Four University of Iowa faculty members are recipients of the 2025 President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence, recognizing their exceptional and ongoing contributions to student learning and success. 

Established in 2004 by the UI Council on Teaching, the President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence is the university’s highest honor for teaching. Each year, the council selects three clinical-track or tenure-track faculty members and one instructional-track or adjunct faculty member to receive the award. 

This year’s recipients are Gary Christensen, departmental executive officer in electrical and computer engineering and professor in the College of Engineering; Darren Hoffmann, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology in the Carver College of Medicine; Meena Khandelwal, associate professor of anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Alexandra Nica, director of undergraduate studies and associate professor of instruction in Economics in the Tippie College of Business.

The four awardees embody the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching and learning and serve as inspirational examples of the impact UI faculty can have on their students. 

Gary Christensen

Christensen is professor and departmental executive officer in electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering, as well as professor in radiation oncology in the Carver College of Medicine. He has received the Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Award from the College of Engineering and was named honorable mention for the Graduate College Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award. Christensen was a leader in establishing the computer science and engineering major in 2016 and led efforts to provide access to laptop computers in engineering courses in the 2000s. He has mentored or co-mentored more than 80 graduate students. 

Darren Hoffmann 

Hoffmann is an associate professor of anatomy and cell biology in the Carver College of Medicine. He has received the J.P. Long Teaching Award in the Basic Sciences, as well as an M1 Teacher of the Year Award seven times and D1 Teacher of the Year Award 10 times. Hoffmann assisted in the development of a virtual anatomy model that became an industry standard for virtual anatomy teaching practices, which led to classroom research on how students use similar tools. He prioritizes helping first-year graduate and professional students make a successful transition from undergraduate education.

Meena Khandelwal

Khandelwal is an associate professor of anthropology and Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). She has received the Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad award from the U.S. Department of Education and the International Engagement Teaching Award from CLAS and UI International Programs. Khandelwal has led student educational trips to India, and her teaching approach helps students see connections between other societies and the Midwest. In 2013-14, she received a provost award to develop a new “Big Ideas” course that was later turned into a general education sustainability course. 

Alexandra Nica 

Nica is the director of undergraduate studies and associate professor of instruction in economics in the Tippie College of Business. She has received the Tippie Collegiate Teaching Award and Tippie’s Innovation in Teaching Award. Nica has continuously developed her courses to maintain student motivation and engagement in the classroom. She is focused on connecting economics students with future careers and bringing a scholarly approach to the process of teaching and learning, such as working on different Scholarship of Teaching and Learning projects studying the impact of different types of assessments on students’ learning.