The University of Georgia Award for Excellence in Teaching acknowledges outstanding pedagogy by teaching staff at the University of Georgia. These educators demonstrate a profound commitment to UGA’s instructional mission and the accolade honors the group of teaching faculty that devote their efforts mainly to exceptional teaching activities, both within and outside the classroom. 

Maryann Gallagher
Department of International Affairs
School of Public and International Affairs

Maryann Gallagher contends that engaged learners achieve more.

“In all my classes, I aim to foster an active-learning atmosphere where students are confronted with challenges, scholarship is esteemed and evaluated, and theories are related to contemporary politics,” she stated. “Although course content may vary, my goals consistently involve enhancing students’ analytical and critical thinking abilities, refining their writing and speaking skills, and increasing their awareness of the connection between their individual choices and global politics.”

Gallagher has developed innovative methods to engage her students since her arrival at the School of Public and International Affairs in 2014. Across all her courses, she promotes curiosity and an openness to share and learn from one another.

One specific method she employs to involve students is through research. She has guided 27 students’ independent research initiatives via UGA’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities (CURO) and led the establishment of the SPIA Undergraduate Research Colloquium in 2019. Each year, the colloquium routinely showcases over 75 research papers, poster presentations, and panel discussions.

Moreover, Gallagher oversees the Center for International Trade and Security’s Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program, a selective, yearlong educational community and pre-professional program for undergraduates pursuing careers in national and international security. She collaborates closely with the students in each cohort as their instructor for the program’s introductory courses and mentors them, even long after they have completed their studies at UGA. 

Gallagher also pursues learning opportunities for herself, all to aid in creating a robust learning atmosphere. She has engaged in the university’s Active Learning Summer Institute and the Generative AI for Teaching workshop, earning a SPIA Active Learning Grant for additional training.

“Whether prompting us to connect current events to the day’s lesson or challenging us about our simulation-based experiential learning, she cultivates the most engaging classroom experience I had at UGA,” recalled one former student.

Gallagher’s colleagues also value her endeavors to enhance her students’ academic experiences at the university.

“Dr. Gallagher’s ‘secret ingredient’ as an educator is reflection and revision — all aimed at continual enhancement,” one peer noted.

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Allison Hale
School of Law

Allison Hale instructs her students in the manner she would wish to be instructed if she were in their situation.

“For me, this entails providing them with the resources necessary to master essential skills, instilling in them the confidence to succeed, and treating them as I would like to be treated in their circumstances,” she mentioned. “I vividly remember the experience of being a first-year law student, and that understanding — more than anything — has consistently influenced how I teach and guide my students.”

Her eagerness to assist the law school’s newest students is evident in her participation with Early Start, a pre-orientation initiative aimed at equipping students with tools to navigate the upcoming challenges. Hale has taught in this program since its inception in 1994. Additionally, she conducts a well-received series of workshops called “OneL,” which she developed to support students in acclimating to the distinctive academic challenges of law school.

Her concentration also extends to the Master in the Study of Law (MSL) students she instructs and advises. She enriches her MSL classes with content that not only covers the substantive material but also aids those students in transitioning to legal studies. 

Since joining the faculty in 1992, Hale has taught Legal Writing. She nurtures a classroom environment that, in contrast to most doctrinal law classes, encourages students to feel at ease and ask questions, while offering numerous examples and personalized feedback. She implements exercises and strategies that cater to various learning styles, such as demonstrating charting techniques for visual learners and allowing kinesthetic learners to arrange a cut-up, physical copy of a legal analysis in the correct sequence. 

Additionally, to simulate realistic scenarios many students will encounter during summer internships, she mandates individual consultations where she adopts the role of a busy law firm partner while the student acts as the associate presenting their research and findings.

“Professor Hale is an exceptional instructor — one who is not only an expert in her field but also truly cares about her students’ academic achievement and personal welfare,” shared a former student.  

Her efforts have been recognized by her fellow faculty members as well.

“She continually learns new things to teach in novel ways, and she accomplishes it all with poise and positivity,” mentioned one colleague. 

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