5-Star Teaching Award Celebrates Excellence on Campus for Over 40 Years
Dr. Kristy Doran, a professor in the College of Humanities department of Spanish and Portuguese and a member of the Franke Honors Faculty Advisory Board, received the 2025 5-Star Faculty Award.
When Dr. Alan D. Kaye, MD PhD was an undergraduate student at the University of Arizona in 1983, he had an idea.
At the time, the Honors designation was in its infancy—the way to join was via word-of mouth—a handful of students would gather for unique classes and activities in the Math Building, forming a tight knit community in an otherwise large campus.
“The most amazing thing about the Honors program was the people. The professors and my classmates. They came from all over and had such interesting backgrounds...They became some of my best friends, and some still are to this day,” said Kaye, mentioning that mentorship, camaraderie, and excellence were pillars of his Honors experience.
After joining the Honors Student Planning Board and being elected President, Kaye made plans to increase the visibility of Honors. One of these initiatives was to create a teaching award to recognize esteemed faculty on campus. The award would be nominated, evaluated, and awarded completely by undergraduate Honors students.
In considering what to call this award, it was Kaye who provided some constructive feedback on the naming of this prestigious distinction.
Thus, the University of Arizona 5-Star Teaching Award was born. What started in 1983 as an effort to increase Honors visibility has evolved into more than four decades of celebrating and uplifting exceptional faculty at the University of Arizona.
For the last 40 years, Honors students have been selecting faculty members to receive this award annually. Past winners include Donna E. Swaim (‘85), Vicente A. Talanquer (‘06), and W.A. Franke Honors College Associate Dean Robert Stephan (‘21), among many others. A cash prize for the award is funded through the generosity of Dr. Margret M. Briehl and Dr. Dennis T. Ray. Dr. Briehl is an alumna of both the W.A. Franke Honors College and College of Agriculture, Life and Environmental Sciences (CALES) and Dr. Dennis T. Ray, also a U of A alumnus, is a retired distinguished professor who impacted numerous undergraduate and graduate students as a faculty member in CALES. Dr. Ray was the recipient of the 5-Star Teaching Award in 2003.
Margaret and Dennis committed their support to the 5-Star Teaching Award in 2009. The inspiration for their support was fueled by their passion for recognizing excellence in teaching, as well as Margaret’s time as an Honors student.
Franke Honors students who serve on the selection committee for the award work together to choose faculty members who are going above and beyond in their pedagogy and classroom engagement. The process relies solely on student participation. Each year, the student committee reviews nominations before selecting eight semifinalists. From there, candidates are observed by committee members over a two-week period, after which five finalists are named, who send teaching statements prior to their interviews. After interviews, the committee selects the winner.
Teresa Rosano, Associate Professor of Practice in Architecture, learns that she has won the 5-Star Faculty Award in 2023.
Andrew Pongratz, a Franke Honors senior, serves as co-chair of the committee alongside fellow student Isabella DiPonio.
“The highlight of the committee's work for me is always at the end,” said Pongratz. “After the team has spent weeks deliberating and discussing our choices, we select one winner. The committee, joined by Franke leadership and the leadership of the college of the faculty member's home department, surprise the winner in-class. The reactions from the winner are always priceless; a mixture of joy, surprise, and happy tears.”
Pongratz mentions the significance of the student committee’s involvement. Many teaching awards are decided based on publications, research, or grant money accumulated—the 5-star Teaching Award is founded on the student experience, and the impact and inspiration that the faculty instill through their instruction.
“I think as students we can become jaded or upset when we receive bad grades or complex assignments, but we sometimes forget that faculty really do have our best interests at heart,” Pongratz continued. “Serving on the committee has shown me how dedicated and supportive faculty are across U of A and how thoughtful and empathetic they are to the wellbeing and future outcomes of all their students.”
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Applications to serve on the 5-Star Teaching Award Committee are currently OPEN and close December 5. The W.A. Franke Honors College is looking for dedicated, detail-oriented students from all majors and backgrounds who are passionate about exceptional teaching and enjoy working in a collaborative, team-focused environment.