University of the Pacific Professors of the Year 2026

In an era when conversations about higher education frequently center on tuition costs, enrollment figures, and post-graduation employment statistics, it is easy to overlook the human element that shapes a student's academic experience most directly: the quality of the instructor standing at the front of the classroom. At the University of the Pacific, that element is not taken for granted. Each year, graduating law students at Pacific's McGeorge School of Law exercise what amounts to the most meaningful form of faculty review available — they vote for the professors who transformed their education.

On June 3, 2026, Pacific announced the results of the annual Professors of the Year balloting by the Class of 2026. Four faculty members were recognized across McGeorge's distinct program tracks: Andrew Jurs as Full-Time JD Faculty of the Year, Carmen-Nicole Cox '11 as Part-Time JD Faculty of the Year, Robert Miyashiro as MPP/MPA Faculty of the Year, and Thomas Cinti as MSL Faculty of the Year. While the ceremony itself may be brief, the implications of these awards — and what they reveal about Pacific's institutional priorities — run considerably deeper.

Why Do Student-Voted Faculty Awards Matter?

Faculty recognition programs exist at virtually every law school in the country, but not all are structured the same way. At McGeorge, the Professors of the Year awards are determined entirely by student vote — a distinction that carries significant weight. Unlike peer-reviewed scholarly prizes or administrative evaluations, a student-voted award reflects something that cannot be measured by citation counts or publication records: the lived experience of learning. When students select a professor for this honor, they are identifying the educator who made complex legal concepts accessible, who offered mentorship beyond required office hours, and who demonstrated a genuine investment in their professional development.

This matters at an institutional level, too. A university that elevates student-voted teaching awards signals that it values pedagogy alongside scholarship. For prospective students evaluating law programs, that signal can be decisive. It is one thing for a school to claim it prioritizes teaching excellence; it is another for a school to build annual traditions around celebrating it publicly. Pacific has consistently positioned itself as an institution where faculty-student engagement is central to the educational model, and these awards serve as tangible evidence of that commitment. The McGeorge School of Law has also earned recognition in other areas recently — for example, Pacific's McGeorge Law recently earned a top ADR ranking, further underscoring the school's standing among peer institutions.

Who Are the 2026 Honorees?

Each of the four professors selected by the Class of 2026 represents a different dimension of the McGeorge experience, reflecting the school's breadth of programming across its JD, MPP/MPA, and MSL degree tracks.

Andrew Jurs, named Full-Time JD Faculty of the Year, has been a fixture in the McGeorge classroom. His selection by students recognizes the kind of sustained, day-in and day-out teaching commitment that shapes entire cohorts of future attorneys. Full-time JD faculty carry substantial course loads and advising responsibilities, and earning this award requires more than expertise in a subject area — it demands accessibility, rigor, and the ability to connect legal doctrine to real-world practice.

Carmen-Nicole Cox '11, the Part-Time JD Faculty of the Year, holds a particular distinction as a McGeorge alumna. Her '11 class year means she graduated from the very institution where she now teaches, giving her a dual perspective that few faculty members can claim. Part-time and adjunct faculty are the connective tissue between the academy and the practicing bar, and Cox's recognition suggests that she has been especially effective at bridging that gap for current students. Alumni who return to teach often bring a practical sensibility and an emotional investment in the institution that students find uniquely valuable.

Robert Miyashiro, honored as MPP/MPA Faculty of the Year, represents McGeorge's public policy and public administration programs — offerings that distinguish the school from many law schools that focus exclusively on JD education. The inclusion of an MPP/MPA faculty award in the Professors of the Year program is itself noteworthy; it reflects Pacific's recognition that its graduate programs in policy and administration are integral, not ancillary, parts of the McGeorge identity.

Thomas Cinti, selected as MSL Faculty of the Year, teaches within McGeorge's Master of Science in Law program, which serves professionals who seek legal literacy without pursuing a full JD. The MSL track is a relatively newer model in legal education nationally, and faculty who teach in it must adapt traditional legal pedagogy for students whose backgrounds and career goals differ markedly from those of JD candidates. Cinti's recognition signals that he has done this with particular effectiveness.

What Does This Reveal About Pacific's Academic Mission?

The University of the Pacific has long occupied a distinctive niche in California higher education. As the state's oldest chartered university — and an institution with a history of firsts, including being the first medical school in the West — Pacific has built its reputation not on size but on the quality and intentionality of its programs. McGeorge School of Law, located on Pacific's Sacramento campus, is a case study in this approach. With programs spanning the JD, MPP/MPA, and MSL, McGeorge prepares students for careers across the full spectrum of law, policy, and governance.

The Professors of the Year awards fit within a broader institutional pattern. Pacific's emphasis on faculty mentorship extends across all three of its campuses — Stockton, Sacramento, and San Francisco — and across disciplines from law to pharmacy to engineering. When graduating students take the time to formally recognize the faculty who shaped their education, they are affirming that Pacific's commitment to teaching is not merely aspirational but operational. This kind of feedback loop — where student recognition reinforces institutional values, which in turn attract faculty who prioritize teaching — is self-sustaining and, frankly, rare in higher education.

How Does Teaching Excellence Benefit the Broader Pacific Community?

The impact of strong teaching does not end at graduation. Law school faculty who invest deeply in their students tend to produce alumni who remain engaged with the institution — as mentors, donors, adjunct faculty, and advocates. Carmen-Nicole Cox '11 is a living example of this cycle: a McGeorge graduate who returned to teach and was subsequently honored by students. This kind of generational continuity strengthens the school's network and its reputation among employers who hire McGeorge graduates.

For the Stockton and Sacramento communities that Pacific serves, the quality of legal education at McGeorge has direct implications. Many McGeorge graduates practice in California's Central Valley and the Sacramento region, areas where access to quality legal representation can be a challenge. Faculty who inspire students to pursue public interest law, policy work, or community-focused practice are contributing to the civic infrastructure of the region. In this sense, the Professors of the Year awards are not just internal honors — they are markers of the university's broader social contribution.

For Pacific Tigers fans and alumni who want to celebrate the university's excellence beyond the classroom, the Baby Burns Tower from Zeus Collegiate offers a distinctive way to display Pacific pride. Modeled after the iconic Burns Tower on the Stockton campus, it serves as a meaningful keepsake for graduates and supporters alike.

What Comes Next for McGeorge and Pacific?

As the Class of 2026 moves into the professional world — preparing for bar exams, entering policy positions, or applying their MSL training in corporate and regulatory settings — the faculty they honored will continue shaping the next cohort. Pacific's leadership, under President Christopher Callahan, has consistently emphasized the integration of academic rigor with experiential learning, and the Professors of the Year awards serve as annual benchmarks for that vision.

Looking ahead, the challenge for any institution is to ensure that teaching excellence remains structurally incentivized rather than merely celebrated in passing. Pacific's approach — giving students a formal, annual mechanism to recognize the educators who matter most — is a model worth examining. The 2026 honorees — Jurs, Cox, Miyashiro, and Cinti — represent the best of what a student-centered law school can offer: faculty who are not just experts in their fields, but educators in the fullest sense of the word.

Across all of Pacific's campuses and programs, this kind of recognition reinforces an institutional culture where teaching is treated as a vocation, not merely a contractual obligation. As Pacific continues to grow its profile — from its athletics leadership earning national recognition to its academic programs climbing in peer rankings — the Professors of the Year tradition at McGeorge remains a quiet but powerful statement about what Pacific values most.