The Board of Governors of the 17-campus University of North Carolina system has awarded Noreen A. Naiman, biology and chemistry instructor at North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, with its 2015 Excellence in Teaching award. Naiman is one of 17 recipients named from each member school, each nominated by committees on their home campuses and selected by the Board of Governors’ Committee on Personnel and Tenure. Each award winner receives a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize during spring graduation ceremonies at his or her school.

Naiman’s nomination cites her excellence in developing students and mentoring her colleagues. “Her teaching methodology focuses on hands-on activities, emphasizing real-world applications, and requires her students to both think and communicate science,” it reads, noting her leadership in developing NCSSM’s two most successful summer outreach programs—Labs for Learning and Step Up to STEM.

Read Naiman’s award citation here.