James Madison College professors Anna Pegler-Gordon and Jordan Cash have been selected as recipients of the Ken and Sandy Waltzer Teaching Excellence Awards, recognizing their outstanding contributions to undergraduate education and student development.
The awards are named for JMC Professor Emeritus Ken Waltzer and his wife, Sandy, and were established to support teaching excellence in the college. The Waltzer Awards recognize special teaching achievement, significant impact on students, substantial contribution to curriculum and successful mentoring of colleagues.
2026 Waltzer Award recipients
Professor Anna Pegler-Gordon teaches courses in Asian American history, immigration and citizenship policy, and public history. In addition to James Madison College, she also works in the Department of History and Program in Asian Pacific American Studies. Her interdisciplinary approach connects historical scholarship with contemporary policy discussions, helping students understand how immigration and citizenship debates have evolved over time.
Pegler-Gordon has authored books examining Asian American experiences and immigration policy. Her book “In Sight of America: Photography and the Development of U.S. Immigration Policy” (2009) received the Immigration and Ethnic History Society’s Theodore Saloutos prize for the best book on American immigration history. Her most recent book, “Closing the Golden Door: Asian Migration and the Hidden History of Exclusion at Ellis Island” (2021), earned an Honorable Mention for the Association for Asian American Studies History Book Prize.
Assistant Professor Jordan Cash brings expertise in American political thought and constitutionalism to his courses in James Madison College. His teaching examines how constitutional structures shape the authority and behavior of individuals operating within American political institutions.
Cash has published extensively on executive power and constitutional interpretation, including his recent books "The Isolated Presidency" (2024) and "Adding the Lone Star: John Tyler, Sam Houston, and the Annexation of Texas" (2024), and the co-edited volume "Constitutionalism and Liberty: Essays in Honor of David K. Nichols" (2025).
Continuing a tradition of teaching excellence
The Waltzer Teaching Excellence Endowment was established through contributions from former students, friends and family of Ken and Sandy Waltzer. While James Madison College has long emphasized teaching excellence as a criterion for faculty success, these awards specifically highlight teaching as a key element in the college’s culture. JMC’s Faculty Affairs Committee selects Waltzer Award recipients annually.
Make a gift to the Ken and Sandy Waltzer Teaching Excellence Endowment online