2026 UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award Finalists
Established in 1994, the UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award highlights the significance of teaching and aims to encourage, identify, recognize, reward, and support outstanding teaching within the university. Each year, a faculty member from each constituent institution is honored with this prestigious award.
While the winner of the UNC Board of Governors Excellence in Teaching Award at WCU will be announced at the Faculty and Staff Excellence Award Ceremony this spring, we want to highlight the accomplishments of all three of our 2026 award finalists: Brian Byrd, Kim Hall, and Yang Zhang (in alphabetical order).
All three finalists went through an extensive review process, including a teaching observation and an interview with the award committee, assembling their portfolio consisting of their teaching philosophy, teaching artifacts, as well as letters of support from colleagues and former students. In the spotlights that follow, we highlight words of endorsement from their final submission packages, including excerpts from their teaching philosophies as well as excerpts from former students’ letters to the award committee that speak for themselves.
Please congratulate these three colleagues on the tremendous achievement of having been named a finalist!
Finalist Spotlight: Brian Byrd
Brian Byrd (PhD, MSPH) is a Professor in the Environmental Health Sciences program, College of Health and Human Sciences, and has been at WCU since 2008.
Dr. Byrd teaches courses such as Epidemiologic Methods, Vector-borne Disease Control, First Year Seminar, and Global Health. His research focuses on domestic mosquito‐borne diseases, specifically La Crosse encephalitis, the ecology of invasive mosquitoes and ticks, and the molecular identification of arthropod vectors. He also maintains an active undergraduate research program where his students have been nationally recognized.
Describing his own educational journey in a personal narrative, Dr. Byrd summarizes: “My overriding goal (i.e., “my calling”) is to provide students opportunities to help them succeed. For some, it may just be getting them successfully through a First Year Seminar course while they are struggling during their first semester at college. For others, it may be sparking an interest in public health or a public service career. For some it may be making room for them to apply what they are learning in a way that is meaningful to them. For many it means sharing my professional networks or resources. For some it means pointing them in a direction and getting out of their way (but being available if there are hiccups). For others, it goes far deeper. For these students, it is best to hear (read) their words.”
One of his former students, Marissa Taylor, MPH, now works for the CDC and shares the following about Dr. Byrd: “He understands how to motivate students, which I think is due to his personal nature as a lifelong learner. Though Brian’s courses are academically challenging, they were always well regarded, as he added boots on the ground fieldwork to normally dreaded group projects. Training beyond the classroom was integral to my success as a scientist; his classes were where the rubber met the road – had we gathered adequate data about our specimens? Had we packed enough forceps? Heightening our engagement, we were pursuing contemporary research questions with tangible impacts. My group field collected Ixodes scapularis ticks, which transmit Lyme disease, and needed to be tracked on their southward expansion into western North Carolina. Students were empowered through these experiences, which bestowed more responsibility than typical for undergraduate students.”
Similarly, another of his former students, Lieutenant Corey Day, MS, PhD, who now works for the United States Navy, illustrates Dr. Byrd’s approach to (most literal) hands-on teaching with this recollection about a class: “The “skeeter” man showed up to our classroom with a cage filled with hundreds of mosquitoes, into which he promptly inserted his entire arm. While the mosquitoes fed on his blood, Brian explained his scientific role as a medical entomologist, including his mission to reduce the hidden burden of a little-known mosquito-borne disease that affected families in western North Carolina. […] His classes taught you how to think broadly and critically, organize projects, and work together as a team.”
Finalist Spotlight: Kim Hall
Kim Hall (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the Environmental Health Program in the School of Health Sciences. Dr. Hall joined WCU in 2015 and currently teaches courses including Water Quality Control, Environmental Toxicology, Solid and Hazardous Materials Management, Introduction to Environmental Health, and others. She maintains an active undergraduate research program involving students in the evaluation, development, and modeling of fecal pollution and source indicators in surface water.
In Dr. Hall’s own words, her teaching philosophy is “grounded in the belief that enthusiasm for learning is infectious. As an instructor, I bring my passion for science and public health into the classroom to inspire students to explore the environmental, social, economic, and political dimensions of global health challenges. I view education in environmental public health as both an intellectual and professional journey—one that equips students with the tools and mindsets needed to become skilled practitioners who protect the health and well-being of populations.” Ultimately, she is hoping that her approach to the classroom is “[…] helping students become thoughtful, engaged, and resilient practitioners.”
Clint Pinion, Jr. (DrPH, EdD, EHAC Council Member) describes Dr. Hall’s instructional approach as follows: “Dr. Hall consistently designs and delivers courses that foster critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and evidence-based decision-making. Through the use of real-world case studies, field investigations, and project-based learning, she enables students to apply theoretical knowledge to contemporary environmental health challenges such as water quality, air pollution, waste management, and occupational safety. Her approach ensures that students understand not only the science underlying environmental health but also its policy and community implications.”
Dr. Hall’s desire to prepare students for work that environmental health professionals will face once entering the workforce, becomes evident in Morgan Lawson’s (MS, CIH, CSP) description of her experience being a student: “One of the most effective teaching tools Dr. Hall implemented in her courses was stepping outside of the classroom and introducing us to real-life scenarios. For example, we participated in mock restaurant inspections and observed the water sanitation process at the campus treatment plant. She also engaged local environmental health professionals to share their experiences and provide different perspectives. Genuinely caring about the development of the next generation of Environmental health professionals is one of the many qualities that separate Dr. Hall from the rest. Her goal is to inspire a passion for environmental health and guide students to become knowledgeable and well-rounded.”
Finalist Spotlight: Yang Zhang
Yang Zhang (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering + Technology and joined WCU in 2017. The courses Dr. Zhang teaches include Engineering Graphics, 3-D Solid Modeling, Advanced 3D Computer Modeling and Rapid Prototyping, Advanced Parametric Modeling and Design, and Engineering Statics, among others. His research interests center around advanced and additive manufacturing, including process parameters optimization, structural optimization, lattice structure design, sustainable material utilization, and life cycle assessment.
Dr. Zhang describes his teaching style as follows: “My pedagogical philosophy centers around the belief that the most effective means of conveying subject matter is by kindling students’ interest. In all my courses, my foremost objective is to engender a deep fascination with the subject matter. Building upon this, I prioritize student involvement. This involves encouraging students to pose questions, fostering collaborative discussions among them before I provide answers, and inviting students to articulate their perspectives. Once a solid conceptual understanding has been established, I employ an object-oriented approach to planning and design, leveraging teamwork to enhance students’ problem analysis and problem-solving capabilities. I am consistently enthusiastic about integrating diverse instructional methods into my classes to stimulate student engagement and cultivate independent and critical thinking skills.”
Ariel Colón-Rodríguez, now a PhD student in Nuclear Engineering at Virginia Tech, shares what it was like to take ENGR 132 – Engineering Graphics with Dr. Zhang: “I am grateful to have learned from him and benefited from the way he taught that class. Through his instruction, I came to appreciate how foundational engineering graphics is, a skill that has gradually faded with the growing reliance on modern software. Dr. Zhang reminded us why understanding the fundamentals of drawing, visualization, and interpretation remains essential for every great engineer. His patience, organization, and ability to engage with students from a variety of backgrounds made the course both approachable and meaningful, leaving a strong impression that shaped how I viewed engineering as a discipline.”
Former student Catherine Johnson, who took multiple classes with Dr. Zhang, describes her learning experience for her final senior capstone project as follows: “Our team was chosen to work with AlonTree company based out of Asheville, North Carolina to redesign a neurological recovery device for rehabilitation purposes for stroke survivors. Throughout the entire year, Professor Zhang relentlessly gave our team his time, guidance and support to encourage our creativity and production of a top-of-the-line product for our sponsor’s company. During our weekly meetings, he prompted our team with creative ideas, problem solving methods and suggestions that challenged and inspired us to create and develop a very sleek and impressive design of a functionally sound and successful product. He also sought and successfully secured grant funding to support our whole team of four students to travel to Orlando, FL, to attend the AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association) Inspire Annual Conference, which is the biggest conference in occupational therapy, to showcase our design.”
The CFC would like to extend their sincere thanks to the dedicated work of the 2025-26 BOG committee: Alvin Malesky (chair), Channa De Silva (last year’s winner and next year’s committee chair), as well as committee members Hannah Buala, Joy Bowers-Campbell, Ethan Cheng, Isaiah Feken, James Hogan, Luke Manget, Minu Thomas, and Paul Yanik.
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors will select 17 outstanding faculty members to receive the 2026 Awards for Excellence in Teaching.
