LEXINGTON, Ky. — Ryan Voogt, director of undergraduate studies and senior lecturer in the University of Kentucky's Lewis Honors College, has been named among 10 recipients of the university's 2026 Outstanding Teaching Awards, an honor recognizing exceptional faculty and graduate teaching assistants who demonstrate excellence in teaching across all learning environments.

The awards, presented by the Office for Faculty Advancement and the Office of the Provost, honor educators selected through a nomination and peer review process. Award criteria include effective and engaging teaching practices, positive impact on student learning, innovative curriculum approaches, and meaningful contributions to their academic communities.

Voogt earned his Ph.D. in history from UK in 2017, with a dissertation examining religious acceptance under communist regimes in Romania and the Soviet Union after World War II. He holds a master's degree in Russian and East European studies from the University of Michigan and a bachelor's degree in engineering from Calvin College. His research and teaching focus on modern European history, communism, the Holocaust, genocides in Europe, agriculture and environmental history.

In an interview about his teaching philosophy, Voogt emphasized the importance of balancing student comfort with intellectual challenge. "I believe that when people feel comfortable, they are more likely to participate — to ask and to share," he said. "However, we can't grow unless we are stretched." He highlighted a particular moment of affirmation when students he took on an education abroad trip to Hungary and Romania subsequently enrolled together in his course on communism in Eastern Europe, describing the experience as a vindication of his work as an educator.

The Lewis Honors College, which has provided enhanced academic experiences for thousands of UK students since 1958, relies on exceptional faculty to support its honors coursework and senior thesis programs. Voogt hopes his students leave his classes "hungrier to learn" and with "more friends than they started," emphasizing the importance of building meaningful connections alongside intellectual growth.