Hilary Dack named finalist for Charlotte’s 2026 Teaching Excellence Award
Hilary Dack, professor of Middle, Secondary, and K-12 Education, was named a finalist for Charlotte’s 2026 Teaching Excellence Award for tenured faculty. Award recipients were announced Thursday, Sept. 24, during a reception in the Popp Martin Student Union Multipurpose Room.
Dack is a professor whose teaching is wholly centered on her students’ growth. Her pedagogy is rooted in deep respect for students as learners and as people, paired with a commitment to helping them grow beyond their starting point. She prioritizes authentic practice over passive learning, designing rigorous, engaging, student‑centered activities that mirror real professional work.
Her approach is grounded in three core commitments: ongoing professional development, curricular and pedagogical innovation and preparing students for long‑term professional and personal success.
“I never think about my own teaching without also thinking about my students’ learning,” said Dack. “I believe the most effective form of professional preparation is not having students learn about the skills of their profession, but rather having students actually practice those skills.”
Dack has led major curricular innovation, including a full undergraduate program redesign aligned with the Association for Middle Level Education’s 2022 standards and new coursework that strengthens students’ practical teaching skills. Her efforts have produced a 100% edTPA pass rate and influenced teacher‑preparation programs nationwide through resources adopted by 14 institutions and through her integration of generative AI into instructional design.
“Dack is the kind of educator who transforms the way you see learning, teaching and yourself,” said Livie Apple, Class of 2026. “Her classroom is not a space for lectures but a living professional learning community where pre-service teachers think, question and grow together. Every discussion, case study and collaborative activity is carefully designed to highlight the principles that guide great teaching.”
Her scholarship directly informs her teaching, with internationally recognized research on differentiation, multiple Scholarship of Teaching and Learning grants and 20 peer‑reviewed publications in top journals. She continually studies and refines instructional practice, ensuring students benefit from current, evidence‑based strategies that support sustained professional growth.
“Dack is a highly effective teacher who models the very best practices for our students while simultaneously serving as a leader who uses research to transform the curriculum,” said Lan Kolano, chair of the Department of Middle, Secondary, and K‑12 Education. “She combines unparalleled pedagogical expertise with a deep, genuine care for her students’ success.”
Dack is an exceptionally committed mentor whose impact spans undergraduate through doctoral levels. She has guided students toward professional publications and conference presentations, earning praise for practices that build early scholarly identity. Her advising record is outstanding — 100% of student respondents rated her at the highest level — and she is widely recognized for her expertise, care and long‑term commitment. Students frequently note her “lifetime guarantee” of mentorship, reflecting her continued support well beyond graduation.
The other finalists for the UNC Charlotte Teaching Excellence Award for tenured faculty were Erin Basinger, professor and chair of communication studies and David Thaddeus, professor of architecture, who ultimately won the award. Honorable mention finalists include Drew Polly, professor of reading and elementary education; Debra C. Smith, associate professor of Africana studies; and Michael J. Turner, associate professor of kinesiology.
by Jennifer Howe