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The University will honor 21 individuals and one team of four this year as part of the annual Universitywide awards program. The awards honor outstanding performance in teaching, mentoring, librarianship, public service and staff support.
Seven faculty will receive the Distinguished Teaching Award, given to faculty who show "a mastery of their subject matter, intellectual rigor and a passion for teaching." This year's winners are Valerie Curtis-Newton, drama; Christina Fong, management & organization; Jonathan Mercer, political science; Stuart Reges, computer science & engineering; William Talbott, philosophy; P.V. (Sundar) Balakrishnan, business (Bothell); and Matthew Weinstein, education (Tacoma).
Two graduate teaching assistants – Andrew Cockrell, political science; and, Natasha Jones, human centered design & engineering -- will receive the Excellence in Teaching Award for demonstrating outstanding skills in the classroom.
David Takeuchi, social work, will receive the Marsha L. Landolt Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award, recognizing faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to the education and guidance of graduate students.
David Prince, student academic services in the College of Engineering, is the recipient of the James D. Clowes Award for the advancement of learning communities. The award recognizes a faculty or staff member who transforms undergraduate learning by creating or sustaining learning communities among students.
Four individual staff members and one team of four will receive Distinguished Staff Awards. The winners are Tanya Eng-Aquino, psychiatry & behavioral sciences; Ann Buscherfeld, political science; Ujima Donalson, professional & organizational development; Troy Swanson, campus engineering & operations; and the team of Lori Mitchell, Paul Ishizuka, Tammy Ayyoub and Charles Brown, CHARMS project leadership team (Clinical and Hospital Access Revenue Management System). These awards are given to staff who "contribute to the mission of their unit or the University, respond creatively to challenges, maintain the highest standards in their work, establish productive working relationships and promote a respectful and supportive workplace."
Tracy Harachi, social work, is the winner of the Outstanding Public Service Award, which is presented to a faculty or staff member to honor extensive local and/or national and international service. Also being honored for service is Morva McDonald, education, who will receive the S. Sterling Munro Public Service Teaching Award. The award is given to a faculty member demonstrating exemplary leadership in community-based instruction, including service learning, public service internships and community partnership projects.
Layne Goldsmith, art, is the winner of the Distinguished Contributions to Lifelong Learning Award, which is given to faculty who have taught for at least two years in non-degree programs sponsored by the UW and aimed at adults for professional development, personal interest or career redirection.
Nancy Huling, reference and research services, is this year’s Distinguished Librarian. The award recognizes excellence in librarianship, especially as it benefits the academic community through teaching, research, learning, and innovative approaches to practice.
Jane Lubchenco, the first woman administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is the winner of this year's Alumna Summa Laude Dignata, an award given not for recent work but for a lifetime record of achievement. It is the highest honor that the UW can bestow on a graduate. Lubchenco holds an Master of Science in zoology from the UW and a doctorate in ecology from Harvard.
Trish Bostrom, a volunteer for the UW Alumni Association, is being honored with the Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award. The award is given to individuals who make outstanding efforts on behalf of the association.
The University Faculty Lecturer will be announced later this spring. The David B. Thorud Leadership Awards will not be given this year.
The award winners will be honored during the special Awards of Excellence event, scheduled for 3:30-4:30 p.m. Thursday, June 9, in Meany Hall, with a reception to follow in the foyer. The ceremony is free and open to the public. UW Today will publish a special online awards issue profiling all the winners on June 2.
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