The W. Russell Smith Teaching Award honors a faculty member within the College of Arts and Sciences for teaching excellence. All full-time faculty members with at least four years of service in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible. The award is selected by vote of the graduating seniors and consists of a certificate and cash payment.

The W. Russell Smith Award is the College's highest honor for teaching excellence.  The selection of a recipient is based primarily on nominations by graduating seniors who are asked to nominate up to three of their professors who have taught for at least three years in the College.  What adds to the prestige of this award is the number of faculty members who are nominated by students.

This year, nearly 90% of those eligible received at least one nomination from a student, and the majority received more than one nomination, certainly a testimony to the high quality and broad impact of the teaching in our college.  The award consists of a plaque and a cash award.  This year's winner of the W. Russell Smith Award for Teaching Excellence is Dr. Melloni Cook of the Department of Psychology.