UNF honors faculty excellence with 2026 Faculty Awards

The University of North Florida recognized the outstanding achievements of its faculty with the 2026 Faculty Awards, highlighting excellence in teaching, scholarship, service and innovation. 

Leading the honorees, Lynne Arriale with the School of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences was named the 2026 Distinguished Professor. An internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, composer and educator, Ariale is widely recognized for her contributions to contemporary jazz and her lasting influence on music education.  

The award celebrates a balanced record of distinction in teaching, scholarship and services, and includes an honorarium, commemorative recognition and the opportunity to deliver UNF’s Academic Convocation address.  

Arriale’s career spans more than three decades of international performance and scholarship. She has performed on prestigious stages worldwide, including five appearances at the Kennedy Center, tours across Europe, the Americas and Asia, as well as performances in Australia and Africa. She is the winner of the Great American Jazz Piano Competition and has performed alongside renowned jazz artists such as Randy Brecker, Benny Golson and Marian McPartland. Her discography includes 17 albums as a leader, with multiple releases reaching the top of the JazzWeek radio charts, including two No. 1 rankings. Her work has earned more than 119 national and international awards and recognitions, with 64 “Best of” honors and four-star reviews in major jazz publications. 

At UNF, Arriale’s impact is equally significant. Since joining the faculty, she has delivered 338 performances, recorded 10 albums and published 45 original compositions. She has taught 404 course sections across 19 different courses. Her students have gone on to prestigious graduate programs, earned national recognition and performed on major stages, including the Jazz Education Network conference. In service, she has chaired the Jazz Scholarship Committee since 2009, coordinated 344 student performance opportunities and adjudicated 40 competitions worldwide. She has also presented more than 151 clinics at schools and institutions, further extending UNF’s reach in music education. 

Arriale holds a Master of Music in piano performance from the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Music in music theory and piano from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her additional training includes extensive study in both classical piano and jazz improvisation with leading educators and performers.  

The runner-up for the award is Dr. Tes Tuason, professor, clinical director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program and a licensed psychologist. Born and raised in the Philippines, Tuason has built a career centered on resilience and transformative education. Her research focuses on economic inequality and poverty, minority identity formation and family and adolescent issues through cross-cultural and systems perspectives. She has authored more than 50 publications and delivered over 100 conference presentations throughout her career.  

Additional faculty members recognized during the luncheon include: 

• Outstanding Community Engaged Scholarship: Dr. Chitra Balasubramanian, physical therapy professor; Dr. Annalaura Mancia, assistant professor of biology 
• Outstanding Faculty Scholarship: Dr. Zhiping Yu, professor of nutrition and dietetics; Dr. David Waddell, biology professor; Dr. Amanda Pascale, associate professor of higher education administration 
• Outstanding Graduate Teaching: Dr. Madalina Tanase, teaching, learning and curriculum professor; Dr. David Hoppey, teaching, learning and curriculum program director and professor 
• Outstanding Faculty Service: Dr. Madalina Tanase, teaching, learning and curriculum professor; Dr. Samantha Brown, assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice 
• Outstanding Adjunct Teaching: Steaphine Smith, teaching, learning and curriculum adjunct; Annie Tuttle, sociology, anthropology and social work adjunct; Dr. Morgan Connor, Writing Center instructional support coordinator and English instructor 
• Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching: Lynne Arriale, professor of jazz studies and director of small ensembles; Dr. Charles Fitzsimmons, psychological and brain sciences assistant professor; Dr. Elizabeth Hale Rozas, teaching, learning and curriculum program director and associate professor; Dr. Hannah Malcom, associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry; Dr. Ryan Shamet, assistant professor of civil engineering; Dr. Jeffrey Smith, English instructor; Dr. Jutima Simsiriwong, associate professor of mechanical engineering; Dr. Szymon Ciesielski, assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry; Dr. Agnès Schaffauser, assistant professor of French; Dr. Xudong Liu, School of Computing associate professor 
• Excellence in online Teaching: Jenifer Ross, Nutrition and Dietetics program director and associate professor