Finalists for 2026 Cherry Award for Great Teaching Set to Lecture at Baylor

Contact: Kelly Craine, 254-297-9065
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Three finalists for Baylor University’s 2026 Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching will present their public lectures in person on the Baylor campus Oct. 14, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27. In addition, all three lectures will be livestreamed on the Cherry Award website at their respective times.

Baylor’s Cherry Award is a prestigious national teaching award – with the single, largest monetary reward of $250,000 presented by a college or university to an individual for exceptional teaching. Along with a record of distinguished scholarship, individuals nominated for the Cherry Award have proven themselves as extraordinary teachers with positive, inspiring and long-lasting effects on students. 

As part of the process, the three finalists are invited to campus to participate in teaching demonstrations and give a public lecture.

“These events provide an opportunity for Baylor students and faculty to observe the most innovative teachers in action,” said Kevin Dougherty, Ph.D., committee chair, professor of sociology and Master Teacher at Baylor. “Responses from students and faculty are part of the decision-making process in selecting a recipient.”

The finalists are:

• Jamie Rankin, Ph.D., university lecturer in German and director of the Princeton Center for Language Study at Princeton University, who will present his Cherry Award finalist lecture at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, in the Kayser Auditorium of the Hankamer Academic Center.
• Lendol Calder, Ph.D., professor of history at Augustana College, who will present his Cherry Award finalist lecture at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, in room 240 of the Paul L. Foster Campus for Business and Innovation.
• Melissa Gross, Ph.D., Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, associate professor of movement science and director of the Behavioral Biomechanics Laboratory in the School of Kinesiology for The University of Michigan, who will present her Cherry Award finalist lecture at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 27, in room 506 of the Cashion Academic Center.

The recipient of the 2026 Cherry Award for Great Teaching will be announced in Spring 2026. The winning professor will receive a prize of $250,000 and teach in residence at Baylor during the fall 2026 or spring 2027 semester. In addition, the award recipient’s home department will receive $35,000.  

The Cherry Award was created by Robert Foster Cherry, who earned his A.B. from Baylor University in 1929. Three years later, he enrolled in the Baylor Law School and passed the Texas State Bar Examination the following year. With deep admiration and appreciation for the teachers in his life, he made an exceptional estate bequest to establish the Cherry Award, which recognizes excellent teachers and brings their brilliance to Baylor University students. His generosity to his alma mater continues to benefit new generations. The first Robert Foster Cherry Award was made in 1991 and has been awarded biennially.

For more information, visit the Cherry Award website.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.