This spring, UNMC will honor a faculty member who cultivates the professional growth of graduate students. The first-ever UNMC Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Graduate Students Award will be presented at the Annual Faculty Meeting, which will begin at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20, in the Durham Research Center’s Scott Auditorium. Outstanding Teaching Awards and the second annual Spirit of Community Service Award also will be presented at the meeting.
“The new award is intended to recognize a deserving graduate faculty member whose teaching doesn’t take place in a traditional classroom setting, but rather a more intimate setting with graduate students,” said Peter Gwilt, Ph.D., a College of Pharmacy faculty member who chairs the Honorary Degrees & Award Committee.
UNMC students and faculty may submit nominations for the 2004-2005 mentoring, teaching and community service awards. Nomination forms and selection criteria are available at the Faculty Senate Web site (https://info.unmc.edu/facsen/awards.htm). Nominations must be returned by March 15 to Martha Harmon (Campus ZIP 7820) in the Office of the Faculty Senate. With questions, she can be reached at 559-4457 or mharmon@unmc.edu.
In addition to the presentation of the awards, the Annual Faculty Meeting will include recognition of faculty members with 10, 20 and 30 years of service, as well as the annual address of Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D.
To be eligible for the new graduate faculty mentoring award, individuals must hold a full-time faculty appointment and mentor at least one graduate student at UNMC. The following are characteristics that nominees for the award should exhibit:
- Provides intellectual leadership;
- Actively guides student’s research and training; clearly articulates expectations and holds students accountable to high standards;
- Actively seeks support for student’s graduate study and research;
- Is supportive at a personal as well as a professional level and is a good advocate for graduate students;
- Is accessible for advice and assistance for his/her own students as well as other students;
- Provides a good model of professionalism;
- Is a developer of talents, research skills, teaching ability, presentations, writing, preparation of grant and fellowship applications;
- Actively involves students in professional conferences and publications; and,
- Helps students to “network” with other relevant professionals and faculty.