Dr. Terry Gilmour Receives National Distinguished Teaching AwardSeptember 29, 2026

For more than 30 years, Dr. Terry Gilmour has helped Midland College students find their voices, discover their potential and understand the role they can play in their communities. Now, her impact in the classroom is being recognized at the national level.

Gilmour, professor of political science and government at Midland College, has been named the 2026 recipient of the American Political Science Association Distinguished Teaching Award, one of the association’s national career awards.

The award recognizes outstanding contributions to the teaching of political science at two- and four-year institutions. Gilmour was honored during the 2026 APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition in Boston.

In its award citation, APSA described Gilmour as an “exceptionally transformative educator,” recognizing her commitment to active learning and mentorship throughout her career. The committee also highlighted her ability to create an environment where students feel “seen, heard, and known.”

That commitment to students has shaped Gilmour’s work throughout more than three decades at Midland College.

Whether in the classroom or through her longtime work with student organizations, Gilmour has focused on helping students develop the confidence to learn, lead and recognize what they are capable of achieving.

Her influence also extends beyond her own students. Gilmour has mentored fellow educators and represented community college faculty through leadership and service at the state and national levels, contributing to conversations about how political science is taught and how students are prepared to engage in their communities.

The Distinguished Teaching Award adds to a career of recognition for Gilmour’s work. In 2023, APSA’s Political Science Education section presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also twice received Midland College’s Teaching Excellence Award, in 2014 and 2024.

But the impact of Gilmour’s career can perhaps be seen most clearly in the students she has taught and mentored along the way — students who leave her classroom better prepared to participate in their communities, pursue their goals and recognize their own potential.

The 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes a career built around that work and places Gilmour among political science educators from institutions across the country who have received the national honor.

For Midland College, it clearly speaks to the heart of the College’s mission: putting students at the center and creating opportunities for them to succeed.