Silver Circle awards for teaching excellence

Dear UIC students, faculty and staff,

Established in 1966, the Silver Circle Award honors excellence in teaching at UIC. Recipients are recognized at their college commencements, receive a $500 award and an engraved memento and join a distinguished group of faculty members. They will also be recognized with an engraved name plate on the Silver Circle Award plaque, located in the Circle Reading Room on the first floor of the Richard J. Daley Library. The award’s true distinction lies in its selection process, as recipients are chosen by graduating seniors.

Congratulations to the 2026 UIC Silver Circle Award for Teaching Excellence winners:

College of Applied Health Sciences:
Sofia Cienfuegos, clinical assistant professor, kinesiology and nutrition

College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts:
Faheem Majeed, assistant professor, art and art history

College of Business Administration:
James W. Cooper, clinical associate professor, managerial studies

College of Education:
Jennifer D. Olson, clinical associate professor, teacher education

College of Engineering:
Zhinan Wang, clinical associate professor, biomedical engineering

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
Jaira J. Harrington, assistant professor, Black studies
Bao Bui, visiting lecturer, history
Adrian Barkan, lecturer, physics
Will Ash, senior lecturer, mathematics, statistics and computer science
Julia Yun-Soo Kim-Cohen, senior lecturer, psychology
Alessandra M. Passarotti, visiting assistant professor, psychology

College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs:
Kate Lowe, associate professor, urban planning and policy

College of Nursing:
Lori Chapman, adjunct clinical instructor, Springfield Regional Campus

School of Public Health:
Meghan R. Mason, clinical associate professor, epidemiology and biostatistics

Sincerely,

Sharron M. Evans, JD
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

For more information, please contact:
UIC Student Affairs
studentaffairs@uic.edu