Kozak receives UGA Award for Excellence in Teaching
Melissa Kozak truly is a lifelong learner.
“Learning is my goal every day,” Kozak said. “As a teacher, I am a learner first. To be a responsive teacher, it is critical that I learn about my students, my field and my teaching practice. This ongoing curiosity shapes how I think about learning itself — that it occurs in multiple ways, in diverse spaces.”
Those spaces are not limited to classrooms. Kozak transformed her Family Life Education Methodology course into a service-learning experience that partnered students with UGA Cooperative Extension agents across Georgia to implement community-based projects. Students applied their knowledge and skills to meet a community-identified need, issue or problem. This work earned Kozak a UGA Service-Learning Teaching Excellence Award in 2025.
A principal lecturer in the FACS department of human development and family science, Kozak is one of two recipients of the UGA Award for Excellence in Teaching, an honor recognizing sustained excellence in instruction.
Kozak seeks out learning opportunities for herself, too. She has been selected to participate in the Writing Fellows, Special Collections Libraries Fellows, Service-Learning Fellows, Active Learning Summer Institute, Transformative Teaching Fellows and the FACS Faculty Fellows programs. Additionally, she was asked to serve on the Interdisciplinary Task Force on the Future of Teaching and Learning at UGA in 2021 and was inducted into the UGA Teaching Academy in 2024.
“Dr. Kozak exemplifies excellence in teaching. Her ability to combine knowledge, inclusivity and innovation has left a lasting impact on her students, myself included,” one former student wrote. “She not only teaches content, but also models the values of wisdom, justice and moderation in ways that prepare us to be thoughtful professionals and engaged citizens. Her influence extends beyond the classroom, shaping a culture of learning that will benefit future students and strengthen the university community.”
Kozak’s fellow faculty members also acknowledge her efforts.
“Among a group of exceptional teachers in our unit, Dr. Kozak stands out,” one colleague wrote. “She has strong student relationships, a keen and agile style that brings out the best in students, and a wealth of experience, service and accomplishments that attest to her contributions to campus-wide excellence, as well as the field. A lifelong learner, she consistently seeks out and adopts cutting-edge pedagogical innovations.”
