Nominations are open until Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2026

Overview

This award, established in 1974, is intended to honor faculty whose research, scholarship, or art is widely recognized by their peers and whose achievements have had a substantial impact on their profession, on the research or performance of others, and on society as a whole.

In addition to honoring the recipient, the award is designed to increase awareness, both within and outside the University, of the nature and significance of original work being done by outstanding faculty members.

The recipient will be announced in May in 2027, and the awardee will present the lecture in early 2028.

The most recent recipient, Dr. Noah Smith, will present in early 2027. The most recent lecturer, Dr. Douglas Wood, gave his talk on Feb. 5, 2026. Watch the recording below. You can view other past lectures here.

Eligibility

The recipient must be an accomplished senior member of the faculty.

Criteria

Selection criteria include:

1. Scholarly or creative achievement and impact
2. Recognition by peers
3. Appeal of topic
4. Ability to reach a broad audience
5. Speaking ability

How to nominate

Please send your nomination materials via email to Dr. Gautham Reddy, the Secretary of the Faculty, at secfac@uw.edu. The deadline is November 18, 2026. Please do not submit names of nominees without accompanying materials.

Your nomination must include:

- A letter addressing the following information about the candidate:

- - Significant accomplishments and impact
  - Ability to adapt the academic interest to a broad audience
  - Speaking ability (and a link to a video of a past lecture)
  - Possible topic(s) that you believe the nominee would address in the lecture

- The candidate’s curriculum vitae
- Up to three additional letters of support from faculty members at any institution (optional)

A breath of fresh air: The science and policy saving lives from America’s deadliest cancer

Presented by Dr. Douglas Wood

Lung cancer kills nearly 125,000 Americans each year — more than breast, colon and prostate cancers combined. UW Department of Surgery Professor and Chair Dr. Douglas Wood is out to change that.

On Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, the thoracic oncology trailblazer discussed the many ways he and his colleagues are raising lung cancer awareness, increasing access to early detection, and ultimately, working to change lung cancer victims to lung cancer survivors.

Watch the lecture below:

Winner of the UW 2025 University Faculty Lecture Award, Dr. Douglas Wood is the Henry N. Harkins Professor and Chair of the UW Department of Surgery. Dr. Wood has spent his career saving the lives of lung cancer patients — individually as a world-renowned thoracic surgeon and en masse as a national leader in the development and expansion of lung cancer screening.

University Faculty Lecture Award Nominations