Teaching Awards

Welcome to the Faculty Excellence landing page. Here, you will find the application and guidelines for the UIW Faculty Research Awards, which recognize outstanding scholarly contributions. You will also find information on the Presidential Teaching Award, honoring exceptional commitment to teaching and student success. These resources are provided to support and celebrate faculty achievements across our academic community.

CCVI Spirit Award

This award recognizes a member of the faculty, administration, or staff who has demonstrated in service to the University and/or to the broader civic community, the spirit of the founders, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

One award is given each year. Selection of the honoree is made by a committee of faculty, administrators, and persons chosen for the award in past years. In celebration of Incarnate Word Day, held annually in relation to March 25, the Feast of the Annunciation, the honoree is presented with an attractive piece of sculpture signifying the award. At the end of the award-year, the sculpture is passed on to the next nominee. The University also donates $500 to some ministry of the Congregation in honor of the nominee who determines the beneficiary. The nominee's name is placed on a permanent plaque displayed in the Administration Building.

CVI Spirit Award Nomination

Faculty Research Awards

Celebrates faculty who demonstrate outstanding achievement in teaching, research, and scholarly impact in support of student success and the university’s mission.

Faculty Endowment Research Award

These awards were established to provide limited support for new and ongoing faculty research projects. The goal is to encourage collaborative and individual research efforts. Applications may propose budgets for supplies, books, equipment, and travel related to research and other expenses. Awards are not intended for travel to conferences. Awards are for research in a one-year period, from June 1 through May 31. Multi-year projects require submission of proposals each year for evaluation. Individuals or groups may apply for awards up to $3,000.

Faculty Workload Reassignment Award

These awards were established to provide full-time faculty the opportunity to seek reassignment of workload responsibilities (25 percent time) in support of individual research and scholarship objectives relevant to their personal growth or to pursue special projects relevant to their departments or College/Schools. Awards are granted for either the Fall or Spring semester. Twelve one-semester workload reassignments will be awarded as part of the annual competition.

Graduate Research Assistantship Award

These awards were established to provide faculty with research assistance for their scholarly endeavors leading to publication and to provide institutional financial support to graduate students within the context of a mentored research experience. The award is made for the Fall and Spring semesters, and any faculty member may re-apply for subsequent awards.

Feik School of Pharmacy Competitive Intramural Scientific Research Award

This competition was established to encourage individual and collaborative scientific/biomedical research efforts of UIW faculty. This award is intended to assist researchers in producing pilot data which will enable investigator(s) to compete for external funding competitions sponsored by the National Institute of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), or private foundations. Individuals or groups may apply for awards up to $10,000.

View applications and guidelines

Presidential Teaching Award

The annual Presidential Teaching Award acknowledges an individual who exemplifies excellence in teaching that leads to student engagement. Announcement of the recipient of this award will occur at the Faculty Appreciation Luncheon.

Each year faculty and students can nominate faculty for this award initiated by President Agnese to reward excellent teaching that leads to student engagement. A committee of past recipients and Piper Professors recommend finalists to the Provost who consults with the President who makes the final decision. A $5,000 stipend is given with this award. From the same pool of applicants, the Provost chooses for Legacy Teaching Awards three faculty who in their first five years of service at UIW demonstrate the degree of dedication to teaching and learning that joins them to the long legacy of teaching excellence that characterizes UIW. Each award is accompanied by a $500 stipend.

Eligibility and Criteria

  1. Candidates must be full-time faculty, have a minimum of 5 years at UIW, and demonstrate a record of teaching excellence.
  2. The primary characteristic the judges will consider is “an extraordinary dedication to teaching,” which should be demonstrated by excellence in the following areas:
    • Impact and involvement with students
    • A teaching approach that encourages student engagement

Nomination Process

  1. Nominations may be submitted online using the nomination form available at the UIW web site.
  2. Nominations must be accompanied by a rationale stating why the nominee is deserving of the award. Without this rationale, the nomination will be ineligible.
  3. Nominations will be accepted from both students and faculty colleagues. Each faculty application should have at least one or more student nominations. Given that this award is specifically for teaching, student nominations will be given greater value in the determination of the awardee.

Candidate requirements

  • Each candidate must submit a current vita and a short statement (no more than two pages) addressing the following areas:
    • Teaching philosophy
    • Methods to engage students
    • Examples of professional accomplishments of which you are most proud
  • Student course evaluations shall not be included in the application packet.
  • Nominee materials must be submitted electronically to the Provost's Office in Spring. Only complete packets will be forwarded for review.

Selection process

  • The selection committee comprised of the Provost and past recipients of this award will review all nominee materials. The chairperson of this committee will be selected by the committee at its first meeting.
  • The committee will review all submitted files and will forward three names to the President for final selection.
  • Announcement of the final selection will be made at the Faculty Appreciation at the end of the Spring semester.

The Award

The recipient of the Presidential Teaching Award receives a $5,000 stipend and a framed certificate presented by the President. Previous winners of the Presidential Teaching Award shall not be eligible for selection a second time. The awardee shall be selected by the Faculty Teaching Award Committee and must agree to become an active member of the committee for at least 5 years after selection.

Previous Awardees

  • 2005 - Dr. Roger Barnes
  • 2006 - Mr. William Gokelman
  • 2007 - Dr. Neeta Singh
  • 2008 - Dr. William Carleton
  • 2009 - Dr. Theresa Tiggeman
  • 2010 - Dr. Paul M. Lewis
  • 2011 - Dr. Lydia Andrade
  • 2012 - Dr. Jessica C. Kimmel
  • 2013 - Dr. Douglas A. Gilmour
  • 2014 - Dr. Brian McBurnett
  • 2015 - Dr. Scott Dittloff
  • 2016 - Dr. Laura Munoz
  • 2017 - Dr. Helmut Gottlieb
  • 2018 - Dr. Stefanie Boswell
  • 2019 - Dr. Lopita Nath
  • 2020 - Dr. Veronica Acosta
  • 2021 - Earl Harmsen
  • 2022 - Margaret Mitchell
  • 2023 - Dr. Trey Guinn
  • 2024 - Dr. Teresa Partridge

Presidential Teaching Award Nomination Form

The Mission Continues Faculty Awards

This is a series of five annual awards which are named for Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word who represent the values identified in the Mission: Innovation, Truth, Education, Service, and Faith. 

The Sr. Maria Goretti Zehr Innovation Award is given to a faculty member who is open to thoughtful innovation which serves material and spiritual needs. The Sr. Eleanor Ann Young Truth Award is given to a faculty member who seeks truth in the classroom and in scholarship. The Sr. Margaret Rose Palmer Education Award is given to the faculty member who engages students in the learning process. The Mother Columkille Colbert Service Award is given to a faculty member who embraces a global perspective and emphasizes social justice. The Sr. St. Pierre Cinquin Faith Award is given to a faculty member who is committed to educational excellence in the context of faith and fosters the values of UIW.

The Mission Continues Awards Criteria

The Moody Professorship

This award was established in 1971 at UIW and Our Lady of the Lake University through a grant made to the two institutions by the Moody Foundation. Each year a faculty member is named Moody Professor from each institution.

The awarding of the Moody Professorship reflects a high level of scholarship, teaching excellence, and community service attained by the recipient. This is the highest faculty honor bestowed by UIW. The Moody Professors must deliver two public lectures. At UIW, the Moody Professor also delivers the Graduation Address in December. The Moody Professor receives a stipend of $3000 and a faculty development award of $2000, which may be spent as they designate upon approval of the Provost.

The Piper Professor Award Nominee

Each College/School selects one faculty based on excellent teaching and overall contribution to UIW and the profession.

The Faculty Senate selects the UIW nominee who receives a $1,000 stipend and whose application is submitted to the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation for consideration as a finalist in the Texas competition.

The Robert J. Connelly Faculty Leadership Award

This award is given to a tenured faculty member with 15 or more years of faculty experience at UIW. 

The faculty member will have served as an exemplary leader of faculty as demonstrated by leadership service, mentoring, and peer counseling. A committee of past presidents of the Faculty Association/Senate review applications and make the final decision.