Colleen Bringman, an associate professor of instruction of biomedical engineering, has received a 2026 President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence, recognizing their exceptional and sustained contributions to student learning and success at the University of Iowa.

Other winners include Alison K. Guernsey (College of Law), Ted Neal (College of Education), and Chad Tracy (Carver College of Medicine).

Established in 2004 by the UI Council on Teaching, the President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence is the university’s highest honor for teaching. Each year, the council selects three clinical-track or tenure-track faculty members and one instructional-track or adjunct faculty member to receive the award.

Criteria include innovative curriculum design, outstanding student mentorship, commitment to accessible learning environments, educational outreach, and demonstrated interest in students’ academic and career success.

Bringman serves the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Engineering. She has been recognized by the Office of the Provost on its Faculty and Staff Who Made a Difference list every year since 2018 and has received multiple Innovations in Teaching with Technology Awards, the College of Engineering’s 2025 Excellence in Teaching Award, the Dedication to Student Success Award, and the Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network’s Rising Star distinction.

Bringman created a three-course, hands-on medical device design sequence that immerses students in prototyping, clinical collaboration, and industry-aligned problem-solving. She also directs the Carver Medical Device Design Lab, a resource used by hundreds of students annually. Her curriculum innovations include incorporating project-based learning to advance student outcomes across the department. Students, alumni, and colleagues credit her teaching style, mentorship, and commitment to continuous improvement as instrumental to fostering professional growth for her students.