ADEA/Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Excellence in Teaching Award

Eligibility Requirements

Nominees are to be identified and recognized initially within individual institutions or programs of dental, allied dental or advanced dental education. Ideally, identification, review and recognition of the candidates will be coordinated by a team comprising:

• The ADEA COF Representative, if available, or if the nominee is the ADEA COF Representative, another faculty member from that institution or program should serve on the nomination team;
• The dean, academic dean or program director;
• A peer teaching professional; and
• An appropriate student or alumni representative.

Nominations for this scholarship will use the information in ADEA profiles. Please ensure profiles are updated by going to adea.org/myadea.

Nominations are to be forwarded by the dean or program director. General characteristics and identifiers of excellence in teaching include the following:

General Characteristics

• Commitment to principles of lifelong learning,
• Demonstrated creativity in curriculum design or innovation in the delivery of education to students,
• Motivation of students to study and master subject matter or clinical competency,
• Regarded by peers as an excellent educator,
• Exemplary mentoring skills,
• Student-centered approach that shows concern for growth and development and
• Identifiable impact on student learning.

Teaching Excellence Identifiers

• Performance evaluations conducted by peers and students,
• Application of the philosophy of the scholarship of teaching and learning,
• Development of innovative teaching and learning strategies or technologies,
• Continuous improvement of courses and
• Articles, invited presentations or workshops on teaching strategies and effectiveness.

Excellence in Clinical Instruction

• Provides thorough orientation for students in their clinical experiences,
• Discusses scientific underpinnings for patient management protocols,
• Cultivates students’ analytical abilities and judgment skills and
• Integrates textbooks and didactic learning into clinical encounters.

Additional Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must:

• Demonstrate excellence in teaching students,
• Hold a full-time faculty appointment at an ADEA Member Institution and
• Hold an active ADEA Individual Membership.

De-identified nominee information will be used to improve scholarships at ADEA and may be published. Identified information (e.g., biographies) of successful winners will be published on the ADEA website, shared with your home institution, and may be used in ADEA promotional material. By applying for this scholarship, you agree that you have read and understand how your information could be used.

Application Process Checklist

The following items must be submitted by Sept. 10, 2026, using the ADEA online application process:

1. An abbreviated curriculum vitae including:
• Name, mailing address, telephone numbers and email address,
• Title and academic rank,
• Employer,
• Years of experience,
• Current academic appointment,
• Previous academic appointment(s),
• Educational background (area of study, schools and programs attended and graduation dates),
• Other training or education (fellowships, residencies, courses and completion dates) and
• Teaching accomplishments, honors and awards;
2. An optional listing of key publications and presentations;


3. A listing of career highlights;


4. A composite letter of nomination to be prepared by the dean, academic dean or program director with input from the ADEA Council of Faculties institutional representative, if available; a peer professional; and a student or alumni representative that details the nominee’s contribution to the scholarship of teaching and learning and describes the reasons nominee should receive the award, specifically identifying the nominee’s past recognition and summarizing the most recent course evaluations; and


5. A personal statement outlining:
• The nominee’s educational development, self-learning, growth in teaching and goals,
• The nominee’s philosophy of teaching and ways they have contributed to the student learning experience and
• How the award will be used to advance the scholarship of teaching and learning.

Application Deadline

All application materials must be received by Sept. 10, 2026.

Notification Date and Award Announcement

The winning nominee will be notified by December 2026.

Awards will be announced during the 2027 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition, March 13–16, 2027, in Chicago, IL.