and Susana Cisneros, both from the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences, are the 2025 recipients of the UNC Charlotte Awards for Teaching Excellence.
“Bill Graves and Susana Cisneros are two extraordinary educators who exemplify teaching excellence,” said Jennifer Troyer, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “They share a deep commitment to student success, to sparking learning and to creating environments where students can thrive.”
William “Bill” Graves
Graves, a professor of geography in the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, is a highly effective teacher who uses storytelling to help his students develop an understanding of complex topics, connect personal experience to academic subjects and build a sense of community in the classroom. He wants students to see their surroundings and recognize how and when the environment influences their behavior.
“I tell stories to train students to think like a geographer,” said Graves. “The highest compliment I can receive is from a student who says my class ‘changed the way I look at the world.’ This unlocks a student’s ability to discover the mechanisms that shape that environment and shows them how they can make changes to that world. These are skills I see as essential for the future of students as citizens, community members and professionals.”
As an economic and urban geographer, Graves specializes in studying the post-industrial transformation of North Carolina. His work focuses on the role of finance in economic development, as well as understanding the urban transformation associated with economic change.
He teaches classes at every level, from introductory courses to graduate seminars, and regularly engages in independent studies with undergraduate and graduate students. Graves is committed to student success. He regularly shares professional opportunities with students and stories of past graduates, detailing how they navigated the transition to the workplace, moving from an entry-level position to, in some cases, starting their own businesses. He shows students what paths ahead might look like and how best to tackle potential challenges or uncertainties.
“Bill epitomizes the very best of teaching at UNC Charlotte by providing students with a solid foundation in theory and its practical application and the soft skills and confidence they need to succeed after graduation,” said Sara Gagné, associate professor and chair of the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences. “He is a mentor for dozens of students who have found success.”
Susana Cisneros
Cisneros, senior lecturer of Spanish in the Department of Languages, Cultures and Translation, is a passionate educator and community connector who sees teaching as a journey of growth for student and teacher. A former attorney from Argentina and a certified paralegal, she brings a global perspective and a community-centered ethos to her Spanish language instruction at UNC Charlotte.
“Teaching is a lifelong learning process for students, teachers, mentors and community
partners,” Cisneros said. “It involves encouraging others to be their best selves, to stop judgment and see opportunity and, most importantly, to become part of the solution. The classroom is where I belong and can become my full self through new experiences, challenges and happiness.”
Her philosophy is rooted in building authentic relationships with her students, the curriculum and the community. On the first day of class, she asks students to write her letters about how she can best support them and creates language exchanges with peers in Argentina and Spain. Her focus is always on learning that is personal, contextual and transformative.
Cisneros has led community-engaged projects supported by North Carolina Campus Engagement and partnered with institutions like the Levine Museum of the New South and the Camino Community Center. She also mentors through the FIT HLX transition program, supporting Latinx and first-generation students as they build belonging and skills for college success.
“Susana is a creative and highly committed faculty member who has met the highest standards for outstanding education and commitment to student success,” said Christopher Boyer, dean of the College of Humanities & Earth and Social Sciences.
Graves and Cisneros were honored Thursday, Sept. 11, in the Popp Martin Student Union, along with teaching excellence award finalists Luke Reinke, associate professor, reading and elementary education; Margaret Quinlan, professor, communication studies; Andrew Goff, lecturer, biological sciences; and Nadia Najjar, teaching associate professor, software and information systems.
In addition to the award winners and finalists, faculty members Jason Black, professor, communication studies; Ali Koohang, part-time lecturer, chemistry; and Rebecca Shore, associate professor, educational leadership, were recognized as honorable mention finalists.