Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students

The Award for Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students recognizes the dedication and mentoring shown by faculty members who helped guide their students through their academic and professional development.

Two awards in Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students will be given each year, one in each of the following discipline categories:

• Social Sciences, Humanities, Education, Business, Fine Arts, and Health Sciences
• Engineering, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Science, and Life Sciences

Faculty members can only be nominated for this award by individuals who graduated with their UCF doctoral degrees within 2024 (May, August, or December graduations) or by any UCF graduate faculty.

Criteria

The criteria to be assessed in making this award are as follows:

• How does the faculty mentor provide a supportive environment that facilitates the best performance and talents of his/her student(s) in their discipline?
• How does the faculty mentor prepare his/her student(s) to excel in their professional discipline? For example, how was the student prepared to establish his/her own record of scholarly activity or performance, obtain external fellowships or grants, deliver conference presentations, or engage in other professional development activities?
• What other qualities does the faculty member possess that contribute to his/her ability to be an outstanding mentor?
• Does the faculty mentor possess a record of achievement in successfully mentoring his/her students to the successful completion of their degree?

Nomination Process

Nominations must be submitted electronically to Dr. John Weishampel at gradawards@ucf.edu in the College of Graduate Studies for consideration for the Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Doctoral Students Award on or before 5:00 p.m. on January 17, 2025.

Nominations will be reviewed by a faculty committee and recommendations for the awards will be sent to the Interim Dean of the College of Graduate Studies, who makes the final selection and notifies recipients.

The nomination must include

• a nomination form
• a letter of nomination no longer than two pages describing why the individual is being nominated and how he/she fulfills the criteria of the award and demonstrates outstanding mentoring practices

The content of your nomination will be anonymous unless you give permission to quote from the statements.

Upon receipt of a nomination, the College of Graduate Studies will solicit a one-page statement of a personal philosophy about student mentoring from the nominated faculty member.

Award

The winner in each discipline category will receive a plaque, publicity and a cash award to be used for professional purposes at Founders Day in early April.

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Past Winners