Erik Bates, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics, and Elijah Meyer, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Statistics, have been honored by the College of Sciences with the 2025-26 LeRoy and Elva Martin Award for Teaching Excellence.

The Martin Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of early career faculty to the College of Sciences’ teaching mission. The award was created in 2001 by the late LeRoy Martin Jr., a longtime mathematics professor at NC State, to honor his parents, Elva and LeRoy Martin.

Edited excerpts from their nominations are below.

Erik Bates joined the NC State faculty in 2023. He has since garnered a reputation among peers and students as an engaging and enthusiastic instructor who empowers students with “expert-style thinking” and puts extraordinary care and effort into his classes. His enthusiastic, thorough and concise explanations of the course materials make difficult concepts more logical and easier to follow, even for non-math majors. His lecture notes, which are spotless and thorough, are posted online in full, allowing students to pay closer attention in real time during class. His style of teaching has inspired many graduate students to be teaching assistants.

Elijah Meyer joined the NC State faculty in 2024. From his first semester at the university, he demonstrated teaching excellence at a level unusual for someone so early in their career. Across all of his courses, students consistently highlight his exceptional communication skills, detailed explanations, patient guidance, strong preparation, and sincere investment in student success. Meyer is committed to evidence-based instruction, individualized student development, and meaningful engagement with the broader statistics education community. He is also deeply involved in student mentorship — a dimension of his work that significantly enhances the academic community.