CAHNRS > Academics > About CAHNRS > College Awards > Faculty and Staff Awards

Faculty and Staff Awards

Award Descriptions

The Administrative Professional Excellence Staff Award recognizes contributions to a productive workplace through leadership and collegial activities, as well as professional and ethical behavior. These awards recognize the quality and quantity of the recipient’s work and contributions to the college’s mission, image, and goals.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Narrative specific to the nominee’s position of Administrative Professional Staff. It should be noted that only activities conducted after starting employment with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) are to be included in the nomination package. Tell us what makes this individual an outstanding nominee and why they deserve to win. This summary should not exceed three (3) single spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point).
  3. Letters of Support. These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  4. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The Administrative Professional and Technical Staff Award recognizes contributions to a productive workplace through leadership and collegial activities, as well as professional and ethical behavior. These awards recognize the quality and quantity of the recipient’s work and contributions to the college’s mission, image, and goals.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Narrative specific to the nominee’s position of Professional Technical Staff. It should be noted that only activities conducted after starting employment with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) are to be included in the nomination package. Tell us what makes this individual an outstanding nominee and why they deserve to win. This summary should not exceed three (3) single spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point).
  3. Letters of Support. These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  4. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The Classified Clerical/Fiscal Staff Excellence Award recognize contributions to a productive workplace through leadership and collegial activities, as well as professional and ethical behavior. These awards recognize the quality and quantity of the recipient’s work and contributions to the college’s mission, image, and goals.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Narrative specific to the nominee’s position of Classified Clerical/Fiscal Staff. It should be noted that only activities conducted after starting employment with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) are to be included in the nomination package. Tell us what makes this individual an outstanding nominee and why they deserve to win. This summary should not exceed three (3) single spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point).
  3. Letters of Support. These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  4. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The Classified Technical Staff Excellence Award recognizes contributions to a productive workplace through leadership and collegial activities, as well as professional and ethical behavior. These awards recognize the quality and quantity of the recipient’s work and contributions to the college’s mission, image, and goals.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Narrative specific to the nominee’s position of Classified Technical Staff. It should be noted that only activities conducted after starting employment with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) are to be included in the nomination package. Tell us what makes this individual an outstanding nominee and why they deserve to win. This summary should not exceed three (3) single spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point).
  3. Letters of Support. These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  4. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The CAHNRS Faculty in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes faculty who are actively participating in building inclusive spaces in their unit, college, or wider community. This award is presented annually and will consist of a certificate and a monetary award made to the selected individual’s administrative unit. Any faculty member whose current primary position is within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences is eligible. Nominations can be made by other faculty or staff. Those not selected as the awardee can be nominated again. Self-nominations will not be accepted, and previous awardees will be ineligible to receive the award again.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Summary
    1. Provide a narrative statement describe the individual’s exceptional contributions to inclusive community building done within the unit, college, or wider community.
    2. Demonstrates leadership skills
      1. Articulated a vision and plans for positive outcomes
      2. Motivates others
      3. Advances the CAHNRS DEI mission
    3. Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion
      1. Proven record of mentoring underrepresented faculty, staff, and/or students
      2. Proven efforts to promote and support diversity, equity, and inclusion
  3. Letters of Recommendation
    1. A maximum of two additional letters of support may address the nominee’s efforts in creating/continuing inclusive spaces within their unit, college, or wider community.
  4. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The CAHNRS staff in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence Award recognizes faculty who are actively participating in building inclusive spaces in their unit, college, or wider community. This award is presented annually and will consist of a certificate and a monetary award made to the selected individual’s administrative unit. Any staff member who current primary position is within the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences is eligible. Nominations can be made by other faculty or staff. Those not selected as the awardee can be nominated again. Self-nominations will not be accepted, and previous awardees will be ineligible to receive the award again.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Narrative specific to nominee’s position administrative professional, classified staff, or civil service position. It should be noted that only activities conducted after starting employment with the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences (CAHNRS) are to be included in the nomination package. The narrative summary should not exceed three (3) single spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point or similar).
    1. Brief description of job position, responsibilities, and clientele.
    2. Performance in nominee’s assigned duties (job excellence, initiative, creativity, proactive, continued self-improvement/education. Efficiency, timeliness, conscientiousness)
    3. Professionalism (motivational/mentor to others, ethical behavior, positive attitude, inspiration to others)
    4. Contribution to workplace inclusive community building (work being done to make CAHNRS a more inclusive space)
    5. What characteristics, not listed above, make this individual an outstanding nominee?
  3. Letters of Support (minimum 4 – maximum 7 letters)
    1. Department Chair/Director (required)
    2. Peers
    3. Current and former students/clientele. 
    4. Other
  4. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The purpose of this award is to acknowledge outstanding contributions in research, teaching and/or extension in any CAHNRS discipline during the early phases of a faculty member’s academic career.  Eligible candidates must have less than ten years of experience in a faculty appointment.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Summary: A narrative summary not exceeding three (3) single-spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point) detailing:
    1. Description of research, teaching and/or extension contributions. Specifically address the following aspects of selected categories:
      1. Quality, creativity and impact of teaching activities at the undergraduate or graduate levels.
      2. Effectiveness/influence of extension and public service activities.
      3. Significance and originality of basic or applied research/scholarly activities.
    2. Effectiveness as a mentor to undergraduates, graduate students, peers and/or public sector organizations.
    3. Contribution to enhancement of overall department, unit, or college:
      1. Leadership
      2. Collegial activities
      3. Service contributions
  3. Professional Achievements: List of the nominee’s most significant professional accomplishments, including awards and other professional achievements.
  4. Letters: These letters should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total.
  5. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The Excellence in Advising Award recognizes academic advisors that support student achievement.  From helping students select courses and academic majors to supporting club activities and providing assistance in securing internships and positions after graduation, advisors make invaluable contributions to their students’ college experiences. In 1987, the College’s Alumni Association began a tradition of recognizing the often-unrewarded efforts of these outstanding individuals.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty and Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Knowledge and Effectiveness of Advising (Formal): A tabular summary of average annual student formal advising load for most recent five (5) years, categorized as follows: Knowledge and Effectiveness of Advising (Formal) A tabular summary of average annual student formal advising load for most recent five (5) years, categorized as follows (if applicable):
    1. Certified Advisees
    2. Uncertified Advisees
    3. Graduate Students
    4. Student Club(s) Advised
    5. University or College Community Participation
  3. Letters of Support: These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  4. Vita (limited to two pages).
  5. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The CAHNRS Faculty Administrator Award recognizes and honors outstanding leadership and contributions by faculty administrators in the college. The award is presented annually and will consist of a plaque and a monetary award made to the selected individual’s administrative unit. Any faculty member whose current primary responsibility is administrative (i.e., leading a department, school, program, or center) in CAHNRS is eligible to be nominated for this award. Members of the Executive Leadership team (Dean, Associate Deans, and CFO) are excluded. Nominations may be made by faculty, staff, or other faculty administrators in CAHNRS. Those not selected may be nominated again. Self-nominations will not be accepted, and previous awardees will be ineligible to receive the award again.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Summary: Provide a narrative statement describing the individual’s exceptional contributions in the following categories:
    1. Demonstration of leadership skills.
      • articulates a vision and plans positive outcomes
      • motivates others, develops positive attitudes, and builds teams
      • skills in conflict management
      • advances the CAHNRS mission in research, teaching, and/or extension
      • promotes improved methods of communication between personnel
    2. Promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion.
      • proven record of mentoring underrepresented faculty, staff, and/or students
      • proven efforts to promote and support diversity, equity and inclusion within his/her unit
    3. Exceptional contributions to CAHNRS.
      • promotes cooperative efforts to further the mission and values of the college
      • demonstrated outstanding service to the college, university, and community
    4. Distinguished efforts in faculty and staff development.
      • recognizes and supports excellence in others
      • contributes to a supportive, team-oriented environment
      • mentors faculty and staff
    5. Development/fundraising efforts.
      • establishes close working relationships with the Development team and with donors
      • a history of personal philanthropy
      • evidence of academic entrepreneurship
  3. Letters: A maximum of two additional letters of support may address the nominee’s leadership accomplishments and contributions to the college, university, state, and nation.
  4. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The purpose of this award, is to recognize those activities defined as “research or creative scholarship” as embodied in the WSU Faculty Manual. This award will be given to an eligible faculty member for high-quality research or creative scholarship over the past three years or in recognition of a continuous record of scholarly accomplishments over a longer period of time.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Summary: A narrative summary not exceeding three (3) single-spaced pages detailing:
    1. Contribution of research or creative scholarship to their discipline or beyond.
    2. Impact of contributions to various clientele/audiences of the college.
    3. Quantity and quality of output – scholarly publishing, creative activities, extramural support.
    4. Contribution to the enhancement of overall department, unit, or college
      • Leadership
      • Collegial activities
      • External financial support
    5. It should be noted that only activities conducted after beginning employment with CAHNRS are to be included in the nomination package.
  3. It should be noted that only activities conducted after beginning employment with CAHNRS are to be included in the nomination package.
  4. Professional Achievements: Individual Award: List of the nominee’s most significant professional accomplishments, including awards and other professional achievements. Not to exceed one single-spaced page.
  5. Letters: These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  6. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The Faculty Excellence in Extension Award was established to recognize faculty with Extension appointments in CAHNRS for program innovation, scope, the impact of their programs, and leadership. These areas could include the development of new or innovative programs, expanded linkages with non-college organizations, or innovative program delivery.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Summary: A narrative summary not exceeding three (3) single-spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point) detailing:
    1. Program Innovation:
      • Establish or redefine new direction(s) for an ongoing program
      • Develop a new/innovative program effort
      • Initiate innovative program delivery
      • Expand program linkages with organizations outside of CAHNRS that greatly enhance the program
    2. Scope and Impact of Program:
      • Beyond what is expected and usual
      • Adoption and/or use by audiences
    3. Leadership:
      • Works well with colleagues within the organizations, willing to help
      • Seen as a leader outside the organization
    4. Level of Program:
      –Sustained program effort versus one large effort
  3. Professional Achievements: Individual Award: List of the nominee’s most significant professional accomplishments, including awards and other professional achievements.
  4. Letters: These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  5. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

As a result of CAHNRS commitment to the land-grant mission, we recognize the value of scholarly activities, which integrate the missions of teaching, research, and extension. Most awards recognize a single dimension of a faculty member’s program in isolation. This award is presented to an eligible faculty member for high-quality scholarly accomplishments, which demonstrate the integration of teaching, research, and/or extension programs.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Summary: A narrative summary not exceeding three (3) single-spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point) detailing:
    1. Innovation and creativity integrating applied research, extension, and/or teaching programs.
    2. Impact of research/extension/teaching contributions to various clientele/audiences.
    3. Quantity and quality of teaching activities (e.g., techniques and methods, teaching scholarship, teaching/learning assessment), research (e.g., scholarly publications, creative activities, extramural funding), and extension activities (e.g., workshops, publications, outcomes, assessment).
    It should be noted that only activities conducted after beginning employment with CAHNRS are to be included in the nomination package.
  3. Professional Achievements: Individual Award: List of the nominee’s most significant professional accomplishments, including awards and other professional achievements. Not to exceed one single-spaced page.
  4. Letters: These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  5. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The presentation of the R.M. Wade Award for Excellence in Teaching began in 1964 with the support of the R.M. Wade Foundation. It was established to give special recognition to outstanding teachers in the College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. The final selection is made by a committee of students and faculty.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Teaching Portfolio: A narrative compilation of the faculty member’s teaching and learning activities that should not exceed five (5) single-spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point). This is similar to the University format for tenure and promotion guidelines. The suggested outline format is listed below:
    1. Goals (future intentions and aspirations in teaching and learning)
    2. Responsibilities
      • Percentage of appointment devoted to teaching
      • Listing of courses recently taught, with credit hours and enrollment
      • Work with individual students (independent study, undergraduate research, supervision of postdoc.)
      • Advising (CACD, majors, student clubs, etc.)
      • Instructional innovations
      • Extraordinary efforts with special groups of students
      • Use of research in teaching
      • Out-of-class evaluation activities
      • Service on WSU, CAHNRS, or Departmental committees
      • Pursuing professional development (teaching)
      • Projects or potential projects requiring non-state funding
    3. Evaluations (do not include forms, but use narrative summary format)
      • Student evaluations
      • Measures of student learning
      • Peer evaluations
      • Teaching awards
      • Other evaluations
    4. Results
      • Student successes
      • Instructional materials
      • Contributions to the instruction of teaching
  3. Letters of Support: These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  4. Vita: (Limited to two pages)
  5. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

The College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences is committed to finding solutions to societal problems through the application of interdisciplinary approaches. This award will be presented to a group of faculty, staff, and/or students who have made significant contributions through an application of interdisciplinary scholarship in research, teaching, and/or extension.

Award Form Guidelines

  1. Fill out Faculty & Staff Nomination Form (pdf).
  2. Summary: A narrative summary not exceeding three (3) single-spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point) detailing:
    1. Quantity and quality of research, extension, and/or teaching contributions.
    2. Impact of team activities on the target audience(s).
    3. Clear evidence that the effective “product or output” of the team effort exceeds the simple sum of the parts contributed by individual members.
    4. Effective integration across disciplines, units, and functions of the college, university, and/or other relevant groups.
    5. Recognition by colleagues, professional groups, industry, public agencies, etc.
    It should be noted that only activities conducted after beginning employment with WSU are to be included in the nomination package.
  3. Professional Achievements: Team Award: List selected products emerging from the activities of the team, including awards or other professional achievements. Not to exceed two (2) single-spaced pages (Times New Roman, 12 point).
  4. Letters: These should be organized into categories — department chair/director (required), peers, current and former students/clientele or other with no more than two (2) letters in each category. If the chair or director nominated the individual, that letter can suffice for the required letter in this section. Do not exceed four (4) letters total. Letters of support should be included in the single PDF document.
  5. 150 Word Biography and High-Resolution photo.

Faculty & Staff Award Nomination Packets Due February 1st, 2024.

Submission Process

Please submit completed applications to cahnrs.majors@wsu.edu in a pdf format.

Award Process

Announcement – All employee candidates who have been nominated will be notified prior to the event of the decision. A formal announcement will be made at the Faculty Staff Awards Social, date to be determined. No other public announcements will be made until after the event.

Faculty & Staff Award Winners