Two faculty members have been named recipients of the University of Georgia Award for Excellence in Teaching, an honor recognizing sustained excellence in instruction.
The 2025-2026 honorees are Melissa Scott Kozak, a principal lecturer in the department of human development and family science in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, and Kim Landrum, a principal lecturer in the department of advertising and public relations in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication.
“It is an honor to recognize these two exceptional educators for their inspiring commitment to our students,” said Benjamin C. Ayers, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “They excel at nurturing an intellectual curiosity in their students while empowering them to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. Melissa and Kim represent the very best of our faculty and their tireless work to elevate the UGA learning experience.”
Melissa Scott Kozak
While Kozak enters the classroom with a plan, she is quick to adapt to the needs and perspectives of her students. She challenges and engages students in active learning experiences that encourage them to think critically about the course material. As a result of these two-way interactions, she often adjusts readings or classroom activities and identifies new topics to cover.
Kozak teaches courses required for certification in family life education and prepares students for careers in a wide range of professions including parenting education, relationship education and public policy.
“It is my responsibility to prepare my students to enter the field as effective practitioners and scholars, so they know how to listen to others describe their needs instead of assuming they know what others need,” Kozak said. “I want students to know that while they have expertise in the field, the individuals and families that they engage with as professionals are experts about their own lives and must be active partners.”
A member of the UGA faculty since 2011, Kozak also serves as undergraduate program coordinator and internship coordinator in the department of human development and family science. She has received several awards including the 2025 UGA Service-Learning Teaching Excellence Award. Kozak was named a member of the UGA Teaching Academy in 2024.
“The service-learning projects, the conversations about family policy, the constant encouragement to look at issues from more than one angle — all of that stuck with me,” Charlie Fleming, a 2014 graduate, said about Kozak’s classes. “I felt like she saw where each of us was trying to go and tried to help us get there.”
Kim Landrum
Landrum’s teaching philosophy revolves around three main pillars: curiosity, consistency and deliberate practice. She believes these pillars are the key to developing confidence, a necessary component in student success.
In her courses — from social media content and production to podcast branding and production — Landrum demonstrates an ability to adapt to emerging technologies and student needs while maintaining rigor, empathy and intellectual depth. In the past five years, she has designed and implemented several new, high-demand courses that have become cornerstones of Grady College’s creative sequence. Landrum also founded and directs the college’s Summer Studio Creative Portfolio Program, an on-campus summer experience for students interested in careers in creative fields including design, copywriting, content creation, strategy, photography and video.
“I’ve spent my life defending the value of effective visual communication and exploring what creativity means to me, so it makes sense that I would end up helping others nurture their own creative instincts,” Landrum said.
Landrum is a two-time recipient of her department’s Teacher of the Year Award, and she participated in UGA’s Fellows for Innovative Teaching program and the Active Learning Summer Institute.
“Professor Landrum created an environment where everyone felt safe to fail. We would pitch ideas that fell flat on their faces, and she picked us up and kept us moving forward,” said Riley McLaughlin, a former student. “She reframed the idea of failure as an opportunity to learn and dig deeper.”
A focus on excellence in teaching
The University of Georgia Award for Excellence in Teaching was established in 2021 based on a recommendation from the UGA Teaching Academy. The award highlights the university’s commitment to its teaching mission and recognizes teaching faculty whose time is primarily dedicated to offering outstanding instruction to students, promoting pedagogical innovation and providing an engaging environment for student learning.
Nominations for the award are submitted by deans and considered by a committee of senior faculty members and undergraduate students. Full-time faculty members who have held a non-tenurable teaching position at UGA for at least 10 years are eligible for the honor, which includes a $7,500 cash award. To learn more about the award, visit https://provost.uga.edu/academic-excellence/honors-awards/teaching-awards-professorships/excellence-in-teaching/.