Writing Program Teaching Awards
Awards History
Each spring, the Writing Programs Award Committee grants two teaching awards to graduate students teaching in English Department Writing Programs. All qualified instructors, as specified below, are eligible to apply for these awards. Both awards include a cash prize.
The Joan Webber Award for Outstanding Teaching by Graduate Students in English Department Writing Programs honors outstanding teaching by graduate students teaching in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (English 109/110, 111, 121, 131, 182, 281, 282, 381, 382) or the Program in Writing Across Campus (197, 198, 199, 297, 298, 299). The annual Webber Prize for Outstanding Teaching was established in 1980 to honor Joan Malory Webber’s commitment to both scholarship and teaching. Webber, a member of the UW Department of English from 1972 until her death in 1978, was known for her deep devotion to teaching and for inspiring her students. All graduate students who have taught one of the courses listed above within two years are eligible to apply for this award.
The Richard J. Dunn First-Year Teaching Award honors outstanding teaching by a graduate student in their first year of teaching in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric (PWR). The annual Dunn First-Year Teaching Award was established to honor Dick Dunn’s devotion to scholarship, teaching and service. In 2007, Dunn retired from the University leaving a strong legacy to the English Department as Chair for three terms and Divisional Dean for five years. Influencing both graduate and undergraduate students, Dick Dunn challenged students to engross themselves in their work. All graduate students who began teaching in the Program in Writing and Rhetoric during the current academic year are eligible to apply for this award.
Teaching Award Application Guidelines
Selection of winners for both the Webber and the Dunn awards will be based on a review of teaching portfolios by a faculty-only subcommittee of the Writing Program Awards Committee. Announcements and more details are circulated in early spring quarter. Questions can be sent to either the PWAC Director or the PWR Director.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Collaboration Grants. In the 2017 Autumn Quarter, the Program in Writing and Rhetoric received a seed grant from the Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity to create a series of research clusters and grant opportunities for graduate instructors across the English department writing programs. From this seed grant, the PWR administrative team, led by then-director Candice Rai, created the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Collaboration Grant initiatve and funded five collaborative group projects that focused on developing composition curriculum, teacher resources, and/or research initiatives that center issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the writing classroom. Additionally, these grants sought to foster collaboration, conversation, and community among writing teachers invested in these issues and to generate resources that contribute to equity work within our teaching community.
After a successful first year, PWR has continued to offer this grant opportunity, funding projects that focus on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion. PWR invites proposals for a wide-range of collaborations, projects, and group configurations on a rolling basis. To apply, submit a proposal to the PWR Director and the PWR administrative team will work with proposers on their ideas. Past funded grants are listed below.
Teaching Award Winners
Joan Webber Award
2023 Winner: Angel Garduño
Honorable Mentions: Alycia Gilbert; Alexandra Meany
2022 Winner: MiSun Bishop
Honorable Mentions: Alec Fisher; Sarah Ghasedi
2021 Winner: Anselma Prihandita
Honorable Mention: Shelby Handler; Alexandra Meany
2020 Winner: Sumyat Thu
Honorable Mention: Sarah Ghasedi; Jessica Holmes
2019 Winner: Leah Rubinsky; Yang Wang
2018 Winner: Denise Grollmus
Honorable Mention: Olivia Hernandez; Jessica Holmes
2016 Winner: Jacki Fiscus; Alexandra Smith
2015 Winner: Emily George; Holly Shelton
2014 Winner: Sarah Kate Moore; Jennifer Carroll
2013 Winner: Erik Jaccard
Honorable Mention: Edward Schaumberg
2012 Winner: Meredith Bauer
2011 Winner: Jennifer Malone
Honorable Mention: David Holmberg; Ariel Wetzel
2010 Winner: Cathryn Cabral
To see the full list of winners, go to the following link
Richard J. Dunn Award
2023 Winner: Sikose Mjali
Honorable Mention: Andres Ayala-Patlan; Maggie Gruenwald
2022 Winner: Marina Bydalek; Emily Giangiulio
Honorable Mention: Kaelah Rose
2021 Winner: Taiko Aoki-Marcial
Honorable Mention: Micaela Chávez; Yixuan Jiang
2020 Winner: Francesca Colonnese; Rasheena Fountain
Honorable Mention: Joseph Wilson
2019 Winner: Kaelie Giffel
Honorable Mention: BrittNEY Frantece
2018 Winner: drew hereford
Honorable Mention: Nanya Jhingran; Jasmine Khaliq
2016 Winner: Elliott Lovett
2015 Winner: Patrick Milian; Laura Schlesinger
2014 Winner: Sarah Faulkner; Denise Grollmus
Honorable Mention: Emily George
2013 Winner: Ann Shivers-McNair
Honorable Mention: Jacki Fiscus; Eric Morel
2012 Winner: Tesla Schaeffer
Honorable Mention: Nicole Peters
2011 Winner: Taylor Boulware; Mandy Hobmeier
Honorable Mention: Ned Schaumberg; Kristen Young
2010 Winner: Valerie Arvidson; Jennifer Malone
Honorable Mention: Talia Shalev
To see the full list of winners, go to the following link
PWR Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Collaboration Grants
Below you will find links to the projects that have been funded through this initative: