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 Rebecca Schreib, assistant teaching professor of computer science, 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 Beatrice Riviere, the Noah Harding Chair and Professor of Computational Applied Mathematics and Operations Research; and Jeffrey Hartgerink, professor of chemistry and bioengineering. The award is given to faculty members who demonstrate a strong commitment to mentoring graduate or undergraduate students.
Charles W. Duncan Jr. Achievement Award for Outstanding Faculty
Kaden Hazzard, associate professor of physics and astronomy, and Sophie Esch, associate professor of modern and classical literatures and cultures, and director of the Center of Latin American and Latinx Studies 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
Rebecca Schreib, assistant teaching professor of computer science, 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
Christina Diaz, assistant professor of sociology, and Phil Kortum, professor of psychological sciences, have been awarded the Sarah A. Burnett Teaching Prize in the Social Sciences.
Sarofim Professor for Distinguished Teaching in the Humanities
Alden Marte-Wood, assistant professor of English, has received the Allison Sarofim Distinguished Teaching Professorship in the Humanities. The award is given to mentors of undergraduate theses or similar scale projects, graduate students’ directed readings or dissertations. It recognizes such one-on-one mentorship in the context of overall strong teaching in the faculty member’s regular courses.
STC Teaching Award
Undergraduates Evelyn Chiu and Nathanael Mathew have been named winners of the Student-Taught Course (STC) Teaching Awards. They were selected by a committee of Center for Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellows based on a 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 Jeff Fleisher, professor of anthropology, and Tracy Volz, director of the Activate Engineering Communication Program. 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
Fred Oswald, professor of psychological sciences and Herbert S. Autrey Chair in Social Sciences, 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 Cymene Howe, professor of anthropology, and Antonios Mikos, the Louis Calder Professor of Bioengineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. 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.
Graduate Teaching Award for Excellence in Student Support
Annie Finneran, a graduate student in the Department of BioSciences, has won the Graduate Teaching Award for Excellence in Student Support. The award honors a graduate student who excelled in providing support to students in the classroom, defined as any work done with students in a course whether during class, recitations or office hours.
Graduate Teaching Award for Excellence in Course Support
Eric Wuesthoff, is being recognized with the Graduate Teaching 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 Teaching Award for Independent Instruction
Eva Dicker and Fernando Liu Lopez have received the Graduate Teaching Award for Independent Instruction, which honors graduate students for outstanding work teaching their own undergraduate courses.
Graduate Liberal Studies John Freeman Faculty Teaching Award and Faculty Mentoring Award
Alejandro Chaoul, instructor in the Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, and Richard Baker, executive director for institutional equity and equal employment opportunity and Title IX coordinator, are the recipients of the Graduate Liberal Studies (GLS) John Freeman Faculty Mentoring Award. The annual award recognizes outstanding GLS faculty who make significant contributions to the program or in the service of its students.
Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Engineering
Laura Schaefer, Burton J. and Ann M. McMurtry Chair in Engineering, is the winner of the Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Engineering, which recognizes continued excellence in teaching and exemplary commitment to the education of undergraduate or graduate students.
Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Natural Sciences
The Award for Excellence in Teaching in the School of Natural Sciences has been won by Betul Orcan-Ekmekci, associate teaching professor in mathematics. This award recognizes excellence in teaching and outstanding commitment to the education of students in the School of Natural Sciences.
Marjorie Corcoran Award
Illya Hicks, professor of computational applied mathematics and operations research, has 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.
Provost’s Award for Outstanding Doctoral Adviser
The Provost’s Award for Outstanding Doctoral Adviser was won by Richard Lavenda, professor of composition and theory and director of graduate studies. The award honors faculty members’ mentorship of doctoral students who completed all degree requirements in the last 10 years. Emphasis is placed on the career paths students take, the professors’ placement of students and the professors’ influence as an adviser of both their own students and the students in the broader degree program.
Provost’s Award for Outstanding Early Career Achievement
Gökçe Günel, associate professor of anthropology, and Sylvia Dee, assistant professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences, have received the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Early Career Achievement, which recognizes faculty members’ contributions in research, scholarship and/or creative works within the first 10 years of their faculty appointment that have garnered public and/or professional accolades. The award not only celebrates current achievements, but also anticipates future excellence.
Provost’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Achievement
Aditya Mohite, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and materials science and nanoengineering, and Christopher Fagundes, professor of psychological sciences, have won the Provost’s Award for Outstanding Faculty Achievement, which honors faculty members who have made exceptional contributions in research, scholarship and/or creative works over the course of the last five years.
Exceptional Scholar Award for Sustained Excellence
Eduardo Salas, the Allyn R. and Gladys M. Cline Professor in Psychology, and Rebecca Richards-Kortum, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor of Bioengineering, received the Exceptional Scholar Award for Sustained Excellence. It is awarded every other year to senior faculty members who have made substantial and sustained contributions in research, scholarship or creative works.