Academic Senate Announces 2012-13 Faculty Awards

UC Merced’s Academic Senate recently announced the recipients of its distinguished faculty awards for 2012-13. Congratulations to all the winners:

David Ardell, School of Natural Sciences

Senate Faculty Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award

The award is intended to encourage and recognize individual excellence in teaching at the undergraduate level.

 Elliott Campbell, School of Engineering and

Laura Hamilton, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

Senate Award for Distinguished Early Career Research

The award, for non-tenured faculty, encourages and recognizes people for research and/or other creative activities that have had a major impact on the field, either through a sustained record of contributions or through a specific, highly influential contribution.

Tanya Golash-Boza, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

Senate Award for Distinguished Scholarly Public Service

The award honors a faculty member who has energetically and creatively applied his or her professional expertise and scholarship to benefit the local, regional, national or international community. The Distinguished Scholarly Public Service Award is based on the Senate’s confidence in the university’s tradition of excellence and demonstrates the commitment of the Merced campus to scholarly public service.

Rolf Johansson, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts

Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award for Non-Senate Lecturers

This award, given jointly by the Academic Senate and the Office of the Provost and Executive Chancellor, is intended to encourage and recognize the outstanding work of non-Senate lecturers in teaching undergraduates at UC Merced.

Valerie Leppert, School of Engineering

The Dr. Fred Spiess Award for Distinguished Service to the Academic Senate

The Spiess Award recognizes a faculty member who has performed outstanding service to the Academic Senate (campus and/or systemwide) and whose contributions have had a major impact on faculty governance. The award is named in honor of the late Fred Spiess, a UC San Diego alum who served as the first chair of the Merced Division Task Force, from 1998-2001.  

Rudy Ortiz, School of Natural Sciences

Senate Award for Distinction in Research

The award, for tenured faculty members, commends people for research and/or other creative activities that have had a major impact on their field, either through a sustained record of contributions or through a specific, highly influential contribution.
 

Nestor Oviedo, School of Natural Sciences

Senate Distinguished Graduate Teaching/Mentorship Award

The award recognizes individual excellence in teaching at the graduate level and mentorship of graduate students.