Alumni Association Faculty Awards

The Alumni Association gives up to five awards annually for distinguished research faculty who have brought honor and recognition to the University. The categories include:

• Distinguished Achievement in the Creative Arts
  
  
• Distinguished Research in the Humanities
  
  
• Distinguished Research in the Social Sciences
  
  
• Distinguished Research in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics
  
  
• Excellence in Engaged Scholarship

Candidates may apply for the award or be nominated by any full-time faculty or staff member. Nominations and applications must be accompanied by a resume with a complete list of publications (copies of the publications are not required), a narrative summary of research aims and achievements, a recommendation from the department chair or director, and at least three (3) external letters from  distinguished referees or community partners. Examples of scholarly and/or creative activities are not to be forwarded for review.
Candidates must have been employed full-time by The University of Memphis for five (5) academic years prior to the semester of their application or nomination.

Former award winners may not be re-nominated within seven years of the first award and may not receive the award more than twice.

Nominations are submitted to the College Council for Graduate Studies and Research, which will evaluate the nominations and submit recommendations to the vice provost for research, who will appoint a committee to make the final selection.

Each recipient receives a $2,000 honorarium and a plaque at the annual Faculty Convocation. For more information please contact Debra Cummings (901) 678-2590 in the office of the Vice Provost for Research.

Please send applications and nominations to Moira Logan, CCFA Associate Dean.

Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Advising

Each year, the Alumni Association may award Distinguished Advising Awards to one member of the faculty and to one professional advisor.

Eligible faculty include those who are tenured with at least five years of service at the University of Memphis (in their sixth year at time of receiving the award).

Eligible professional advisors include those who have completed five years at the University of Memphis (in their sixth year at time of receiving the award).

An advisor may receive the award twice. For eligibility the second time, at least three complete years must have passed since the first Award was received (if the nominee first received the Award in Spring 2009, he or she would not be eligible for a second Award until Spring 2013).

Nominations will be solicited through campus media such as posters, The Daily Helmsman, and  e-mail announcements. Nominations must be received from faculty, administrators, students, former students, and alumni.

The Award is accompanied by a stipend equal to that given for the University's Distinguished Teaching Award. If sufficient funds are not available to make two awards in any given year, one award may be given annually. In that case, the awards will alternate from year-to-year between professional and faculty advisors.

The Award is presented at the Annual Faculty Convocation.

Nominations may be e-mailed once a nomination deadline has been determined.  For more information please visit the Provost's Web site.

Alumni Association Award for Distinguished Teaching

Each year, four members of the University faculty are presented with Distinguished Teaching Awards in recognition of the high quality of their teaching. Students, faculty, and alumni may nominate faculty members who meet the following eligibility requirements:

• The faculty member must have been employed full-time at The University of Memphis for three or more years.
  
  
• The faculty member must be teaching a minimum of nine semester hours with either (1) six undergraduate hours with a total of thirty or more students in two classes; or (2) six graduate hours with a total of fifteen or more students in two classes. (The enrollment requirements may be met by including all courses being taught by the faculty member during that term.)
  
  
• Former award winners may not be re-nominated within seven years of the first award and may not receive the award more than twice.
  
  
• At least two of the four awards must go to faculty members whose work is predominately undergraduate.

The twenty faculty members receiving the most nominations are notified and if they want to participate, are evaluated by their students and department chair or director. Nominations are reviewed by the Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee, which also makes the final selections.

Four recipients will be selected. Each honoree receives a $2,000 honorarium and a plaque, which will be presented at the Annual Faculty Convocation.

Once a nomination deadline has been determined, the Provost will send out an e-mail announcement.

For more information please visit the Alumni Association's Web site.