UWM celebrates excellent teaching through numerous awards and certificate programs. Additionally, through its connection to the Universities of Wisconsin Office of Professional and Instructional Development (OPID), the UWM Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) also makes available to the faculty and instructional community a number of opportunities for engaging in issues related to teaching and learning.

Awards Offered Through CETL

Teaching Assistant (TA) Fellow Award


Teaching Assistant (TA) Fellow Award

Teaching Assistant (TA) Fellows are competitively selected in the spring semester to recognize outstanding success as students and teachers. Fellows engage in professional development to design a training session for incoming TAs in August. The stipend is supported by CETL and the Graduate School.

Awards Offered Through UWM

Academic Staff Outstanding Teaching Award

The Academic Staff Awards Committee, recognizes up to three outstanding academic staff for their teaching with an award of $1,500* will be selected by the Academic Staff Awards Committee. The award is presented by the Chancellor at a ceremony in the fall.

Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award

UWM recognizes faculty for outstanding undergraduate teaching by granting the Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award. Awards include $1,500 honorarium, are granted each year, and are presented by the chancellor at a ceremony in the fall.

Joanne Lazirko Award for the Innovative Use of Learning Technologies

In memory of Joanne Lazirko, Lecturer in the Lubar School of Business, an annual award has been established to celebrate her passion for teaching and successful use of learning technologies in her classes.

Awards Offered Through the Office of Professional & Instructional Development (OPID)

Regents Teaching Excellence Award

The purpose of the Regents Teaching Excellence Awards is to recognize exemplary teaching by faculty, instructional academic staff, and departments/programs in the Universities of Wisconsin. These awards reflect the Universities of Wisconsin’s strong commitment to excellence and innovation in teaching and student learning. Two awards of $7,500 each will be made to faculty and/or instructional academic staff in recognition of outstanding career achievement (minimum of 10 years teaching experience) in the Universities of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars

The Wisconsin Teaching Fellows & Scholars (WTFS) program competitively accepts two instructors annually from each UW institute to develop teaching and complete a scholarship of Teaching and Learning project.