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Faculty Awards

Outstanding faculty within the College of Education may be considered for a number of university and College awards. The nomination and selection process for these awards varies.

Regional and National Teaching Awards

The Center for Teaching and Learning maintains a list of awards. Please contact the human resources coordinator if you have questions.

UGA Awards

The nomination and selection process for the University-wide awards listed below varies. Please review the following links carefully for detailed information related to eligibility, the application process, and submission requirements. Some of the awards are handled directly by offices outside the Mary Frances Early College of Education while others are processed through the Office of Faculty and Staff Services for the Dean of the Mary Frances Early of Education. Nominations that must be submitted to the Mary Frances Early of Education Awards Committee should be submitted as a single PDF file via email attachment. Contact the Human Resources Coordinator, Takenya Moore.

Please note: The MFE COE Awards Committee will not accept late or incomplete dossiers. It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure the dossier is complete and submitted by the deadline.

Richard B. Russell Undergraduate Teaching Award

Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professorships

The University of Georgia Award for Excellence in Teaching

University Professorship

Regents’ Professorships

Faculty Research Awards

Creative Research Medals

  • Eligibility: Nominations for these awards come from the Dean. If you have a nominee to suggest, please contact Denise Spangler
  • Due Date: October 3, 2023
  • Due Date UGA: November 1, 2023
  • Contact: Denise Spangler
  • Creative Research Medals (PDF)

Early Career Scholar Awards

  • Eligibility: Nominations for these awards come from the Dean. If you have a nominee to suggest, please contact Denise Spangler
  • Due Date: October 3, 2023
  • Due Date UGA: November 1, 2023
  • Contact: Denise Spangler
  • Early Career Scholar Awards (PDF)

Creative Research Awards

  • Eligibility: Nominations for these awards come from the Dean. If you have a nominee to suggest, please contact Denise Spangler
  • Due Date: October 3, 2023
  • Due Date UGA: November 1, 2023
  • Contact: Denise Spangler
  • Creative Research Awards (PDF)

Distinguished Research Professorships

Non-tenure Track Faculty Research Excellence Award

Research Communications Award

Team Impact Award

  • Eligibility: Eligible teams must be composed of at least three distinct disciplines or subdisciplines and comprised of independent faculty each providing complementary interdisciplinary or subdisciplinary expertise, and each of whom has made separate substantive and discrete contributions in a novel manner to the project being recognized. Team members may belong to other organizations including academic institutions, and public or private sectors; however, the team must be led by a full-time UGA faculty member and the majority of team members must be from UGA.
  • Due Date: October 3, 2023
  • Due Date UGA: November 1, 2023
  • Questions? Email the Human Resources Manager, Takenya Moore
  • More Team Impact Award Information

Regents’ Entrepreneur Designation

Public Service and Outreach Awards

Walter Bernard Hill Fellow Award

Walter Bernard Hill Award

College of Education Awards

All nominations should be submitted to the Office of Faculty and Staff Services by 5 p.m. on Jan. 22, 2024. Should this date Fall on a weekend or holiday, nominations should be submitted the next working day. Email the nomination packet as a single PDF to the Office of Faculty and Staff Services. The Awards Committee will not review late or incomplete dossiers.

It is the responsibility of the nominators to assemble a full dossier on the nominee. The dossier must contain:

  • Cover sheet
  • Nomination letter (not to exceed 2 pages)
  • CV (10 pages specifically responsive to the award criteria or a full vita with relevant portions highlighted)
  • Body of nomination (not to exceed 5 pages)

Recognition

All awardees receive a plaque and a monetary award, which may be used for Summer salary or expended for travel, supplies, or other allowable expenses during the next fiscal year.

Restrictions

Previous awardees are ineligible for the same award. Members of the Faculty Awards Committee are ineligible for nomination during the time they are serving on the committee.

If you have a question about a faculty award, please contact the human resources coordinator. Want to submit a nomination?

Download an Award Cover Sheet (PDF)

Aderhold Distinguished Professor Award

Purpose

The Aderhold Distinguished Professor Award recognizes faculty members for excellence in research, teaching, and outreach/service. The unique requirement of an exemplary record in the triadic mission of the College of Education and the University of Georgia distinguishes this award from those that recognize excellence in one area. The award honors O. C. Aderhold who served as a faculty member and administrator, including as President of UGA, from 1929-1967.

Eligibility

At the time of nomination, the nominee must hold the rank of professor or clinical professor and have completed 5 years of service as a faculty member in the College of Education at the University of Georgia.

Criteria

  • Excellence in the areas of teaching, research, and outreach/service
  • Significant contributions with demonstrated national and/or international impact in each of the three areas independently and/or integratively (e.g., research about teaching, teaching about research, presenting research results as implications for practice to a group of teachers, clients, counselors, parents, etc.)

Evidence

Evidence in support of the nomination may include:

  • How does the nominee excel in the area of teaching?
    This involves meeting responsibilities to students (e.g., well prepared for class, available for consultation, involved in student tutorials, responsive to student questions and needs, consistent in providing coherence of assigned material and assessments) and challenging students intellectually (e.g., ideas and interchange which provoke students to learn more, demanding quality performance in a responsible manner, causing students to rethink their values and epistemologies). Documentation might come, for example, in the form of carefully designed surveys of students, in-depth review with representative students, solicitation of testimony from successful former students and/or faculty evaluation of syllabi or other indicators of content organization and course objectives. Evidence of innovative curriculum, methods, and technologies is another area that may be included. Another example might be to address the impact upon the field with documented changes in attitude, practice, etc. These examples are intended to be suggestive, not prescriptive or exhaustive.
  • How does the nominee excel in the area of research?
    This involves the development of an independent line of inquiry that may or may not be characterized by collaboration with others. If collaboration is evident, the area of research of the nominee is clear and distinguishable. The faculty member has informed his/her area of research via peer-reviewed, published works. This work has impacted the field, and there is testimony related to this impact. There is recognition for creative and/or original contributions to knowledge. This recognition may be affirmed by recognized national and/or international leaders in the discipline. These examples are only suggestive.
  • How does the nominee excel in the area of outreach and service?
    Within the College, nominees serve on committees as appointed. Beyond the usual College or University committee circuit, other examples of evidence might be (1) service to the College or University through special volunteer work, (2) leadership roles on committees, (3) self-initiated ideas to promote the College or University mission, or (4) innovation related to College or University service. Service to the profession might include work such as offices held in professional organizations, editing national and/or international journals, reviewing for professional journals, volunteering in schools or other educational or social agencies, or presenting and working jointly with organizations and associations, etc. Exemplary public outreach might be nationally/internationally recognized work, such as helping other groups, states, or foreign countries to understand, initiate, maintain, and/or evaluate innovative programs. Consistent dedicated public service that results in improvements, changes, additions, or deletions might be affirmed by relevant personnel. Again, these examples are intended to be suggestive, not prescriptive or exhaustive.
  • How well does the nominee integrate the areas of teaching, research, and outreach/service?
    The innovative ways that the nominee envisions the integration of teaching, research, and outreach may be included. The specific ways in which such integration has been developed and/or implemented may be included. For example, as part of a research grant, a videotape is developed by the nominee to investigate a certain method; later, this videotape becomes an instructional tool to teach this method to undergraduates and is later used in a public service presentation to help parents understand how their children learn.

Arthur M. Horne Faculty Award for Community Engagement and Research

Purpose

The Arthur M. Horne Faculty Award for Community Engagement and Research recognizes outstanding work by a faculty member whose research and service activities promote positive schooling experiences for PreK-12 students in public schools by supporting academic, emotional, and/or behavioral development in ways that promote respect and dignity for all people, expand appreciation for diversity, and advocate for social justice. The award honors Dr. Horne, who was a faculty member from 1989-2012 and served as Dean of the College of Education from 2008-2012.

Eligibility

All full-time College of Education faculty members are eligible.

Criteria

  • The nominee must be working in public school settings.
  • The nominee’s scholarship and service must advance the application of methods and approaches that promote healthy social, cognitive, emotional and/or behavioral development with an emphasis on positive relationships with peers and adults.
  • The nominee’s scholarship and service must focus on preventative or intervention work that creates positive social climates and healthy school and family environments for students, their families, and/or educators.
  • The nominee’s scholarship and service should benefit public schools, communities, and/or neighborhoods that are financially distressed or have high numbers of children from low-income families.

Evidence

Evidence in support of the nomination may include:

  • A description of the nominee’s work and its impact related to the award criteria.
  • A summary of the nominee’s products (publications, presentations, grants, instruments, etc.) related to the award criteria.
  • Nominee’s personal statement regarding the impact of his/her work relevant to the award criteria.
  • Comments, letters, or other artifacts from those who have benefitted from the nominee’s work.

Carl Glickman Faculty Fellow Award

Purpose

The Glickman Faculty Fellow Award recognizes distinguished accomplishments and potential for future contributions of faculty in fulfilling the mission of the University through teaching, research, and service. The award is named in honor of Carl Glickman, who was a faculty member from 1979-2001.

Eligibility

All College of Education faculty members at the associate or middle rank of the ladder are eligible. Senior Lecturers are eligible.

Criteria

The nominee’s work must demonstrate distinguished accomplishments in two of the three areas of the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service.

Evidence

The documentation must describe the nominee’s distinguished accomplishments in two of the three areas of the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service and provide clear evidence that the nominee has the potential for continued contributions in the future.

Donald O. Schneider Mentoring Award

Purpose

The Donald O. Schneider Award for Mentoring recognizes excellence in mentoring of University of Georgia students. The award is named in honor former faculty member and administrator Donald O. Schneider, a facilitator, a collaborator, a mentor, and a man committed to public schools and teaching who served the university from 1968-1999.

Eligibility

School and community-based professionals and full-time COE faculty members engaged in mentoring of graduate or undergraduate students in the College

Criteria

The nominee’s work must demonstrate consistent, high-quality mentoring over a period of time.

Evidence

Evidence may include:

  • Student and/or faculty assessment of the nominee’s mentoring activities
  • Use of innovative techniques for mentoring
  • Leadership or other professional contributions through mentoring
  • A personal statement from the nominee describing the personal value of mentoring and how it contributed to his/her professional growth

Faculty Senate D. Keith Osborn Award for Teaching Excellence

Purpose

The Faculty Senate D. Keith Osborn Award recognizes teaching excellence. There are two award categories: (a) Assistant level and (b) Associate level. The award is named in honor of Dr. Osborn, who was a faculty member from 1968-1994.

Eligibility

Nominees must have completed three years of full-time service to the College of Education at the time of nomination. Individuals whose rank is at the first rung of the promotion ladder are eligible in the Assistant category. Individuals whose rank is at the second or middle rung of the promotion ladder are eligible in the Associate category. Senior Lecturers are eligible in the Associate category.

Criteria

  • The major contribution of the candidate is well defined and is clearly identifiable as an outstanding contribution.
  • The candidate has superior teaching evaluations from students, peers, or alumni.
  • The candidate has made a positive impact on students.

Evidence

Evidence may include:

  • Background information relative to publications, presentations, previous honors/recognition, and grants.
  • Nominee’s major contributions to teaching. Examples include organizations of novel or innovative teaching methods based on a specific philosophy of education; development of new learning models for teacher education; model course or program development. This section must make the case for the nominee’s unique teaching qualities.
  • Nominee’s personal statement regarding the major contribution, including a self-evaluation.
  • Student evaluations of nominee’s major contribution to teaching with an emphasis on the three years preceding the nomination. Evidence should be both qualitative and quantitative.
  • Summary of former or present student accomplishments related to nominee’s major contribution.

Ira E. Aaron Award for Teaching Excellence and Collegiality

Purpose

The Ira E. Aaron Award for Teaching Excellence and Collegiality recognizes outstanding teaching by a faculty member who sets an example for collegiality. The award honors Dr. Aaron, who was a faculty member from 1948-1985.

Eligibility

All full-time, tenured College of Education faculty members (associate professors and professors) are eligible.

Criteria

  • The classroom teaching competence of the nominee is clearly outstanding.
  • The candidate has a well-defined teaching philosophy and approach to education.
  • The candidate has a distinguished record of collegiality and service to the department, the College, and/or the University.
  • The candidate has made a positive impact on students and has superior evaluations from students and/or alumni.

Evidence

Evidence in support of the nomination may include:

  • Nominator’s rationale for considering the nominee to be an outstanding teacher.
  • Nominee’s personal statement regarding teaching, including a self-evaluation of the nominee’s strengths and potential for growth in teaching.
  • Description of the nominee’s collegiality as evidenced by activities in which the nominee demonstrates strong support for the advancement of the College and/or University.
  • Student evaluations of the nominee’s teaching with an emphasis on the five years preceding the nomination. The evaluations may be of a qualitative and/or quantitative nature.
  • Summary of current or former student accomplishments as they relate to the impact made by the nominee.

Jenny Penney Oliver Faculty Diversity Award

Purpose

The purpose of the Jenny Penney Oliver Faculty Diversity Award is to recognize faculty members whose research, teaching, and/or service promotes a more diverse local, university, and/or global community. According to CAEP, diversity is defined as “(1) Individual differences (e.g., personality, interests, learning modalities, and life experiences), and (2) group differences (e.g., race, ethnicity, ability, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, nationality, language, religion, political affiliation, and socio-economic background)” (InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, p. 21). Refer to the COE statement on multicultural education and social justice. The award honors the legacy of Jenny Penney Oliver, who was a faculty member from 1995-2013.

Eligibility

All full-time College of Education faculty members are eligible.

Criteria

  • The nominee’s research, teaching, and/or service work reflects a commitment to and provides clear evidence of contributions to diversity.
  • The nominee contributes significantly to the climate of diversity in the college and/or in the community (local to global).

Evidence

The documentation should describe the ways in which the nominee’s research, teaching, and/or service work has made an impact on diversity and in what arena(s).

Ocie T. Dekle Excellence in Teaching Award

Purpose

The Ocie T. Dekle Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes faculty members for outstanding teaching and is named in honor of Dr. Dekle, who served as a faculty member from 1951-1983.

Eligibility

All full-time College of Education faculty members are eligible.

Criteria

  • The classroom teaching competence of the nominee is clearly outstanding.
  • The candidate has a well-defined teaching philosophy and approach to education.
  • The candidate has superior teaching evaluations from students, peers, or alumni.
  • The candidate has made a positive impact on students.

Evidence

Evidence in support of the nomination may include:

  • Rationale for considering the nominee to be an outstanding teacher.
  • Nominee’s personal statement regarding teaching, include a reflective self-evaluation of the nominee’s strengths and growth possibilities relative to the teaching process.
  • Student evaluation of the nominee’s teaching with an emphasis on the three years preceding the nomination. The evaluations may be either of a qualitative or quantitative nature and may be developed at the discretion of the nominators.
  • Summary of relevant accomplishments.

Russell H. Yeany Jr. Research Award

Purpose

The Russell H. Yeany, Jr., Research Award recognizes a faculty member’s outstanding cumulative research. The award is named in honor of Dr. Yeany, who was a faculty member and administrator, including Dean of the College of Education, from 1975-1999.

Eligibility

At the time of nomination, the nominee must have completed 3 years of service as a College of Education faculty member.

Criteria

The nominee’s work reflects a logical and coherent theme of sustained research and creative activity that has been cumulative in its impact and significance. The documentation provides clear evidence of outstanding contributions that have attained widespread national or international impact and visibility. The nominee has demonstrated scholarly leadership with respect to his or her peers and applicable research or creative community.

Evidence

Evidence may include documentation showing the recognition of the nominee’s research or creative activity has received and the impact it has made on the field. This includes reviews, citations, external funding, previous awards, etc.