Inspiring Future Faculty 

February 26, 2026
Categories: General News Tags: CGLL, Professional Development

On August 11-15, the Thomas L. Reynolds Center of Graduate Life and Learning empowered a new cohort of scholars through the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship. This program and its intensive, week-long immersion helps them envision themselves as the faculty leaders of tomorrow.

Led by Former Faculty Associate for Graduate Teaching Judith Krauss, fellows dived deep into the pillars of university-level instruction. They actively refined the essential components of their professional portfolios, including:

  • Crafting resonant teaching philosophies.
  • Designing industry-standard sample syllabus.
  • Perfecting high-stakes teaching demonstrations for interviews.
  • Articulating impact through research statements.

Beyond the curriculum, the fellowship serves as a high-level “teaching lab.” Fellows conduct live teaching demonstrations on their topics of choice, receiving immediate, collaborative feedback from peers. For those currently in the classroom, the program offers personalized teaching observations. This fellowship is a vital collaborative space where research excellence meets teaching precision. 

Hear from our recent fellows on how this experience redefined their academic and career trajectories:

Ahmed Abdelazeez

  • Current Graduate Program: Ph.D. in Chemistry and Nanoscale Science
  • Concentration/Area of Emphasis: Tellurium-based nanostructures for multispectral photodetector applications
  • Current Employer: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • Position: Graduate Teaching Assistant
  • Anticipated Graduation: May 2026
  • Undergraduate Institution: Beni-Suef University (Egypt)
  • Undergraduate Degree: B.S. of Science
  • Hometown: Beni-Suef, Egypt
  • Dream Job: Leading research in advanced semiconductor materials at a national lab or research-intensive university
  • LinkedIn Profile URL: www.linkedin.com/in/ahmed-abdelazeez2 

What interested you in applying for the Future Teaching Fellowship program?

As both a researcher and a teaching assistant, I wanted to become more intentional about teaching rather than just learning through experience. The Future Teaching Fellowship program provided structured training, mentorship, and reflection on pedagogy, which helped me better understand how students learn and how to design effective learning environments.

How did the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship program help you advance your professional career?

The program helped me connect teaching with leadership. It strengthened my ability to design structured learning activities, communicate complex concepts clearly, and mentor undergraduate students in research. 

Melissa Harmon

  • Current Graduate Program: Geography, Ph.D.
  • Concentration/Area of Emphasis: university sustainability transfer
  • Current Employer: UNC Charlotte
  • Position: Teaching Assistant
  • Anticipated Graduation (Month and Year): August 2026
  • Undergraduate Institution: UNC Charlotte
  • Undergraduate Degree: Geography, B.S.
  • Hometown: Kings Mountain, N.C.
  • Dream Job: sustainability researcher
  • LinkedIn Profile URL (optional): https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-k-harmon/

What interested you in applying for the Future Teaching Fellowship program? 

I wanted to broaden my teaching skillset so I could be ready to pursue a career in academia. The fellowship doesn’t build these skills from scratch but rather helps you showcase what you know you are already capable of doing.

How did the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship program help you advance your professional career? 

This fellowship allowed me to grow confidence in abilities I already possessed- teaching in front of others, building a teaching philosophy, and constructing tangible and executable teaching beliefs.

Madison Swails 

  • Current Graduate Program: Ph.D. Biology
  • Concentration/Area of Emphasis:  Biomechanics / Kinesiology
  • Current Employer:  University of North Carolina at Charlotte – Department of Applied Physiology, Health and Clinical Sciences
  • Position:  Research Assistant
  • Anticipated Graduation (Month and Year):  05/2026
  • Undergraduate Institution: Butler University
  • Undergraduate Degree: Exercise Science
  • Hometown: Evansville, IN
  • Dream Job:  Prototype testing different wearable technologies
  • LinkedIn Profile URL (optional):  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mswails122/

What interested you in applying for the Future Teaching Fellowship program? 

As I progressed through my PhD program, I realized I am passionate about educating and mentoring future health care professionals. At the stage where I was starting to prepare job applications for higher education positions, the Future Teaching Fellowship program stood out as an opportunity to intentionally develop my teaching philosophy, practice teaching demonstrations, and engage with others pursuing academic careers. The program provided structured preparation that complemented my research training and strengthened my readiness for faculty positions.

How did the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship program help you advance your professional career?

The program helped me translate my content expertise into effective, learner-centered teaching. It gave me practical experience articulating my teaching philosophy, refining instructional strategies, and receiving feedback on teaching demonstrations. As a result, I felt more confident and competitive when applying for academic positions, particularly those that value excellence in both teaching and scholarship.

Haleigh West-Page 

  • Current Graduate Program: Applied Mathematics Ph.D.
  • Current Employer: UNC Charlotte
  • Position: Graduate Teaching Assistant
  • Anticipated Graduation (Month and Year): May 2026
  • Undergraduate Institution: UNC Charlotte
  • Undergraduate Degree: Mathematics B.S.
  • Hometown: Hope Mills, NC
  • Dream Job: Professor
  • LinkedIn Profile URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haleigh-west-page-256614227/

What interested you in applying for the Future Teaching Fellowship program? 

I applied for this program because I was eager to improve my marketability for the academic job search. I applied while entering my last year of PhD, so I knew I would be preparing for the job hunt process. 

How did the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship program help you advance your professional career?

This fellowship helped me prepare my professional documents (Teaching statement, sample syllabus) for the academic job search. I feel like this has given me confidence in submitting my applications. I also learned valuable presentation skills relevant to conducting a teaching demonstration. These skills have been applicable to my current teaching, and my preparation for interviews. 

Mimosa Khatun

  • Current Graduate Program: Ph.D. in Public Policy 
  • Concentration/Area of Emphasis: Child marriage policies in the United States
  • Current Employer: Cannabis Public Policy Consulting LLC
  • Position: Contractor/Economic Advisor
  • Anticipated Graduation (Month and Year): Graduated December 2025
  • Undergraduate Institution: Burdwan Raj College, India
  • Undergraduate Degree: Economics
  • Hometown: Burdwan, India
  • Dream Job: Advocate for UNICEF

What interested you in applying for the Future Teaching Fellowship program? 

I absolutely love teaching. While I always am learning how to offer lessons in different ways, teaching is not always about just how knowledgeable you are on the topic. I really wanted to learn more about the different kinds of challenges one faces in the classroom and how to best be prepared to counter them. 

How did the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship program help you advance your professional career?

I enjoyed learning about my peers. Even though our study topics were widely varied, there were common challenges which we brainstormed together to map out a plan to overcome these. This in turn helped me shape my teaching statement, which will hopefully help in my pursuing an academic career now that I am on the job market.

Kwesi Quansah

  • Current Graduate Program: Ph.D. Public Policy 
  • Concentration/Area of Emphasis: Economic Policy & Development
  • Current Employer: University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • Position: Graduate Teaching Assistant
  • Anticipated Graduation (Month and Year): August 2026
  • Undergraduate Institution: University of Ghana
  • Undergraduate Degree: BA Economics
  • Hometown: Ghana
  • Dream Job: Professor
  • LinkedIn Profile URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaquansah/

Why did you decide to apply for the Future Teaching Fellowship program?

While my time at UNC Charlotte has provided me with significant exposure to teaching and research, I viewed the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship as the ideal bridge to transition from doctoral training to my ultimate goal of becoming a professor. The fellowship is a timely and transformative opportunity to equip myself with the pedagogical and professional tools necessary to thrive in today’s competitive academic job market. 

Conducted by Dr. Judith Krauss, who has a proven track record of preparing Charlotte doctoral students for successful faculty careers, I felt it was essential to seize this opportunity. Additionally, having seen the Center for Graduate Life & Learning (CGLL) consistently deliver high-quality professional development, I applied to become a well-rounded scholar-educator. Ultimately, I applied to the fellowship program to refine my ability to design innovative, equitable and analytically rigorous curricula in economics and public policy, to contribute to the intellectual and civic life of the academic institutions I look forward to serving.

How did the Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship program help you advance your professional career?

The Future Faculty Teaching Fellowship was a pivotal step in my development as a scholar-educator, preparing me for the academic job market and refining my teaching, research, and service missions of higher education.

The fellowship program provided the structured mentorship necessary to evolve my teaching philosophy, ensuring it reflects the values I believe are essential for inspiring the next generation of students. Furthermore, the dedicated support helped me craft a compelling research statement that clearly articulates the significance, methodology, and future trajectory of my scholarly work.

Beyond the written materials, the fellowship significantly enhanced my communication skills and professional confidence. Engaging with a talented cohort of doctoral students provided a rich environment for peer feedback and learning. A highlight of the program was the guided teaching demonstration. Presenting to a multidisciplinary audience challenged me to adapt my strategies and translate complex concepts in economics and public policy for students outside my field. This experience was eye-opening, as it mirrored the reality of a modern classroom where students possess diverse levels of prior knowledge.