Academy Membership
The NYU College of Dentistry’s Academy of Distinguished Educators is committed to improving the quality of teaching and learning at the College. We hope to engage faculty members to pursue higher standards through innovation and scholarship. Most Academy programs are open to all faculty members at the College, including pedagogical training programs and peer to peer support systems. Membership is open to all faculty members who demonstrate a passion and commitment to our mission. The Academy seeks to represent our diverse faculty body, including clinical educators, junior faculty members, and tenured and non-tenured faculty. We encourage full time and part time faculty who have been actively teaching for five or more years (in or outside of the College) to apply. The application is meant to be a flexible document, and as such all applications can include supplemental materials.
Key talents and qualities valued by Academy Members are as follows:
- Teaching and Learning: Innovative work shared with a community, mentoring, teaching effectiveness, commitment to professional development
- Demonstrated excellence and outstanding accomplishment in one or more of the following four areas of educational activity: 1) Direct Teaching & Evaluation; 2) Development of Educational Materials; 3) Educational Mentorship/Leadership; 4) Educational Research
- Work Attitude: Reliable, dedicated, efficient, responsible, team player, collegial
- Personal Qualities: Humility, open mindedness, communication passion, motivation, drive, perseverance
- Commitment to Furthering the Academy's Mission: Applicants must specifically explain how they will be active in furthering the goals and initiatives of the Academy as Members. This can include any projects or initiatives the Academy currently conducts, or any new initiatives or projects applicants would like to lead.
Candidates prepare an application comprised of a personal statement and a teaching portfolio that is reviewed by the executive leadership of the Academy. Final selection is made by the Academy's general membership working group.
Members enjoy the following benefits:
- Contract Renewal for Non-Tenured Faculty: Non-tenured full-time Academy members receive annual 3-year contract renewals upon their acceptance into the Academy
- Impact: Members have opportunities to influence practice and policy at the College
- Project Funding: Members have access to funds for educational projects
Academy Membership is open to any NYU Dentistry faculty member who meets the following qualifications:
- NYU Dentistry Faculty member
- Minimum of five (5) years teaching experience in general
- Minimum three (3) years teaching experience at NYU Dentistry
- Actively engaged in teaching students at NYU Dentistry
Note: There is no academic rank or degree requirement for application to the Academy; the focus is on outstanding accomplishment. Strongest applicants to the Academy will demonstrate scope and impact beyond their home department.
Academy members are obligated to show ongoing achievement as educators and contribute to the education mission of NYU. This achievement will be demonstrated by providing evidence of the following:
Contribution to the University
Members of the Academy must endeavor to be exemplary in all areas of academic life. One factor in ongoing membership in the Academy is demonstration of ongoing excellence in education and professionalism within the University. Academy members must maintain an exemplary record of achievement in at least one of the following areas: Teaching and Evaluation, Development of Educational Materials, Educational Mentorship/Leadership, and/or Educational Research. Members who do not show ongoing effort and excellence in one of these areas may be denied ongoing membership in the Academy.
Contribution to the NYU Academy of Distinguished Educators
Academy Members must demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the success of the Academy by being engaged and active participants. Unlike other awards available to NYU faculty, Academy Membership is not intended to be solely honorific. Members are expected to be present at no less than two-thirds of official Academy meetings, sit on at least one committee during their tenure, and to be involved in at least one educational scholarship project during their Membership term. The Academy is, above all, a service organization. Members will be expected to contribute a significant amount of time to the organization in order to remain in good standing.
- Newly inducted Academy members serve for five years.
- After serving for five years, members are eligible to become "Academy Fellows."
- "Academy Fellow" is an honorary title given to members who have served five years and who have been active, exemplary Academy members by serving on committees, engaging in mentorship, and/or conducting education-related research.
- Academy Fellows who wish to maintain an active role in the Academy must meet eligibility requirements set forth in the by-laws of the Academy.
ELIGIBILITY:
- You are interested in working with other Academy faculty members to promote educational initiatives at the college for the NYU Dentistry community.
- You have at least 5 years of experience working as a dental educator.
- You have been a faculty member at NYU Dentistry for at least 3 years and you actively engage and teach our students.
APPLICATION MATERIALS:
- Personal statement
- Curriculum Vitae
- Biographical Sketch
- Teaching Portfolio (PDF) »
- Three non-confidential letters of recommendation*:
- one from an Academy member
- one from a peer (either inside or outside of NYU Dentistry)
- one from your supervisor or chair
*The letter writers should speak to your involvement in teaching and other educational activities.
Application materials are submitted online through Interfolio using the link below. **Please be sure to add your name to the file name of each document you submit (eg, "Smith-PersonalStatement.pdf"; "Smith-TeachingPortfolio.pdf"; "Smith-CurriculumVitae.pdf"; "Smith-BiographcalSketch.pdf", etc.).
Submit your application materials via Interfolio »
The deadline to submit all of the membership materials is Friday, May 30, 2025.
Apply for Membership
Applications for membership in the NYU Academy of Distinguished Educators open March 1, 2025. This is your opportunity to join and help move the Academy forward. ALL part- and full-time faculty are encouraged to apply!
The deadline for applications is Friday, May 30, 2025. Successful applicants will be notified by the last week in August.