Faculty Awards

awards

The awards coordinated by the Dean's Office in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources recognize faculty and staff who advance the missions of the University in teaching, research and service.

We invite you to learn more about each award, past awardees, and nomination instructions.

For more information on the University-wide faculty awards coordinated by Central Administration (IDEA, ORCA, OTICA, UDTA), visit their recognitions and awards website.

Available Awards

University System Awards
  • OTICA
  • ORCA
  • IDEA
CASNR Awards
  • Lawrence Crowe Undergraduate Advisor
  • Graduate Student Advising
NACTA Awards
  • Distinguished Educator
  • John Deere
  • Teaching Scholar
  • Graduate Student Teaching
  • Teaching Award of Excellence
  • Educator Award
  • Murray Brown Leadership
  • Teaching Award of Merit
Holling Family Teaching Excellence Awards
Gamma Sigma Delta Awards
  • International Distinguished Service to Agriculture
  • Teaching
University of Nebraska–Lincoln  Faculty Awards
  • UNL Student Foundation/Builders for Outstanding Advising
  • Distinguished Teaching
  • Distinguished Educational Service
  • Edgerton Junior Faculty Award
  • James V. Griesen for Exemplary Service to Students
  • Academy of Distinguished Teachers
Faculty Senate Awards
  • James A. Lake Academic Freedom
  • Louise Pound-George Howard Distinguished Career
Nebraska Alumni Association Awards
  • Doc Elliot

UNL Parents Association
 
Nebraska Chapter Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award of Merit
USDA Higher Education Awards
US Council for Advancement of and Support of Education Nebraska Professor of the Year

University System Awards

OTICA Awards are presented each year in honor and recognition of meritorious and sustained records of excellence in teaching and creativity related to teaching to full-time faculty members of NU.

ORCA Awards are presented each year in honor of outstanding research or creative activity of national/international significance conducted by individual full-time faculty members at NU. The awards are given for a sustained record of excellent accomplishment in research or creative activity, rather than “meritorious service”. A major part of the work on which each nomination is based must have been done while the nominee has served at NU. Each nominee must still be engaged in research or other creative activity at the University to be eligible.

The IDEA Award is a university-wide faculty award recognizing faculty excellence in engagement and outreach. The award honors faculty members who extend their academic expertise beyond traditional boundaries of the university in ways that enrich the broader community. Faculty members are recognized for working with citizens, businesses, government and nonprofit organizations, other educational institutions, communities, or regions to develop new ideas, technologies, programs, or businesses that strengthen the region or community economically, educationally, or governmentally.

Lawrence K. Crowe Undergraduate Advisor Award

The Lawrence K. Crowe Outstanding Undergraduate Advising Award, established in 1983, recognizes a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions in undergraduate advising.

The Graduate Student Advising Award

The Graduate Student Advising Award acknowledges excellence and lasting impact relating to successful graduate research mentoring, individualized advising, distinguished scholarly/creative activity, and innovative pedagogy.

NACTA Awards

One of the central purposes of NACTA is to recognize those individuals whose efforts represent the very best in agricultural higher education. Thus, NACTA seeks to inspire all of us to achieve the highest levels of excellence. At the same time, NACTA seeks to encourage these colleagues to share with us their methods of achieving excellence. CASNR faculty and staff have been awarded many of the recognitions offered by NACTA.

  • Distinguished Educator Award
  • John Deere Award
  • Teaching Scholar Award
  • Graduate Student Teaching Award
  • Teaching Award of Excellence
  • Educator Award
  • Murray Brown Leadership Award
  • Teaching Award of Merit

Holling Family Teaching Excellence Awards

To recognize exceptional teaching in 2024, the Holling Family Teaching Excellence Awards will provide recognitions for Sustained Excellence in Teaching and Learning Faculty Awards (2 awards), Early Achievement Faculty Award (2 awards), and Graduate and Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Assistant Awards (2 awards). It will also provide two (2) Faculty Awards for Inclusive Excellence in Teaching and Learning.

In addition to the Holling Family Awards, CASNR will be recognizing a staff member for outstanding contributions in diversity and inclusive excellence in the College. One award will be provided.

Gamma Sigma Delta Awards

The honor society of agriculture, Gamma Sigma Delta, grants a variety of awards to those faculty, staff and researchers involved in service at their member institutions. CASNR faculty have previously been recognized with awards for Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture and for Teaching.

UNL Student Foundation/Builders Award for Outstanding Advising

The NU Foundation/Builders Award, established in 1987, recognizes faculty or advising staff who have demonstrated outstanding advising ability and have made a considerable contribution to the educational enrichment of UNL students.

Distinguished Teaching Award

Every year fifteen faculty members will be given distinguished teaching awards at Honors Convocation in the Spring. The College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources may nominate one full-time faculty member. The winner receives a $1000 cash award. Previous recipients are not eligible.

Distinguished Educational Service Award

The award recognizes outstanding performance by a faculty member. Nominees must have devoted at least 25 percent of their work to extension, continuing studies or educational service.

Edgerton Junior Faculty Award

Established in 2001, this award honors outstanding junior (pre-tenured) faculty in the third year of his or her appointment who has demonstrated creative research, extraordinary teaching abilities and academic promise. The award’s goal is to provide strong incentive to pre-tenure faculty to expand expertise and enhance learning at UNL.

James V. Griesen Award for Exemplary Service to Students

This award recognizes individuals who go beyond the performance of their assigned work, devoting extra time and effort in serving the needs of students. The award acknowledges extraordinary and sustained performance on behalf of students and was first bestowed in 1986. The award includes a $1,500 stipend. Any UNL employee is eligible for the award, and nominations may be made by any UNL student, faculty or staff member, or administrator. The award is named for Griesen, who served 20 years as UNL’s Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.

More Information

James A. Lake Academic Freedom Award

This award was established in 1980 to honor an individual who “helps preserve the most basic freedom of all, the freedom to seek and communicate truth”. Supported by a contribution from former Regent Ed Schwartzkopf, the award is given by the Faculty Senate based upon a nomination by the James A. Lake Academic Freedom Award Committee.

Louise Pound-George Howard Distinguished Career Award

This award was approved by the Faculty Senate in 1989 to recognize an individual whose career at UNL has made an exceptional contribution to the university community. This contribution may have been made through teaching, research or administrative service, or a combination of those activities.

Doc Elliot Award

Established in 1986 to honor a retired UNL faculty or staff member who has exhibited a record of exemplary service, whose caring has made a difference in the lives of students and alumni and who has gone beyond traditional expectations. Recipients must be former faculty or staff members of UNL who have been retired at least five years.

Academy of Distinguished Teachers

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln established the Academy of Distinguished Teachers in 1994. Twenty-one Academy members are to engage in activities to support teaching at UNL. Such activities may include (but were not limited to), speaking about teaching and pedagogy at department, college, campus, state, regional, and national meetings, allowing other faculty to observe one's teaching, and serving in an advisory capacity to the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on matters related to teaching at UNL. Members are selected by Academic Affairs and serve for their career at the University of Nebraska.

UNL Parents Association

The UNL Parents Association Award has been in place for twenty-seven years. The Parents Association solicits nominations through an annual mailing, asking parents to nominate a faculty or staff employee who has made a significant difference in their student’s life. Nominations include a short explanation of why the person was nominated. The awards provide positive feedback to campus faculty and staff about the work they do with students.

USDA Higher Education Awards

National Awards Program for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences

US Council for Advancement of and Support of Education Nebraska Professor of the Year

The U.S. Professors of the Year program salutes the most outstanding undergraduate instructors in the country—those who excel in teaching and positively influence the lives and careers of students. Sponsored by CASE and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, it is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring.

All undergraduate teachers in the United States, of any academic rank at any type of undergraduate institution, are eligible for the award. Entries are judged by top U.S. educators and other active participants in education.