2025 UW Awards of Excellence

Each year, the University of Washington presents Awards of Excellence to recognize exceptional contributions to the UW and the community. Recipients for 2025 include the following faculty and staff from the College of Arts & Sciences. All information about the honorees is excerpted from presentations at the UW Awards of Excellence ceremony on June 12, 2025.

David B. Thorud Leadership Award

Munira Khalil
Professor and Chair
Department of Chemistry

As chair of the Department of Chemistry, Munira Khalil has set a new standard for departmental leadership in the way that she guides meetings, responds to complicated management situations, and communicates clearly. Her colleagues credit her with infusing a “spirit of mattering” throughout the department. She empowers faculty and staff colleagues to grow professionally in their research, teaching, and administration roles, while maintaining her outstanding research in the field of molecular spectroscopy.

​Distinguished Staff Award for Innovation

Colin Gioia Connors
Electronic Media Producer 2
Department of Scandinavian Studies

Colin Connors produces and hosts Crossing North, a podcast that explores Nordic and Baltic society and culture. Since its launch in 2019, Crossing North has attracted a broad listenership and enhanced the department’s reputation among faculty, students, and the public. Colin’s expertise, production know-how and hosting skills have helped the department and the College of Arts and Sciences educate the community with fun and fascinating content that connects the UW with the communities we serve.

​Distinguished Teaching Award

Jasmine Jamillah Mahmoud
Assistant Professor
School of Drama

Whether she’s teaching a seminar with eight graduate students or a lecture with 200 undergraduates, Jasmine Mahmoud makes meaningful connections with each student. By providing feedback that encourages iteration, she helps her students develop as critical thinkers with growth mindsets and lifelong learning practices. She offers them professional development activities, such as conference planning and research collaborations. In addition, she guides students in developing syllabi and in facilitating independent studies that lead to practical projects — all to help them prepare for academic and professional careers.

Laura W. McGarrity
Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Linguistics

To make linguistics as relatable and relevant as possible, Laura McGarrity transformed Linguistics 269 into “Swearing and Taboo Language.” Enrollment in the course shot up, and today, 800 students take it each year. To create an inclusive learning environment in her course “Language and Thought,” McGarrity assigns readings by a variety of authors. That class, one student writes, “presented topics that never occurred to me and did so in a way that encouraged us to debate them and make up our own minds on whether we found them true or not.”

​Excellence in Global Engagement Award

Anu Taranath
Teaching Professor
Department of English, Department of Comparative History of Ideas

As a speaker, educator, study abroad program director, and public scholar, Anu Taranath partners with a range of people and organizations to encourage students and faculty to explore their own stories while deepening conversations on equity, social justice, and global consciousness. Her book, "Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World," serves as a critical resource for academics, student researchers, and travelers who engage globally and want to better understand and navigate worlds of difference.

​Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award

Hannah C. Wiley
Professor
Department of Dance

To help professional dancers transition to careers in higher education, Hannah Wiley established a master of fine arts program aimed at addressing their unique challenges and providing financial support through teaching opportunities. She actively recruits, trains, and mentors a diverse body of students, advocating for changes in curriculum, programming, and support systems. “Hannah’s office door is always open — literally,” a colleague writes. “And while there isn’t a fireplace inside, you always leave her office feeling as if you’ve gathered around one.”