Faculty Honors & Awards
College of Science Teaching & Advising Awards
The College of Science recognizes outstanding faculty and advisors who have made significant contributions to the University's teaching and advising mission.
Nominations for the 2025 Teaching & Advising Awards are now open. The deadline to submit nominations is July 1, 2025.
Distinguished Early-Career Teaching Award
In recognition of outstanding classroom (in-person or virtual) teaching at the undergraduate or graduate levels. Nominees should have less than ten years as members of the University of Arizona and should have demonstrated sustained commitment to high quality, inclusive teaching in a variety of settings.
Distinguished Career Teaching Award
In recognition of a long career as an outstanding classroom (in-person or virtual) teacher and mentor of students at different levels and in diverse settings. Nominees should have made important contributions to the educational efforts in their departments as recognized by their peers and current and past students.
Innovation in Teaching Award
In recognition of outstanding educational innovation developed and applied to course delivery whether in the classroom or in a virtual setting. For example: newly developed teaching aids and methods or innovative course designs. Special consideration will be given to innovations that have been formally evaluated to demonstrate their effectiveness in promoting student understanding, inclusion, and belonging.
Distinguished Achievement in Science Education Award
In recognition of outstanding contributions directed toward systematic improvement of science and mathematics education beyond the classroom. This includes scholarly works that make a contribution to improving teaching and learning. Amongst these are innovative courses, textbooks, materials, and activities that substantially impact the educational process in colleges and public schools.
Distinguished Mentoring Award
In recognition of demonstrated outstanding, extensive, and continuous involvement in student mentoring.
Distinguished Advising Award*
In recognition of demonstrated outstanding, extensive, and continuous involvement in undergraduate advising.
*Both faculty and advisors are eligible for this award.
Nomination Process
Nominations will be accepted for any teaching faculty (those designated as faculty by ABOR definitions).
*Professional Advisors may also be nominated for the Distinguished Advising Award.
Nominations must include the following materials for all nominees:
- Nomination letter from the department head
- Two to four supporting letters from faculty, students, or other appropriate individuals
- A personal statement of teaching/advising/educational philosophy (one-page maximum)
- Optional - A summary of other relevant accomplishments pertaining to teaching/advising/education, e.g., innovative adaptations of courses during the COVID-19 pandemic (two-page maximum).
When available, include these additional materials for nominees of the Distinguished Early-Career Teaching Award and the Distinguished Career Teaching Award:
- Peer observations for any course taught within the last three years.
- A summary of student comments for courses taught in the last three years (two-page maximum).
Submit a nomination on the Arizona Cultivate website.
2025 Teaching and Advising Award nominations are due July 1, 2025.
A committee of College of Science faculty will review the nominations and select one award recipient in each category. If there is an insufficient number of nominations for an award, the committee reserves the right to not make a selection for this year and reconsider the nomination(s) during the following year’s process.
Award recipients will receive a one-time $500 award and will be recognized during the Fall semester.
Previous Awardees
list of previous College of Science Teaching & Advising Award winners
Questions? Email Susan Bridgewater, College of Science Faculty Affairs Manager.
Rieke Prize
Through a generous gift from Marcia and George Rieke, this prize is intended to recognize and reward excellence in research demonstrated by faculty members in the College of Science. The awardee and up to three honorees of the Rieke Prize will be notified in the spring and formally recognized at the Galileo Circle Awards Dinner in April. The awardee will be presented with $10,000.
Nominations are open to tenure-track, continuing-track, and career-track faculty whose primary appointments are in the College of Science, and have served as a faculty member at the University of Arizona for at least seven years. Nomination packages will be evaluated with regard to excellence in research as evidenced, for example, by a strong record of peer-reviewed publications or outstanding project leadership. In addition to singular achievements, weight will be given to sustained productivity, duration of service to UA, and a strong record of service to their department, college, and/or profession.
Nominations will be accepted via Arizona Cultivate. The call for nominations will be announced in the Fall semester.
Galileo Circle Awards
For information about the Galileo Circle Awards, please contact Kasey Barghout, Assistant Director of Donor Stewardship and Alumni Engagement at (520) 621-7187 or kaseybarghout@arizona.edu.
External Awards
See the list of University Honors and Awards.
Please note: Several awards require a Dean's letter of support. For those awards, we ask that you send nomination materials to Brad Story (bstory@arizona.edu) no later than December 2, 2024 @5:00 pm to allow us to prepare any necessary documents (and provide a ranking if required).