The University of Georgia Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes exemplary instruction by teaching faculty at the University of Georgia. These teachers show the strong commitment to UGA’s teaching mission and the award recognizes the corps of teaching faculty that dedicate their time primarily to outstanding teaching endeavors, in and out of the classroom.
Melissa Scott Kozak
Principal Lecturer
Department of Human Development and Family Science
College of Family and Consumer Sciences
Melissa Scott Kozak truly is a lifelong learner.
“Learning is my goal every day,” Kozak said. “As a teacher, I am a learner first. To be a responsive teacher, it is critical that I learn about my students, my field and my teaching practice. This ongoing curiosity shapes how I think about learning itself — that it occurs in multiple ways, in diverse spaces.”
Those spaces are not limited to classrooms. Kozak transformed her Family Life Education Methodology course into a service-learning experience that partnered students with UGA Cooperative Extension agents across Georgia to implement community-based projects. Students applied their knowledge and skills to meet a community-identified need, issue or problem. This work earned Kozak a UGA Service-Learning Teaching Excellence Award in 2025.
Kozak seeks out learning opportunities for herself, too. She has been selected to participate in the Writing Fellows, Special Collections Libraries Fellows, Service-Learning Fellows, Active Learning Summer Institute, Transformative Teaching Fellows and the FACS Faculty Fellows programs. Additionally, she was asked to serve on the Interdisciplinary Task Force on the Future of Teaching and Learning at UGA in 2021 and was inducted into the UGA Teaching Academy in 2024.
“Dr. Kozak exemplifies excellence in teaching. Her ability to combine knowledge, inclusivity and innovation has left a lasting impact on her students, myself included,” one former student wrote. “She not only teaches content, but also models the values of wisdom, justice and moderation in ways that prepare us to be thoughtful professionals and engaged citizens. Her influence extends beyond the classroom, shaping a culture of learning that will benefit future students and strengthen the university community.”
Kozak’s fellow faculty members also acknowledge her
efforts.
“Among a group of exceptional teachers in our unit, Dr. Kozak stands out,” one colleague wrote. “She has strong student relationships, a keen and agile style that brings out the best in students, and a wealth of experience, service and accomplishments that attest to her contributions to campus-wide excellence, as well as the field. A lifelong learner, she consistently seeks out and adopts cutting-edge pedagogical innovations.”
Kim Landrum
Principal Lecturer
Department of Advertising and Public Relations
Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication
Kim Landrum centers her teaching on three main pillars: curiosity, consistency and deliberate practice.
“These three pillars are key to developing confidence, and confidence is a necessary component in student success and longevity,” Landrum said. “If I can remind students that learning is empowering and mastery builds confidence, then perhaps this idea will stay with them through their own lives in the same way it has in mine. While I can’t teach confidence in the same way I can teach a student to utilize hierarchy in a design, I can encourage it by creating a safe environment to learn, providing feedback that supports but also corrects, and cultivating a meaningful desire to learn.”
Landrum has designed and implemented several new, high-demand courses that have become cornerstones of the AdPR creative sequence. Her Social Media Content & Production course, introduced in 2020, was quickly adopted as a permanent offering. Building on its success, she developed Podcast Branding & Production, which provides students with hands-on experience in Grady
College’s podcast studio.
She also led the creation of the Summer Studio Creative Portfolio Program — an experiential learning initiative that brings together students from across disciplines to collaborate in a studio environment.
“Her genuine interest in her students’ growth reveals a commitment that goes beyond traditional education,” one former student wrote. “By fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance, she not only prepares students for the professional world but also equips us with the confidence to navigate life changes adeptly. In creating this inclusive and supportive atmosphere, she sets a standard for educators in the college, demonstrating the impact that mentorship can have on a student’s overall college experience and future success.”
Landrum continues to learn herself, participating in the Fellows for Innovative Teaching Program and the Active Learning Summer Institute. Those opportunities allowed her to discover additional ways of connecting students to the course material.
“Landrum embodies the University of Georgia’s highest ideals in teaching: intellectual curiosity, inclusive engagement and transformative mentorship. She teaches with a rare blend of artistry and authenticity, helping her students find their voices and their confidence,” one colleague wrote.