Each year, the Patton College of Education requests nominations for a series of awards to honor Distinguished Faculty and Staff in the categories below. Winners cannot be nominated again for 3 years after winning the award. You may nominate faculty and staff for one or more categories but do not need to nominate someone for all of the categories unless you wish to do so. For a list of past winners, please visit our webpage .
Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award
This award honors outstanding undergraduate teaching by a The Patton College of Education faculty member. Distinguished teaching involves exemplary modeling in one or more of the following areas or another area not mentioned below:
- demonstrated depth of expertise and knowledge in their field;
- connected theory to practice and vice versa;
- challenged students to think critically, synthesize new understanding(s), and explore multiple perspectives;
- delivered content interestingly or creatively;
- committed to high-quality mentoring, coaching, and advising;
- exemplified genuine professional caring: sincere, empathic, responsive to student needs, fair assessment, and equitable treatment of students;
- demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices;
- facilitated and empowered students in their realization of personal and professional goals;
- demonstrated a commitment to their profession and a strong professional identity as a role model to students;
- supported student success as the result of exemplary guidance in the completion of scholarly capstone experiences;
- contributed to student successes as a result of published work and/or presented scholarly collaborations between faculty and student(s);
- created a sense of community;
- provided opportunities for students to learn/engage in the community outside the classroom.
Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award
This award honors outstanding undergraduate teaching by a The Patton College of Education faculty member. Distinguished teaching involves exemplary modeling in one or more of the following areas or another area not mentioned below:
- demonstrated depth of expertise and knowledge in their field;
- connected theory to practice and vice versa;
- challenged students to think critically, synthesize new understanding(s), and explore multiple perspectives;
- delivered content interestingly or creatively;
- committed to high-quality mentoring, coaching, and advising;
- exemplified genuine professional caring: sincere, empathic, responsive to student needs, fair assessment, and equitable treatment of students;
- demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices;
- facilitated and empowered students in their realization of personal and professional goals;
- demonstrated a commitment to their profession and a strong professional identity as a role model to students;
- supported student success as the result of exemplary guidance in the completion of scholarly capstone experiences;
- contributed to student successes as a result of published work and/or presented scholarly collaborations between faculty and student(s);
- created a sense of community;
- provided opportunities for students to learn/engage in the community outside the classroom.
Distinguished Adjunct Teaching Award
This award honors outstanding undergraduate teaching by a The Patton College of Education faculty member. Distinguished teaching involves exemplary modeling in one or more of the following areas or another area not mentioned below:
- demonstrated depth of expertise and knowledge in their field;
- connected theory to practice and vice versa;
- challenged students to think critically, synthesize new understanding(s), and explore multiple perspectives;
- delivered content interestingly or creatively;
- committed to high-quality mentoring, coaching, and advising;
- exemplified genuine professional caring: sincere, empathic, responsive to student needs, fair assessment, and equitable treatment of students;
- demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices;
- facilitated and empowered students in their realization of personal and professional goals;
- demonstrated a commitment to their profession and a strong professional identity as a role model to students;
- supported student success as the result of exemplary guidance in the completion of scholarly capstone experiences;
- contributed to student successes as a result of published work and/or presented scholarly collaborations between faculty and student(s);
- created a sense of community;
- provided opportunities for students to learn/engage in the community outside the classroom.
Distinguished Child Development Center Teaching Award
This award honors outstanding undergraduate teaching and mentoring by an instructional faculty member in The Patton College of Education at the Child Development Center. Distinguished teaching and mentoring involve exemplary work in one or more of the following areas or another area not mentioned below:
- demonstrated depth of expertise and knowledge in the field
- committed to high-quality mentoring
- connected practice in the classroom to theory through conversations, feedback, or planning
- created a sense of community in the classroom with children, candidates, and families
- exemplified genuine professional caring: sincere, empathic, responsive to student needs, and equitable treatment of candidates
- challenged candidates to think critically, synthesize new understanding(s), and explore multiple perspectives working with young children
- demonstrated a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices
- supported and empowered candidates in their realization of personal and professional goals in the classroom
- demonstrated a commitment to the profession and an advocate of a strong professional identity as a role model to candidates
Distinguished Faculty Research and Creative Activity Award
This award honors significant research and/or creative activity that is related to the Patton College and conducted by a faculty member within the past three years. Research/creative activity may be theoretical, conceptual, or applied. Nominations should explain why the research/creative activity is particularly significant. Research and creative works may include, but are not limited to:
- books and book chapters;
- journal articles;
- original multimedia production;
- exhibitions;
- software applications or other emerging technologies;
- conference presentations;
- invited keynote presentation(s) to national and/or international audiences (as distinguished from juried conference presentations);
- grant-supported research or creative work;
- research or creative work that is noted for making an original and meaningful contribution to its related field;
- heightened consideration will be given to impactful research/creative activity related to rural Appalachia and underserved communities.
Distinguished Faculty Mentorship Award
This award is to honor outstanding mentoring of colleagues or students (undergraduate or graduate) by a faculty member in the Patton College of Education. Outstanding mentoring goes beyond the standard requirements and expectations that go with being a faculty member such as teaching, advising, and serving on non-thesis projects, thesis, or dissertation committees. Outstanding mentoring may involve exemplary modeling or professional growth support such as:
- providing both formal and informal observations, critique, and other professional support for colleagues’ or students’ pedagogical efforts;
- helping students to become active and engaged members of regional and national organizations;
- continuing to support students beyond graduation and into their careers through mentorship outreach;
- helping students to develop forms of outreach and/or community engagement;
- exemplifying genuine professional caring: sincere, empathetic, sensitive to issues of diversity, responsive to student needs, fair assessment, and equitable treatment of others;
- supporting and encouraging professional growth as a club advisor of a student organization;
- including students on grants, research projects, or research teams;
- helping students develop and revise research manuscripts, conference presentations, and other forms of scholarly dissemination;
- nominating colleagues or students for local, state, national, or international awards, recognition, scholarships, or other professional growth opportunities.
Distinguished Faculty-Staff Outreach Award
This award honors outstanding professional outreach by a faculty/staff member in the Patton College of Education. Outreach should be to the fields represented by the departments and programs within the college, and for the contributions to the larger university and community in one or more of the following areas or another area not mentioned below:
- program development in the university and community that develops and sustains college-related partnerships;
- development and/or innovations in mentoring practices;
- service to schools and the community;
- promotion of experiential learning opportunities;
- development of professional standards and credentials;
- continuing education and professional development for professions represented in the College;
- advancement and understanding of the role of education in society at large through means such as public media or political influence;
- outreach and leadership in state, regional, national and/or international professional associations;
- mentoring and development of current and future leaders in the college;
- public relations that influence, communicate, and broaden the understanding of college programs and initiatives;
- participation and/or leadership in grant-supported outreach with partnerships;
- recruitment and retention of students in programs of the college;
- clinical (counseling, supervision, assessment, consultation) services for professional and community members.
Outstanding Administrative Staff Award
This award honors the outstanding professional work and accomplishments of an administrative staff person in The Patton College of Education. This award acknowledges exemplary contributions in the areas of professional service responsibilities, communication skills, teamwork, and self-development as demonstrated in one or more of the following areas or another area not mentioned below:
- made outstanding contributions to the mission and goals of the program in their works, as well as to the mission and goals of The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education;
- demonstrated an ability to be proactive and innovative in professional performance so that solutions and results were achieved within the nominee’s program responsibilities;
- demonstrated excellent communication skills with colleagues in carrying out responsibilities to include, but not be limited to being respectful, open-minded to a diversity of ideas, and encouraging of others;
- demonstrated a commitment to create a diverse and inclusive environment;
- responded to student needs (where appropriate) in a timely fashion; interacted well with students in a respectful manner;
- took opportunities for professional development and applied this to their work;
- initiated collaboration with faculty members in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education for a mutually beneficial purpose or outcome;
- contributed to and implemented “best practices” within their profession.
Outstanding Classified Staff Award
This award acknowledges exemplary contributions in the areas of professional service, communication skills, teamwork, and self-development as demonstrated in one or more of the following areas or another area not mentioned below:
- made outstanding contributions to the mission and goals of the program in which he/she/they works, as well as to the mission and goals of The Patton College of Education;
- demonstrated ability to be proactive and innovative in professional performance so that solutions and results were achieved;
- demonstrated excellent communication skills with colleagues in carrying out responsibilities to include, but not be limited to being open-minded to a diversity of ideas and encouraging others;
- demonstrated a commitment to create a diverse and inclusive environment;
- responded to faculty, staff, and student needs (where appropriate) in a timely and respectful manner including providing guidance and support;
- took opportunities for professional development and applied this to his/her/their work;
- interacted with, supervised, and mentored student workers.
Margaret Thompson Memorial Award
The Margaret Thompson Memorial Award is generated from an endowed fund. This award recognizes outstanding service provided by a classified staff member in The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education. It focuses on dedication and exceptional service to The Patton College in the classified staff member's area of expertise. An eligible nominee is any classified staff member who has served The Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education for at least five (5) years.