H.O.P.E. Award

Honor for Outstanding Progressive Educator (H.O.P.E.) Award

Presented annually during Homecoming, the H.O.P.E. (Honor for the Outstanding Progressive Educator) Award was established by the KU Class of 1959 to recognize outstanding dedication to student success and achievement through excellence in teaching strategies. The H.O.P.E. Award is the only KU award for teaching excellence bestowed exclusively by students. Five finalists will be recognized during a KU football game during the Fall semester, with the winner of the H.O.P.E. Award receives a plaque and a $1,000 stipend to commemorate their achievement.

 

The award process is facilitated by the Student Alumni Network, a program of KU Alumni.

Application

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

The Student Alumni Network will collect nominations from the current graduating class at the University of Kansas during the Fall semester. Faculty members or instructors can be nominated from any of the KU campuses. Once nominated, the nominee will receive communication to complete an online application to be considered for the H.O.P.E. Award. Nominees with an incomplete application will not be considered.

 

Materials required for the H.O.P.E. Award application are:

  • A PDF copy of a CV or Resume
  • A 500-word personal statement answering the following prompt:
    • The H.O.P.E. Award honors an outstanding faculty member who demonstrates exceptional teaching strategies, dedication to student success and achievement, and represents the Jayhawk Values of Unity, Innovation, Inclusion, and Engagement. Please describe how you best embody the H.O.P.E. Award.

Timeline

  • Online application opens: Monday, Aug. 24 at 8 a.m.
  • Online application closes: Sunday, Sept. 20 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Virtual interviews: Monday, Sept. 28 – Friday, Oct. 2
  • Finalist notifications: Monday, Oct. 12 by 5 p.m.
  • If able, finalists will be asked to attend the following events:
    • Far Above Awards Ceremony: Thursday, Oct. 22, Jayhawk Welcome Center
    • Homecoming Parade: Friday, Oct. 23, Jayhawk Blvd
    • Homecoming Football Game: Saturday, Oct. 24, David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium

Questions

Please contact the Homecoming team at homecoming@kualumni.org.

Application

Please complete the application below and upload the required materials.

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Upload a PDF of a 500 word personal statement answering the following prompt: The Honor for Outstanding Progressive Educator (H.O.P.E.) Award honors an outstanding faculty member who demonstrates exceptional teaching strategies, dedication to student success and achievement, and represents the Jayhawk Values of Unity, Innovation, Inclusion, and Engagement. Please describe in 500 words how you best embody the H.O.P.E. Award.

Award Recipients

1990s

1991 — Margaret Hu and Louie Lopez

1992 — Jill Russell and Dustin Daugherty

1993 — Carmen San Martin and Trevor Thompson

1994 — Jennifer Ford and Marc Wilson

1995 — Jill Bechtel and Lorraine Claassen

1996 — Amy Turnbull (Lawrence) and Ronald Chen

1997 — Sasha Flores(Hutchinson) and Aroop Kumar Pal (Lawrence)

1998 — Karen Isley (Sylvania, Ohio) and Kevin Yoder (Hutchinson)

1999 — Brenda Ting-Fai Chung (Hong Kong, China) and Eric Rush (Topeka)

2000s

2000 — Kimberly Fuchs (Merriam) and Curtis Sloan (Powhattan)

2001 — Anneliese Stoever (Overland Park) and Robert McKenney (Clinton, Mo.)

2002 — Erin Michaelis (Hays) and Irakli Mirazashvili (Ness City)

2003 — Casey Collier (Shawnee) and Jacob Williams (Topeka)

2004 — Susan Henry (Fort Scott) and Gaston Araoz (La Paz, Bolivia)

2005 — Jenna Sheldon-Sherman (Lawrence) and Greyson Clymer (Prairie Village)

2006 — Lauren Pierson (Prairie Village) and Scott Ferguson (Leawood)

2007 — Ashley Bloom (Hutchinson) and Peter Curzon (Phoenix, Ariz.)

2008 — Rachel Burchfield (Topeka) and Nathan Mack (Lawrence)

2009 — Ashley Moser (Topeka) and Matt Enriquez (Topeka)

2010s

2010 — Tonia Salas (Alameda, Calif.) and Michael Wade Smith (Goodland)

2011 — Emily Lamb (Lawrence) and Hunter Hess (McPherson)

2012 — Kathryn Hoven (Chester, N.J.) and Brandon Rogers (Plano, Texas)

2013 — Natalie Scott (Topeka) and Bryne Gonzalez (Topeka)

2014 — Ellie Eastes (Pratt) and Graham Naasz (Overland Park)

2015 — Hannah Reinhart (Parkville, Missouri) and Evan Traylor (Edmond, Oklahoma)

2016 — Jordan Hildenbrand (Blue Springs, Missouri) and Abdoulie Njai (Wichita)

2017 — Sana Cheema (Hays, Kansas) and Zoya Khan (Overland Park, Kansas)

2018 — Jose Montoya (Los Lunas, New Mexico) and Jonnette Oakes (Topeka)

2019 — Tiara Floyd (Junction City), Daphne Lin (Coffeyville), and Jalynn Tann (Centennial, Colorado)

2020s

2020 — Elaine Pope (Overland Park) and Adrian Romero (Tegucigalpa, Honduras)

2021 — Javen Betts (Kansas City, Kansas), Nikki Brown (Kansas City, Missouri), and Lily Nguyen (Wichita)

2022 — Aylar Atadurdyyeva (Ashgabat, Turkmenistan), Miracle Emenuga (Lagos, Nigeria), and Mikayla Leader (Wichita)

2023 — Libby Frost (WaKeeney) and Thanh Tan Nguyen (Phu Yen, Vietnam)

2024 — Emma Saville (Mulvane) and Aarush Sehgal (Chandigarh, India)

2025 — Hannah Kaiser (Leipzig, Germany) and Sarah Walsh (Leawood)

Apply
Apply
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