The NU Learning and Teaching Committee (NU LTC) annually recognizes outstanding achievements demonstrated by faculty members, teaching fellows, instructors, and graduate teaching assistants.
The 2025 awards recognize excellence across multiple categories:
Excellence as a Student Assistant: Aliya Sarsenbayeva (PhD student, GSE)
Excellence in Support of Student Learning: Aray Saniyazova (Head of ISSS)
Excellence in Teaching Award: Syed Hani Abidi (Associate Professor, NUSOM)
Innovative Collaborative Interdisciplinary Teaching Excellence: Kuanysh Yergaliyev and Antonio Sarria-Santamera (NUSOM)
NU Societal Impact through Learning and Teaching – The Sofiya An Award: Zhanyl Zhontayeva, Assiya Karpisheva, Andrey Chsherbakov (GSE)
Outstanding Early Career Award: Assel Sharimova (Postdoc, GSE)
Distinguished Leadership of Learning and Teaching – The Kehinde Award: no winner this year
Assel Uvaliyeva, Vice President of NU, said:
“It’s a great pleasure to be here tonight because we celebrate this remarkable milestone, the Teaching and Research Awards 2025. Tonight, we honor excellence in the classrooms, in the labs, and the mentorship that shape the minds of our wonderful, remarkable students. These awards reflect the passion and dedication that define the university. To all awardees, congratulations. We are proud of you and your impact goes beyond this hall.”
Luis Rámón Rojas-Solórzano, Associate Provost for Graduate Studies, added:
“And we celebrate not just individual triumph but the collective spirit that propels a new forward, innovative teaching that ignites the curiosity of our students and all those who work with our professors, but also groundbreaking research that addresses real-world problems, all together with a commitment to societal impact to make a better life for everyone.”
The awards underscore NU’s dedication to fostering innovative, student-centered education, impactful research, and societal engagement, highlighting the essential role of educators and researchers in advancing the university’s mission.
