SMLR Teaching Excellence Awards

The School of Management and Labor Relations recognizes faculty teaching excellence each year through two awards, one focused within each of the school's academic departments. Two additional awards have been recently added to expand on our recognition of teaching excellence within the school: the Best Required Course Award and the Doctoral Student Teaching Excellence Award.

Congratulations to the 2026 SMLR Teaching Excellence Award Winners!

James R. Chelius Award for Excellence in Teaching

The James R. Chelius Award for Excellence in Teaching was created by the Chelius family in honor of the late Professor James Chelius, who taught in the Human Resource Management (HRM) graduate program for 15 years. Students in the Department of Human Resource Management nominate a recipient and the selection is made by an HRM faculty committee consisting of the department chair and program directors.

We are delighted to honor Teaching Instructor Bill Kane as the recipient of the 2026 James R. Chelius Award for Excellence in Teaching. 

Labor Studies and Employment Relations Faculty Teaching Award

The Labor Studies and Employment Relations Faculty Teaching Award recognizes the teaching excellence of a faculty member in the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations (LSER). A call for nominations is initiated throughout the department inviting undergraduate and graduate students as well as faculty to recommend a faculty member who exemplifies teaching excellence. The selection is made by a LSER faculty committee consisting of the department chair and program directors.

We are delighted to honor Professor Saul Rubinstein as the recipient of the 2026 Labor Studies and Employment Relations Faculty Teaching Award.

Best Required Course Award

The Best Required Course Award recognizes a faculty member for excellence in the preparation and delivery of a required SMLR course that represents critical learning in the field, stimulates additional learning beyond the course, and enables students to apply what they have learned to further their career. Undergraduate and graduate students along with faculty nominate a recipient and the selection is made by a committee of SMLR faculty.

We are delighted to honor both Associate Professor Tobias Schulze-Cleven and Assistant Teaching Professor Peter Rokkos as the recipients of the 2026 Best Required Course Award. 

Doctoral Student Teaching Excellence Award

The Doctoral Student Teaching Excellence Award recognizes doctoral students for delivering meaningful, engaging, and inclusive learning environments and creating innovative teaching approaches or content within SMLR. The Ph.D. Program Director nominates eligible doctoral students, and upon review of the nominees’ supporting materials, the Dean, Department Chair, and Ph.D. Program Director make the final selections.

We are delighted to honor Ph.D. students TJ Raineri and Lauren Gilbert as recipients of the 2026 Doctoral Student Teaching Excellence Award.