GRADUATE SCHOOL FACULTY MENTOR AWARDS鈥�

In 2023, as part of its 100th Anniversary, the Graduate School established two new awards to recognize faculty who have excelled in the area of mentorship, with one award recognizing Faculty Research Mentorship and a second recognizing Faculty Professional Mentorship. 

Nomination application information 

Interested graduate students may nominate a faculty member for one of the categories by submitting the required application requirements by the application deadline. Details of the awards and the eligibility criteria can be found below.鈥����� 

Award recipients will receive a plaque and the recipients will be announced along with the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Competition on February 23, 2024. 

2024 Important Dates 

  • February 2:鈥� Student submits application form/materials via email to Dr. Scott D鈥橴rso, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Student Development in the Graduate School.鈥� 
  • February 15:鈥� All top nominees will be sent to the committee for review. 
  • February 22:鈥� Finalists selected by the committee. 
  • February 23:鈥� The awardees will be announced along with the winners of the Three Minute Thesis Competition. 

Award: Faculty Research Mentor

One award is given to a current faculty member.

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Eligibility Criteria and Requirements:

  • Must be a current faculty member. 
  • Research Mentorship can consist of directing a graduate student research project, a collaborative research project with a graduate student, significant participation on a student鈥檚 master鈥檚 or doctoral committee, or some other form (must be described clearly in application). 
  • The majority of this mentorship has occurred in the past academic year. 

Evaluation Criteria: 

  • Evidence of mentorship activities. 
  • Evidence of the impact of research mentorship.
  • Letter(s) of support from additional graduate students if available. 

Application Requirements:

  1. A nomination letter from one graduate student who has been the recipient of the mentorship or has observed the faculty member mentoring graduate students (maximum 2 pages, single-spaced). The letter should: 
    • Situate the mentoring experience considering the overall responsibility of the faculty member鈥檚 role in the graduate student鈥檚 research. 
    • Provide explicit evidence of how the mentorship is meritorious beyond standard expectations in the graduate studies program. 
  2. (Optional): A second letter from additional graduate student(s) who is/are familiar with the mentorship record of the faculty member (maximum 1 page, single-spaced). 

Award: Faculty Professional Mentor

One award is given to a current faculty member.

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Eligibility Criteria and Requirements: 

  1. Must be a current faculty member. 
  2. Professional Mentorship can consist of guiding graduate students through the exploration of various professional aspects of either academic or other professional roles, helping graduate students with networking in their fields, providing guidance during their professional development, or some other form (must be described clearly in application). 
  3. The majority of this mentorship has occurred in the past academic year. 

Evaluation Criteria:

  • Evidence of mentorship activities. 
  • Evidence of the impact of professional mentorship. 
  • Letter(s) of support from additional graduate students if available. 

Application Requirements: 

  1. A nomination letter from one graduate student who has been the recipient of the mentorship or has observed the faculty member mentoring graduate students (maximum 2 pages, single-spaced). The letter should: 
    • Situate the mentoring experience considering the overall responsibility of the faculty member鈥檚 role in the graduate student鈥檚 professional development. 
    • Provide explicit evidence of how the mentorship is meritorious beyond standard expectations in the graduate studies program. 
  2. (Optional): A second letter from additional graduate student(s) who is/are familiar with the mentorship record of the faculty member (maximum 1 page, single-spaced).