By Fayetteville State University
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors has selected Fayetteville State University’s Kimberly Smith Burton, Ph.D. to receive the 2022 Award for Excellence in Teaching. Burton is one of 17 outstanding faculty members across the system to receive the prestigious award.
“Dr. Burton is one of our most outstanding faculty members. She has proven her dedication to our great students and this university,” said Provost Monica Terrell Leach, Ed.D. “Moreover, she personifies and daily exhibits the excellence that is required for this exceptional award. We whole-heartedly congratulate her and appreciate the impact she continues to make with students and teachers.”
A tenured professor of mathematics education in the FSU College of Education, Burton has served at the university since 1994 in various positions including interim associate dean for the College of Education, department chair in the Department of Middle Grades, Secondary & Specialized Subjects, and director of the Mathematics/Science Education Center.
“These instructors represent the finest our state has to offer, and we are proud to honor and acknowledge them with these awards,” said UNC System President Peter Hans. “My thanks to these faculty members for their contributions to the high-quality education our students receive every day.”
Currently, Burton also serves as the project director and principal investigator of the HBCU Master’s STEM Program and a U.S. Department of Education grant and Mathematics/Science Education Coordinator for the Department of Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Reading and Special Education. Since being at FSU, Burton received the distinguished Fayetteville State University Teacher of the Year Award during the 2006-07 and 2020-21 academic years.
In addition to being a skilled professor, Burton supports the development of teachers through a multi-dimensional approach by use of her research, penned articles, and grants. Her writing topics include how social communication fosters student collaborations, the effects of the multiple intelligence teaching strategy on the academic achievement of eighth grade math students, fostering science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning communities to promote student interest in STEM disciplines, using student peer evaluations to evaluate team taught lessons and exploring whether student peer evaluations are consistent with instructor evaluations.
A native of Fayetteville, Burton earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from North Carolina Central University, a Master of Arts in teaching from FSU and a Ph.D. in mathematics education from North Carolina State University.
As an award recipient, Burton was nominated by a special university committee then selected by the Board of Governors Committee on Educational Planning, Policies, and Programs. She will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $12,500 cash prize.
The Award for Excellence in Teaching was established by the board in 1993 to highlight the importance of teaching and recognition of the extraordinary contributions of faculty members system wide.
