UC Riverside Academic Senate

Nominations for 2011-2012 Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievement

The Committee on Scholarships and Honors invites nominations for the following:

• Two awards for graduating seniors for outstanding research or creative activity

• Two awards for faculty members with an outstanding record of fostering undergraduate research or creative activity throughout their careers

Awards are announced in the spring. Each recipient is given a crystal trophy, a certificate, and a cash award.

Nominations for awards may come from department chairs or other faculty; for faculty awards, nominations also may come from students. At least one letter of recommendation from someone other than the nominator should be submitted with the nomination. Nominations for the student award should include a description of the project and any scholarly/creative activities associated with it, with attention to relevant selection criteria below. Nominations for the faculty award should include the names of some of the students mentored and the scholarly/creative accomplishments of the latter, with attention to relevant selection criteria below. Typically, faculty awards are made to those who have mentored undergraduate research and creative activity for several years.

• Please address nominations and letters of recommendation to Committee on Scholarships and Honors;

• Electronic submissions should be sent to sarah.miller@ucr.edu.

For more information about the awards or for a list of past winners, see http://senate.ucr.edu/awards/

Nominations due Friday, March 2, 2012, 5:00 p.m.

Guidelines for Nominations

Nominations for Students

Nominations for awards should include a description of the project and any scholarly/creative activities associated with it, with attention to relevant selection criteria below.

• Significance of student accomplishment: evidence of the quality of the student’s work, including its sophistication, originality and impact, as well as the degree of student independence in completing the work.
• Publications/contributions to publications: list of publications, if any; description of publication venues; explanation of student contributions to publications.
• Presentations at scholarly meetings OR exhibitions, performances, screenings: list of presentations, exhibitions, performances, screenings; descriptions of venues; descriptions of independent or collaborative scholarly or creative activities showcased (including the significance of the student’s contribution).
• Awards for scholarly/creative activity: list and descriptions of intramural and/or extramural awards orother forms of recognition and their significance.
• Admission to graduate programs: list of admissions.
• Challenges overcome: descriptions of any obstacles overcome in the completion of scholarly or creative activity, including disadvantages or underrepresentation in the field.

Nominations for Faculty

Nominations for awards may come from department chairs, other faculty, and/or students. Nominations should include the names of some of the students mentored and the scholarly/creative accomplishments of the latter, with attention to relevant selection criteria below.

• Quantity and quality of student mentoring: number of students mentored over a specific time period; extent and duration of mentoring interactions; evidence of quality of the mentoring (e.g., testimonials, descriptions of relevant activities and their impact on students).
• Student publications and/or contributions to publications: descriptions of student involvement in independent or collaborative research and/or authorship.
• Student scholarly presentations OR exhibitions, performances, screenings: descriptions of student scholarly or creative activities or contributions to faculty scholarly or creative activities.
• Student awards for scholarly/creative activity: list and descriptions of intramural and/or extramural awards or other forms of recognition and their significance.
• Student admission to graduate programs: descriptions of how faculty’s mentorship of student scholarly or creative activities contributed to their admission.
• Enhancing diversity in the field: evidence that faculty mentoring activities have promoted participation in the field by disadvantaged or underrepresented students.