Each year, Rice honors members of the university community who have served students through outstanding teaching, dedication and service. Here are recipients of some of this year’s awards:
Nicolas Salgo Distinguished Teacher Award
The junior and senior classes bestowed upon Robert Werth, senior lecturer in sociology, Rice’s oldest teaching award: the Nicolas Salgo Distinguished Teacher Award. Created in 1966, the award is funded by the Salgo-Noren Foundation.
Presidential Award for Mentoring
The Presidential Award for Mentoring went to Eugenia Georges, professor of anthropology, Michael Wong, chair and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and Marcia O'Malley, the Thomas Michael Panos Family Professor of Mechanical Engineering. The award is given to faculty members who demonstrate a strong commitment to mentoring graduate or undergraduate students.
Charles Duncan Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement
Christopher Fagundes, associate professor of psychological sciences, and Genevera Allen, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, statistics and computer science, received the Duncan Award, which is presented by Rice deans upon the recommendation of senior faculty. It honors tenure-track or tenured faculty members who demonstrate outstanding performance in both teaching and scholarship.
Sophia Meyer Farb Prize for Teaching
Alden Marte-Wood, assistant professor of English, and Geoff Wehmeyer, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received the Sophia Meyer Farb Prize for Teaching. Given by Phi Beta Kappa, this award goes to a nontenured assistant professor or assistant teaching professor for outstanding teaching performance, as determined by student evaluations.
Sarah A. Burnett Teaching Prize in the Social Sciences
Diane Crossey, professor in the practice of sport management, and Werth have been awarded the Sarah A. Burnett Teaching Prize in the Social Sciences. Professor Emerita Sarah A. Burnett served on the psychology faculty for 40 years. During her time at Rice, she also served as dean of students and the vice president for student affairs. Her research focused on learning, memory and cognitive processes.
STC Teaching Award
Alumna Savannah Cofer '20 and Brown College senior Lily Wieland have been named winners of the Student-Taught Course (STC) Teaching Awards. The winners are selected by a committee of Center for Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellows and are determined by review of instructional materials and course evaluations.
Faculty Award for Excellence in University Service and Leadership
The recipients of the Faculty Award for Excellence in University Service and Leadership are Janet Braam, the Wiess Professor of BioSciences, and Chris Johns-Krull, professor of physics and astronomy. This award is bestowed annually on a faculty member or members making significant and distinctive contributions to the mission of Rice through exceptional university service and leadership.
Faculty Award for Excellence in Professional Service and Leadership
Rick Wilson, the Herbert S. Autrey Professor of Political Science and professor of statistics and psychology, is the recipient of the Faculty Award for Excellence in Professional Service and Leadership. This award is bestowed annually to a faculty member or members making significant contributions to the academic profession or to the wider community (local, national or international) through professional service and leadership.
Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, Teaching and Service
The Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, Teaching and Service was given to Caleb McDaniel, the Mary Gibbs Jones Professor of Humanities and department chair of history. This award is bestowed periodically on a faculty member or members who fulfill the Rice academic ideal by exhibiting exemplary achievement in all aspects of faculty responsibilities: research, teaching and service.
Teaching Award for Excellence in Inquiry-Based Learning
Lisa Lapinski, assistant professor of sculpture, and Molly Morgan, lecturer in anthropology, were chosen for the Teaching Award for Excellence in Inquiry-Based Learning. The award was established to bring attention to efforts across campus to fold inquiry and research into the curriculum; it recognizes faculty who demonstrate excellence in the use of inquiry-based learning methods in undergraduate teaching.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Excellence in Student Support
Ivan Rosa de Siqueira has won the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Excellence in Student Support. The award honors a graduate student who excelled in providing support to students as a teaching assistant. Any work teaching assistants do with students in a course, whether during class, recitations or office hours, is considered student support.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Excellence in Course Support
Lauren Warning is being recognized with the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award for Excellence in Course Support. The focus of this award is on substantive contributions to course design and delivery, such as contributions to the design of the syllabus, individual assignments, online tutorials or the delivery of various in-class lessons and activities.
Graduate Liberal Studies John Freeman Faculty Teaching Award and Faculty Mentoring Award
Dennis Huston, the Gladys Louise Fox Professor Emeritus of English, and Joseph Campana, the Alan Dugald McKillop Professor of English, are the recipients of the Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS) John Freeman Faculty Mentoring Award. The annual awards recognize two outstanding GLS faculty who make a significant contribution to the program or in the service of its students.
School of Engineering Award for Excellence in Teaching
Bilal Ghosn, lecturer in engineering, is the winner of the School of Engineering Award for Excellence in Teaching, which recognizes continued excellence in teaching and exemplary commitment to the education of undergraduate or graduate students.
Graduate Teaching Award for Independent Instruction
Melia Bonomo, postdoctoral research associate, and graduate student Baird Campbell have received the Graduate Teaching Award for Independent Instruction, which honors graduate students for outstanding work teaching their own undergraduate courses. Graduate student Kevin MacDonnell received honorable mention.
Marjorie Corcoran Award
Bonnie Bartel, the Ralph and Dorothy Looney Professor of BioSciences, and Carolyn Nichol, director of the Rice Office of STEM Engagement, have been honored with the Marjorie Corcoran Award. The award is given to a Rice faculty member who has made major contributions to the advancement of women or underrepresented minorities in STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — either in support of students at Rice or through local, state or national programs, with a particular commitment to engaged mentoring.