Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award
The Distinguished Teaching Legacy Award recognizes the UW teachers who inspired and influenced their students long after they left their classroom.
Nominators must have taken at least one class from the nominee, although consideration is also given to interactions outside of the classroom. The DTLA is part of the University鈥檚 annual Awards of Excellence celebration.
This year’s honoree
2026 DTLA honoree Ed Lazowska has shaped generations of computer scientists at the UW. 鈥淚 am a better leader, engineer and Husky because of Ed鈥檚 impact in my life,” says one former student. “The same is true of Seattle and the UW.鈥� .
Nominations for the 2025-26 DTLA are CLOSED.
J’May Rivara
Shauna Elbers Carlisle
John C. Berg
Ken Sirotnik
. He may no longer be with us, but Anthony Ishisaka鈥檚 impact on legions of UW students as well as all of Western Washington shines as bright as ever. The longtime associate professor in the School of Social Work was renowned for his love of teaching, mentoring and caring. Born at the Granada War Relocation Center in Colorado in 1944, he experienced injustice. It informed his sense of justice throughout his life and inspired him to co-found the Asian Counseling and Referral Service, the Seattle-based nonprofit that is one of the largest social-service providers for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders anywhere. To this day, his impact at the UW continues to be felt through the curriculum he created to train social workers how to respond to and interact with vulnerable populations dealing with chronic mental illness.
2020. John Keating.听Even when teaching 700 students in Psychology 101, the late Jack Keating didn鈥檛 use notes. His 鈥渆ncyclopedic knowledge of psychology and engaging teaching style,鈥� along with his commitment to intellectual rigor and social justice, inspired students and prepared them to turn their knowledge into action. Jack made the UW accessible and welcoming, co-chairing the committee that created the Department of American Ethnic Studies. He was instrumental in the development of UW Tacoma and UW Bothell, chairing the search for founding faculty and serving as dean of the branch campuses.听The UW is recognizing him posthumously for his enduring legacy.
2018.听听Aurora Valentinetti is undoubtedly the UW鈥檚 most beloved puppeteer, but her influence on people鈥檚 lives has extended far beyond the stage or the classroom.
2017.听听During his 13 years on the faculty of the UW School of Music, Bill Cole had a profound impact on dozens of future music educators. But more than that, he had a lasting influence on the lives of his students no matter what field they entered.
The DTLA Selection Committee meets in winter quarter to review all nominations.
Definition of a UW teacher
For purposes of the DTLA, a UW teacher is defined as a current or former UW faculty member of any rank.
Specific criteria include:
Strength of impact
- How did the nominee make a profound impact on your life?
Length of impact
- When did you have the nominee as a teacher?
- How does the nominee鈥檚 teaching continue to influence you today?
Please fill out this form to submit a nomination for consideration. In accordance with sustainable campus guidelines, the UW Alumni Association cannot accept paper copies of nominations.
Nominations received by Dec. 31, 2025, will be considered for the current awards cycle. Nominations received after this date will be considered in the next year.
Questions? Please contact Virginia Lerer at听vlerer@uw.edu.