Below is a list of available recognition awards for UK students, staff, and faculty. Further staff awards are featured on the Outstanding Staff Awards page. Please review and consider making a nomination.
Annual Awards for UK Faculty, Students, & Staff
Faculty Awards
Chellgren Endowed Professorships
The University of Kentucky Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence endowment will fund five (number may vary) new professorships that will commence at the beginning of either the spring or fall semesters. Each professorship will be filled for a three-year, non-renewable term. The Chellgren Endowed Professorships are reserved for tenured UK faculty members who exhibit outstanding credentials as teachers and researchers with a deep interest in undergraduate excellence.
The mission of the Chellgren Center for Undergraduate Excellence is to advance UK’s commitment to three broad areas: student excellence, teaching excellence and program excellence. The objective is for the university to be nationally recognized as a beacon of undergraduate excellence. The Chellgren Center’s mission contributes to that objective by raising aspirations of UK students; assisting students in realizing their highest academic potential; inspiring progressive reform and innovation in teaching, learning and curriculum development; and fostering creative and productive collaborations across the many programs and departments engaged in the undergraduate mission.
To be named a Chellgren Endowed Professor, a faculty member must (1) assume a leadership assignment for a campuswide initiative or program of undergraduate excellence, or (2) propose an independent project that broadly addresses at least one of the following areas of emphasis that can enhance undergraduate education as reflected, in part, by improving retention and graduation rates:
- Development of new courses which may include those that incorporate cultural competency, collaborative learning, problem-solving, creative thinking and team building to enhance students’ skills and help prepare them for an ever-changing workplace.
- Identify and/or develop new undergraduate programs (including certificates, dual degrees, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary offerings) that will broaden student preparation and prepare students to be leaders and scholars in a diverse, global society.
- Revision of existing courses.
- Curricular reform which may include the integration of curricular and cocurricular activities designed to promote student engagement, diversity and retention.
- Creation of pedagogical innovations.
- Design and implementation of new assessment procedures which may include the assessment of student academic success, well-being and belonging.
- Identify, integrate and propose strategies to integrate high-impact practices throughout academic curricula and majors.
- Creation of new programs that strengthen collaboration between college-based programs and units in the Office for Student Success.
Each Chellgren Endowed Professor assumes responsibility for the following:
- conducting an educational project or accepting a leadership assignment for a program or initiative affiliated with the Chellgren Center;
- serving as an active member of the Chellgren Center faculty team by participating in regular discussions concerning educational excellence at UK;
- participating in candidate review committees for external scholarships; and
- presenting a public lecture that either describes the research project pursued during the tenure of the professorship or engages a topic pertinent to improving the UK undergraduate experience.
Eligibility: Any tenured faculty member at UK may apply with records of deep and sustained commitment to undergraduate education.
Application: A completed application must be submitted electronically to the Chellgren Endowed Professor Selection Committee via email to chellgrencenter@uky.edu no later than Nov. 1 (that was the date in 2022, check on the date in following years, if interested). The application must include the following:
- a letter of interest;
- an up-to-date brief academic resume or curriculum vitae (maximum three pages);
- a proposal for a project that clearly addresses one or more points of emphasis identified above (maximum three pages), or a description of a leadership assignment appropriate to the mission of the Chellgren Center (maximum two pages);
- the most recent teaching portfolio (which may be updated at the applicant’s discretion); and
- a letter of support from the applicant’s dean.
Selection of Endowed Professors: In consultation with the senior associate provost for administration and academic affairs, the provost shall appoint the Chellgren Endowed Professors from a list of finalists forwarded by the Chellgren Endowed Professor Search Committee.
Compensation: Each Chellgren Endowed Professorship carries a stipend of $5,000 annually during the term of the appointment, which may be used in any proportion for salary or research support. The preferred strategy is to fund professorships as overload assignments, but alternative strategies can be proposed in consultation with deans. With overload assignments additional compensation/research support is possible.
Announcement: New Chellgren Endowed Professors will be announced no later than Dec, 10, 2022 (may vary in future years).
Should you have any questions about the application process, please direct them to Isabel C. Escobar (Chellgren Endowed Chair): Isabel.Escobar@uky.edu.
Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards
The Sarah Bennett Holmes Award recognizes two female UK employees, one faculty member and one staff member, as well as a team of faculty, staff, and/or graduate students, for their contributions to issues that affect women at the University and across the Commonwealth. These awards bring recognition for efforts that would otherwise go unnoticed through typical channels. Award winners will receive a prize of $1000. All nominees will be recognized during the annual Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards luncheon in March.
Sarah Bennett Holmes, a distinguished former Dean of Women at the University of Kentucky, tirelessly championed the rights of women throughout her career. Widowed at a young age, Holmes raised four children while completing her own education. She then began a successful career at UK where she inspired young women to persevere in the face of hardship and pursue their career goals. Among her accomplishments, Holmes developed work programs for women during the Depression.
In her honor, the UK Women’s Forum created the Sarah Bennett Holmes Award. Since 1994, the annual Sarah Bennett Holmes Award has been bestowed upon female employees who have achieved professional and personal success while promoting the growth and well-being of all women at the University of Kentucky and beyond.
Who to Nominate: Recognizes two female UK employees, one faculty member and one staff member, as well as a team of faculty, staff, and/or graduate students, for their contributions to issues that affect women at UK and across the Commonwealth.
Due Date: February 14
Albert D. and Elizabeth H. Kirwan Memorial Prize
Who to Nominate: The Kirwan Prize is presented annually to a UK faculty member for outstanding contributions within the last four years for original research or creative scholarship.
Due Date: February 15
William B. Sturgill Award
Who to Nominate: The Sturgill Award is presented annually to a UK graduate faculty member for outstanding contributions to graduate education.
Due Date: February 15
William E. Lyons Award
The award is named for the late “Bill” Lyons, a former professor of political science and public administration, who during his much-admired tenure at UK served as director of the Martin School and chaired the political science department.
Those wishing to nominate a person for this award, which consists of an honorarium of $500 and a plaque, should submit a letter of nomination which includes information about the nominee’s career accomplishments and, especially, his or her service contributions to the university, the community and the state. Nominations must include the name, address, telephone number and email address of the nominator. If possible, please include a curriculum vitae or résumé of the person you nominate. All nominations should be submitted by mail or email to:
William E. Lyons Award Committee
419 Patterson Office Tower
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-00027
or
katie.sanders@uky.edu
Lyons, the award’s namesake, died in 1994. He is credited with crafting the charter which created a merged government for Lexington and Fayette County in the early 1970s. The Lexington Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) is now well into its fifth decade of existence.
Who to Nominate: The William E. Lyons Award is co-sponsored by the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration and the Department of Political Science, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. The annual honor is given to an individual associated with the university who has given outstanding service to UK, the community and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Due Date: March 1
Outstanding Faculty Teaching Awards
In 1990, the Chancellor’s Awards for Outstanding Teaching for Tenured and Nontenured Faculty and Teaching Assistants. In accordance with the reorganization of the university in 2002 the awards were renamed the Provost Awards for Outstanding Teaching. Qualities of dedication, imagination, creativity, inspiration, and concern for students are among the traits considered for this award. Awards are given for Outstanding Teaching Award for tenured faculty, Outstanding Teaching Award for Nontenured Faculty, and Outstanding Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants. (Agriculture, Arts & Sciences, College of B, Engin, College of Pharmacy).
Who to Nominate: Qualities of dedication, imagination, creativity, inspiration, and concern for students are among the traits considered for this award.
Due Date to Nominate Tenured and Nontenured Faculty: The deadline for faculty, staff and students to submit one-page initial nominations to the faculty member’s department chair (or school director) is 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20. The deadline for department chairs to submit their two-page formal nominations to the Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty Advancement is 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3.
Research & Creative Activities Awards
Purpose: The UK Research Strategic Plan specifies in Strategic Initiative 1, Action Step 3, to provide recurring funds to support grant programs for research, scholarship, and creative works in areas of excellence that are not traditionally amenable to external funding. To implement this action, the Office of Research will provide, on an annual basis, formulaically-derived funds to eligible units (nine-month colleges having Research and Development Expenditures < $10 million and faculty in humanities departments in the College of Arts and Sciences) for the following purposes:
- Support of summer salary for research by eligible faculty (criteria defined on page linked to below)
- Support for a broad range of research/creative activities.
As decisions on awarding of these research fellowships should align appropriately with unit research goals, the revised program shifts the responsibility for award decisions from central administration to eligible units.
Due Date: February 3
University Research Professorship Award
The College of Education’s Faculty and Student Recognition Committee is writing to provide clarification for nominations for the UK University Research Professor Awards, for which nominations are requested by Monday, February 15, 2022.
In a single Adobe PDF file, nomination materials for the award should include:
- Nomination Letter, from colleague or department chair
- Nominee’s CV
- Nominee’s 1-page research impact statement
- Nominee’s 1-page research prospectus
- 1-page Budget summary & justification
- 3 Samples of Scholarship
The single Adobe PDF file should be sent to Eric Thomas Weber (eric.t.weber@uky.edu) and Rachel Hammond (rachel.hammond@uky.edu).
The college-committee’s criteria and eligibility conditions for the award include:
a. The nominee shall be a scholar with a distinguished record of achievement in her/his field. This will generally mean that the individual has demonstrated, over at least the past five years, a distinguished record of scholarship or creative work within a discipline. This record may be demonstrated by (but is not limited to):
- Significant refereed publications
- Externally-funded research activity
- Awards and recognition
- Successful research mentoring
- Pattern of research collaboration
b. Nominee should have 30% research on their DOE.
c. The appointee will also have proposed an effective plan for research activity to be conducted during the one-year period of the award. This plan (with a $10,000 budget) should clarify the ways in which the activity will make further significant contributions to the scholar’s field.
SEC Faculty Achievement Award
The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards honor those with outstanding records in both teaching and research who serve as role models for junior faculty and students. To qualify for the award, an individual’s scholarly contribution or discoveries must be such that the faculty member has been acknowledged by colleagues within the discipline nationally or internationally. One Professor of the Year Award is given to the outstanding faculty member in the SEC, the monetary value of which is $20,000. In addition, one SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner from each SEC university will receive a $5,000 honorarium. The SEC Provosts comprise the selection committee charged with choosing the SEC Professor of the Year from among the SEC Faculty Achievement Award winners selected by each university. The SEC Professor of the Year Award is presented at the annual SEC Awards Dinner. Universities are also strongly encouraged to honor their own SEC Faculty Achievement Award winners on their campuses. The SEC Faculty Achievement Awards are one SEC academic program. The SEC supports and promotes collaborative programs and activities designed to highlight the teaching, research and service accomplishments of SEC students, faculty and staff, including related successes within the Conference’s intercollegiate athletics programs. It showcases these achievements on regional, national and international levels using digital and social media platforms.
Criteria for Selection of a Faculty Member
To be eligible for an SEC Faculty Achievement Award, a faculty member shall:
- Be a teacher/scholar at the SEC university;
- Have achieved the rank of full professor;
- Have a record of extraordinary teaching at the undergraduate and/or graduate level;
- Have an outstanding record of scholarship that is recognized nationally and/or internationally; and
- Not be a past SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner.
How to Nominate a Faculty Member
The SEC staff will electronically distribute nomination materials and instructions to the Provost, President/Chancellor or others at the university no later than the first Monday in October each year. (Universities may begin the process of identifying potential recipients earlier when appropriate.) 1.The Provost, who is the university administrator responsible for management of the SEC Faculty Achievement Awards program, shall submit a completed nomination application form and related materials to the SEC office by the deadline specified, typically the last business day in February.2.Each university may select one faculty member based on the criteria set forth by the SEC office.(The composition of the selection committee and the selection process shall be left to the discretion of the university.) This individual will be considered the SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner for the university and a nominee for the SEC Professor of the Year Award.3.After the university selects its SEC Faculty Achievement Award winner, the Provost shall ensure his or her completed nomination application form and related materials are submitted to the SEC by the deadline established, typically the last business day in February.4.In order to be considered for the SEC Professor of the Year Award, a completed nomination packet must be received electronically in the SEC office no later than 1:00 p.m. ET / 12:00p.m. CT on Friday, February 28, 2020.
It must include the following materials:
- The nomination application form completed and signed by the faculty member;
- The nomination application form signed by the university Provost;
- A curriculum vitae limited to five pages;
- A list of scholarly publications;
- A letter (limited to three pages) of recommendation from the university President or Chancellor addressed to the SEC Associate Commissioner for Academic Relations;
- A statement (limited to two, single-spaced pages) from the faculty member regarding the impact of his or her teaching/scholarship; and
- For publicity, a complete biographical sketch limited to 500 words and a current professional head shot (color; JPEG format; 300 dpi resolution and no less than 1500×2000 pixels)
Recommended Date for Materials
We recommend that potential nominees confer with their department chairs and start planning and assembling materials around October 15th for submission by around November 15th.
University of Kentucky Alumni Association Great Teacher Awards
In 1957, the Board of Directors of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association established awards to be presented annually to members of the university teaching and research staff who had achieved distinction in writing and/or research and teaching. In 1967, the award was modified to recognize faculty in the community college sector as well as the medical center and Lexington campus sectors. Nominated by student organizations, a select number of professors are chosen annually to receive the association’s Great Teacher Award.
Due Date: October 13th
Student Awards Nominated by Faculty, Staff, & Others
This section features awards for students, for which nominations are sought from faculty, staff, and others. Scholarships and other student awards are listed on the Student Scholarships and Awards page. In addition, graduate students can find more information about fellowship awards on the Graduate School Fellowships page.
Arvle and Turner Thacker Research Fund
The Arvle and Ellen Thacker Turner Research Fund was established to provide mini-grants in support of the research efforts of doctoral graduate students in the College of Education. Grants of up to $1,000 are available to College of Education doctoral candidates who have passed their qualifying examination and are working on their dissertation. Letter of study approval from dissertation committee chair is required at the time of award. The College of Education’s Student & Faculty Recognition Committee will review the applications and make the awards.
Limited funds are available this year, but we anticipate awarding multiple grants in the fall semester and several more in the spring semester.
The application consists of the following:
- 2-page proposal (single spaced, Ariel font, minimum 11 point) to include:
- Student Name and ID Number
- Qualifying Exam Date
- Introduction and Statement of the Problem
- Significance
- Specific Aims
- Methods
- Plans to disseminate the findings
Other Items (not included in page limit maximum):- References (required)
- Appendix (optional)
- Tables (optional)
- Figures (optional)
- Detailed Budget with justification for expenses
- budget items such as salary, computers, tablets, and photocopying are not permissible
- examples of acceptable expenses include: mileage to classroom visits, travel fees to conferences, heart rate monitors, consumables for research (testing strips, alcohol swabs, etc.), flash drives, tripods, money to pay transcribers, etc.
- Letter of support from dissertation adviser
- Biosketch/vita/resume (choose one format)
It is expected that recipients of this scholarship will present their completed or work in progress at the annual Spring Research Conference sponsored by the University of Cincinnati, University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky.
The inclusion of monetary incentives for subjects in the budget for the Turner-Thacker dissertation awards will be allowed providing the use of the funds is approved by the IRB. If funds are approved for this purpose, you will need to present an approved IRB which includes the use of the incentives, to the College of Education Associate Dean for Research to release these funds.
Application Deadlines
* November 15 by 5:00 p.m. for fall funding
* March 15 by 5:00 p.m. for spring funding
Awards Notes
Winners are selected within two weeks after applications are due. Funds are available immediately after winners are announced. Funds can often be applied retroactively to recent dissertation expenses.
Please combine the proposal into one PDF in the order described above. Submit all application materials electronically to Eric Thomas Weber (eric.t.weber@uky.edu).
Sullivan Awards
Nominations for the 2021 Sullivan Awards, the University of Kentucky’s prestigious honor for inspirational humanitarian achievements by students and community members, are being accepted until Friday, February 26.
Three winners – two outstanding students from this year’s graduating class, and a distinguished community member – will be formally recognized in a ceremony in April. They will receive a Sullivan Medallion and a certificate signed by President Capilouto.
Students who are eligible to receive the 2021 award must have graduated no earlier than August 2020, or will graduate in May 2021. The community member must have a University of Kentucky connection as an employee, alumnus/alumna, or friend.
The criteria for selection, which put a premium on character, integrity, and humanitarian service, are written in the spirit of Algernon Sydney Sullivan, a Southerner, who became a prominent lawyer, businessman, and philanthropist in New York in the late 19th century. The guidelines state that “in the selection of the recipients, nothing shall be considered except the possession of such characteristics of heart, mind, and conduct as evince a spirit of love for helpfulness to other men and women.” Officially known as the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Awards, they were established by the New York Southern Society in 1925. UK has been recognizing Sullivan Award winners since 1927 and is one of several Southern universities that present Sullivan Awards, sponsored by the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Foundation.
Begin the nomination process by sending a letter of nomination to Dr. Phil Harling, chair of the Sullivan Committee, at harling@uky.edu. Letters should be 1 to 2 pages in length and should describe how the nominee meets the criteria set forth for the Award. (One letter only please, although it can be signed by more than one nominator).
For more information about the award, click the More Info button below to visit the UK Sullivan Award website.
Outstanding Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants
In 1990, the Chancellor’s Awards for Outstanding Teaching for Tenured and Nontenured Faculty and Teaching Assistants. In accordance with the reorganization of the university in 2002 the awards were renamed the Provost Awards for Outstanding Teaching. Qualities of dedication, imagination, creativity, inspiration, and concern for students are among the traits considered for this award. Awards are given for Outstanding Teaching Award for tenured faculty, Outstanding Teaching Award for Nontenured Faculty, and Outstanding Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants. (Agriculture, Arts & Sciences, College of B, Engin, College of Pharmacy).
Who to Nominate: Qualities of dedication, imagination, creativity, inspiration, and concern for students are among the traits considered for this award.
Due Date to nominate teaching assistants: The deadline for faculty, staff and students to submit one-page initial nominations to the faculty member’s (or teaching assistant’s) department chair (or school director) is 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20. The deadline for department chairs to submit their two-page formal nominations to the Office of the Associate Provost for Faculty Advancement is 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3.
Lyman T. Johnson Diversity Fellowship Award
Who to Nominate: First Year or Continuing Graduate Students
Due Date: TBD
The Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer Award (Students) and Torch of Excellence Award (Alumni)
L.T. Johnson Torch Bearer Award (Students): Select one African American student within your college whose academic achievement and ability to positively impact the lives of others would warrant him/her to receive this award.
L.T. Johnson Torch of Excellence Award (Alumni): Select one African American alum whose faith, hard work, and determination has positively impacted the lives of people on the UK campus, the city, state, or nation.
Deadline: September 30
K. Patricia Cross Awards
The K. Patricia Cross Future LeadersAwards recognize graduate students who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education and who are committed to academic innovation in the areas of equity, community engagement, and teaching and learning.The awards honor the work of the late K. Patricia Cross, professor emerita of higher education at the University of California–Berkeley.
Eligibility: All doctoral-level graduate students who are planning a career in higher education are eligible, regardless of academic discipline. Graduate students in fields where the master’s degree is the terminal degree, such as the MFA in art, are also eligible. Nominees must hold student status in January 2024 and demonstrate.
Submit Your Nomination
Omicron Delta Kappa Circle's Maurice A. Clay Awards
Nominations will be due in March.
See 2022 announcement of award winners.
Staff Awards
Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards
Who to Nominate: Recognizes two female UK employees, one faculty member and one staff member, for their contributions to issues that affect women at UK and across the Commonwealth.
Due Date: February 1
William E. Lyons Award
Who to Nominate: For a full time staff member at the University of Kentucky who is deemed to have made outstanding contributions to original research or (creative) scholarship within the last four academic years.
Due Date: March 1, 2020
Outstanding Staff Award
Who to Nominate: The Outstanding Staff Awards recognize staff members that have been given an award within their department on a university level.
Due Date: November 1st at 5pm