Each year, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences honors its outstanding faculty and staff whose teaching, research mentoring, leadership, service, and innovation strengthen the College and advance its mission.
The 2026 call for nominations is now closed.
We will announce the next call for nominations in spring 2027.
Award Categories
View eligibility, criteria for selection, and how to nominate or apply for each award. Individual award winners are not eligible to win again in the same category but can be considered for a different category.
Academic Leadership
This award recognizes exemplary leadership by an individual who oversees a CLAS department, school, center, institute, or program. It is open to CLAS department heads and directors or coordinators of CLAS centers, institutes, and programs.
One award is given each year. The recipient receives $1,000 to support research, teaching, or professional development.
Criteria for Selection
Candidates are selected based on demonstrated excellence and substantive accomplishments in areas such as:
- Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Developing and communicating a clear vision for the unit, and moving the department toward that vision.
- Modeling and facilitating ethical, civil, and productive relationships among the faculty, staff, and students.
- Ensuring consultation with faculty and other stakeholders.
- Operating with openness, honesty, and transparency.
- Fostering an environment conducive to mentoring students, faculty, and staff across appointment types and campuses (where appropriate); empowering the success and development of others.
- Advancing research and scholarship; encouraging and facilitating faculty to obtain external research funding that is appropriate for the discipline.
- Facilitating the teaching and service missions of CLAS, in a manner that is equitable and balances the many demands among faculty, the College, and our units.
- Developing networks, partnerships, and collaborations to facilitate the success of their faculty and students.
- Dedication to continuous learning and improvement.
How to Nominate or Apply
To apply, nominators or self-nominators should submit:
- A nomination letter from faculty, staff, students, or a combination of these groups. Strong nominations demonstrate broad support and provide evidence related to the selection criteria.
- The candidate’s CV.
- A candidate statement describing their leadership philosophy, accomplishments, and impact within CLAS (two-page limit).
Faculty Mentoring
The Faculty Mentoring Awards recognize faculty who demonstrate exemplary support, encouragement, and opportunities that enrich the learning and professional development of others. Separate awards are given in three categories:
- Faculty Mentoring of Faculty
- Faculty Mentoring of Graduate Students
- Faculty Mentoring of Undergraduate Students
The awards are open to all full-time CLAS faculty. Individuals or teams may be nominated. One award is given in each category. Recipients receive $1,000 to support research, teaching, or professional development.
Criteria for Selection
Mentoring can support individuals at all career stages and may take many forms, including relationships between individuals or larger groups. In all cases, mentoring should provide meaningful connections that help advance the goals and aspirations of the mentee(s).
How to Nominate or Apply
To apply for any of the faculty mentoring awards, nominators or self-nominators should submit:
- A nomination letter describing the mentor’s activities and impact, written by one or more individuals, including students and/or faculty (three-page limit, excluding signatures).
- The candidate’s CV.
- Up to three additional letters of support. If the faculty member’s supervisor is not a signatory on the nomination letter, one letter must be from the supervisor. At least one letter of support must be from an individual at UConn.
Strategic Goals
The Strategic Goal Awards recognize faculty whose work contributes to the goals of the University Strategic Plan. Separate awards are given in three categories:
- Expanding Research Impact
- Promoting Holistic Student Success
- Powering a Thriving Connecticut
The awards are open to all full-time CLAS faculty. Individuals or teams may be nominated. One award is given in each category. Recipients receive $1,000 to support research, teaching, or professional development.
Criteria for Selection
Expanding Research Impact Award: Recognizes outstanding achievements in advancing discovery, cutting-edge solutions, and innovation that transforms knowledge, lives, and communities.
Promoting Holistic Student Success Award: Recognizes the design, development, or delivery of an innovative course, curriculum, or other educational opportunity that significantly increases student engagement and positive learning outcomes.
Powering a Thriving Connecticut Award: Recognizes outstanding initiatives that have a visible impact on Connecticut and beyond, including community engagement, partnerships with government or nonprofit agencies, and leveraging alumni networks.
How to Nominate or Apply
To apply for any of the strategic goal awards, nominators or self-nominators should submit:
- A nomination letter.
- The candidate’s CV or a CV for each team member.
- A candidate or team statement describing accomplishments (500-word limit). Self-nominating individuals should include this information in the nomination letter.
- Up to three additional letters of support, including at least one from an individual at UConn.
Staff Excellence
The Staff Excellence Award recognizes staff members who bring excellence and innovation to their work and help advance the CLAS mission. The award is open to permanent staff members of a CLAS department or unit.
Up to two awards are given each year. Recipients receive $1,000 for professional development.
How to Nominate or Apply
For the staff awards, nominators or self-nominators should submit:
- A nomination letter.
- A candidate statement describing their impact on the College and/or their unit. Self-nominating candidates should include this information in the nomination letter.
- Up to three additional letters of support, including at least one from an individual at UConn.
2026 Award Recipients
Academic Leadership
Mark Healey, History
Faculty Mentoring
Mentoring of Faculty: Doug Adamson, Chemistry
Mentoring of Graduate Students: Natalie Munro, Anthropology
Mentoring of Undergraduate Students: Sean Frederick Forbes, English
Strategic Goals
Expanding Research Impact: Xiaojing Wang, Statistics
Promoting Holistic Student Success: Noga Shemer, Anthropology
Powering a Thriving Connecticut: Mohamad Alkadry, Public Policy
Staff Excellence
Sirrah Galligan, Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences
Mark McConnel, Economics
Past Recipients
Explore faculty and staff recognized by the College in previous years, including recipients of past and current award.
2025
Academic Leadership
Eva Lefkowitz, Human Development and Family Sciences
Faculty Mentoring
Mentoring of Faculty
Helen Rozwadowski, History
Mentoring of Graduate Students
Julie Fosdick, Earth Sciences
Mentoring of Undergraduate Students
Tomoyasu Mani, Chemistry
Strategic Goals
Climate, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Peter Chen, Geography, Sustainability, Community, and Urban Studies
Teaching, Learning, and Student Success
Sarah Trallero, Physics
Broader Impacts, Service, and Visibility
Matt Guthrie, Physics
Staff Excellence
Christin Donnelly, Earth Sciences
Maura Maloney, Public Policy
2024
Academic Leadership
Ambar Sengupta, Mathematics
Faculty Mentoring
Mentoring of Faculty
Peter Schweitzer, Physics
Mentoring of Graduate Students
Ryan Talbert, Sociology
Mentoring of Undergraduate Students
Ingrid Semaan, Sociology
Strategic Goals
Innovative Scholarship
Kun Chen, Statistics
Broader Impacts, Service, and Visibility
Charles R. Venator Santiago, Political Science, El Instituto
Teaching, Learning, and Student Success
Eleanor Ouimet, Anthropology
Climate, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Erin Scanlon, Physics
Staff Excellence
Penny Dobbins, Physiology and Neurobiology
Maria Winnick, Urban and Community Studies
2023
Academic Leadership
Manisha Desai, Sociology, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute
Faculty Mentoring
Mentoring of Faculty
Kim Gans, Human Development and Family Sciences
Mentoring of Graduate Students
Kari Adamsons, Human Development and Family Sciences
Mentoring of Undergraduate Students
Nicholas Leadbeater, Chemistry
Strategic Goals
Innovative Scholarship
Jason Hancock, Physics
Broader Impacts, Service, and Visibility
Marie Coppola, Psychological Sciences, Linguistics
Teaching, Learning, and Student Success
Benjamin Chilson-Parks, Tammo Reichgelt, and Robert Thorson, Earth Sciences
Staff Excellence
Amanda Cannada, Africana Studies Institute
Alessandra Introvigne, Physics
2022
Academic Leadership
Melina Pappademos, Africana Studies Institute, History
Faculty Mentoring
Mentoring of Faculty
Anastasios Tzingounis, Physiology and Neurobiology
Mentoring of Graduate Students
Joerg Graf, Molecular and Cell Biology
Mentoring of Undergraduate Students
Brenda Brueggemann, English, Aetna Chair of Writing
Strategic Goals
Innovative Scholarship
Lisa Eaton, Human Development and Family Sciences
Broader Impacts, Service, and Visibility
Natalia Smirnova, Economics
Climate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Samantha Siedlecki, Marine Sciences
Staff Excellence
Elisa Medeiros, Brain Imaging Research Center
Mary Malley, Sociology and Philosophy
2021
Academic Leadership
Gustavo Nanclares, Literatures, Cultures, and Languages
Faculty Mentoring
Mentoring of Faculty
Dipak Dey, Statistics
Mentoring of Graduate Students
Jane Gordon, Political Science
Mentoring of Undergraduate Students
Alaina Brenick, Human Development and Family Sciences
Strategic Goals
Innovative Scholarship
Fumiko Hoeft, Psychological Sciences and Brain Imaging Research Center
Teaching, Learning, and Student Success
Jeffrey Divino, Physiology and Neurobiology
Broader Impacts, Service, and Visibility
Speech and Hearing Clinic
Staff Excellence
Nicholas Boston, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Dennis Arbige, Marine Sciences
2020
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
Annamaria Csizmadia, Human Development and Family Sciences
Michael Finiguerra, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Susan Herrick, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality Team Award
Staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Cohort
Staff Excellence
Ann Dreger, CLAS Academic Services Center
Nick McIntosh, CLAS IT
2019
Faculty Excellence in Research
Harry van der Hulst, Linguistics
Bandana Purkayastha, Sociology
David Knecht, Molecular and Cell Biology
Norah Berrah, Physics
Rebecca Puhl, Human Development and Family Studies – Public Scholarship category
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality
Chris Vials, English – Social Justice category
Staff Excellence
Stephanie Beron, Geography
Ashley Orcutt, Chemistry
2018
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
Rory McGloin, Communication
Laura Donorfio, Human Development and Family Studies
Amit Savkar, Mathematics
Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality
Jane Gordon, Political Science – Social Justice category
CLAS Student Leadership Board – Diversity, Inclusion and Equality category
Staff Excellence
Bri Diaz, Dean’s Office
Cindy Stewart, Communication
2017
Faculty Excellence in Research
Matthew Hughey, Sociology
Letitia Naigles, Psychological Sciences
Gerald Dunne, Physics
Cathy Schlund-Vials, English and Asian and Asian American Studies Institute
Staff Excellence
Fe Delos-Santos, Asian and Asian American Studies Institute
Heather Parker, History
2016
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
Stephen Dyson, Political Science
George Gibson, Physics
Etan Markus, Psychological Sciences
Staff Excellence
Carla Gomez, Human Development and Family Studies
Carol Valone, Psychological Sciences
2015
Faculty Excellence in Research
Jc Beall, Philosophy
Richard Langlois, Economics
Akiko Nishiyama, Physiology and Neurobiology
Ralf Schiffler, Mathematics
Staff Excellence
Jessica Muirhead, History
Anne St. Onge, Biology Central Services
2014
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
Sam Best, Political Science
David Miller, Psychology
Fred Roden, English
2013
Faculty Excellence in Research
Blair Johnson, Psychology
Patrick Hogan, English
Ming-Hui Chen, Statistics
Mark Boyer, Political Science
2012
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
Shareen Hertel, Political Science
Holly Fitch, Psychology
Rachael Lynch, English
2011
Faculty Excellence in Research
Michael Lynch, Philosophy
Nancy Naples, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Mike Willig, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Steve Suib, Chemistry
2010
Faculty Excellence in Teaching
Margaret Breen, English
Nicholas Leadbeater, Chemistry
Rachel O’Neill, Molecular and Cell Biology
Kim Price-Glynn, Sociology
2009
Faculty Excellence in Research
Mary M. Burke, English
Donald H. Les, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
James F. Rusling, Chemistry
Stephen L. Ross, Economics