The UC Santa Barbara Academic Senate has recognized Karen Szumlinski, a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, with the 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award
The highly competitive, university-wide honor acknowledges faculty members who successfully unite exceptional research with excellence in teaching.
Szumlinski, whose extensive research focuses on the neurobiology of addiction, was selected for her outstanding contributions to classroom instruction, graduate and undergraduate mentoring and her efforts to foster inclusiveness across all levels of science education.
“Dr. Szumlinski has long been recognized as one of our best teachers,” said James Roney, professor and vice chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences.
“This is a very well-deserved award.”
The award committee praised Szumlinski for bringing exceptional energy, rigor and care to her curriculum, making some of the field’s most challenging material engaging and accessible. Across demanding courses including Neuropharmacology, Psychopharmacology and Laboratory in Behavioral Neuroscience, she is celebrated by students for demystifying intimidating concepts and equipping them with the confidence to see themselves as future scientists.
Beyond her university classrooms and her laboratory — where she investigates the biochemical mechanisms underlying changes in the brain produced by chronic exposure to alcohol and other drugs of abuse — Szumlinski is affectionately known throughout the local community as “The Brain Lady.” She is the founder and faculty advisor of UCSB Brainiacs, an active instructional outreach program that educates K-6 students in the Santa Barbara and Goleta school districts about brain science, health and safety.
Whether she is helping elementary school students examine real brain specimens, organizing STEM nights or guiding graduate and undergraduate students through complex studies on glutamate signaling and addiction, Szumlinski’s dedication to science education bridges the gap between fundamental research and public accessibility.
The Distinguished Teaching Award is presented annually to a maximum of six faculty members. The accolade includes a cash prize and a framed certificate. Szumlinski will be formally recognized by her peers at the upcoming spring quarter Faculty Legislature meeting on May 28.