Call for Nominations

Deadline: Friday, March 29, 2024

The Student Research Support Program sponsors a faculty mentor award based on student nominations.  A panel of faculty and students will review the nominations and select 3-4 awards, from different areas.  The mentees will present the award to the mentor at the 2024 STARS event.

This award is intended to recognize demonstrated excellence in mentoring undergraduate researchers over a sustained period of time. At UIS, undergraduate research is broadly defined to include scholarly and creative activities. UIS values mentoring an undergraduate research student as an intensive teaching experience. This campus award is one way that UIS recognizes the quality of faculty mentoring of undergraduate research students. In particular, this award program:

• Celebrates a faculty member who actively mentors undergraduates in research—someone who helps undergraduate students to explore, inquire and engage in new knowledge creation by providing meaningful guidance and support,
• Recognizes a continuous, long-term commitment to undergraduate student research.

Eligibility

Nominees are UIS faculty members who

• Have advised and supervised a significant number of undergraduate student researchers over a sustained period of time,
• Have promoted the dissemination of knowledge by publishing, exhibiting, or presenting with their students, or by encouraging students to publish, exhibit, or present independently,
• Have not received the award during the previous three years, and
• Are themselves scholars, researchers, artists, or professionals with a demonstrated commitment to fostering the intellectual, creative, scholarly, or professional growth of their undergraduate students.

Nomination Process

• Nominations can only be initiated by undergraduate students.
• Self-nominations will not be considered.
• The student mentee must complete the nomination form with the following information:
  • Student Information: Name, Major, and Contact Information
  • Student Research Experience (s)
  • Mentor Information: Name, Department, and Contact Information
  • Student Statement: I have/had faculty as a research mentor for _____ semesters.
  • Nomination Draft: A short letter describing how the faculty mentor helped the student in the areas of 1. Academic Development, 2. Quality of Life, and 3. Professional Development. The student should provide at least a one-paragraph description for each of these three areas of evaluation. Be sure to review the detailed descriptions of the criteria below.

Award: A Plaque and recognition letter from Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Institutional Effectiveness. There will be up to four awards annually, with one each in different categories: Social Science, Natural Science, Business/Professions, Humanities/Arts.

Detailed Criteria

1. Academic development of the student: Nominated faculty has had a substantial influence on the academic and professional pursuits of the student that may include support for or co-authorship/co-production of funded research, publications, creative performances and products, and presentations at regional, national, and/or international conferences or performance venues.
2. Quality of life for the student: Nominated faculty provides a supportive environment for students and cares about their psychological health and subjective well-being. S/he always has the best interests of the student at heart and has as his/her primary goal assisting the student to create a pathway to success.
3. Professional development of the student: Nominated faculty helps students acquire the skills and resources necessary to succeed as professionals in their fields. S/he, as a positive role model, prepares the student as a professional with deep personal integrity, high ethical standards, a solid commitment to inclusion and diversity, and achievable standards for personal excellence. S/he advances and enriches students’ long-term professional development—whatever career path the student may choose.

Evaluation Committee

The Evaluation Committee shall include both students and faculty members in equal percentages ( 50% each). The committee members will be selected by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Institutional Effectiveness, with the recommendations of the members of the Undergraduate Research Steering Committee.

We hope you will consider nominating your deserving faculty mentor for this prestigious award.  The deadline for receipt of nominations is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 29, 2024.  Nominations should be completed with the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award Nomination Form. For questions regarding the awards or award processes, please contact Dr. Lucía Vázquez at lvazq1@uis.edu.

Prior Awardees