Faculty and staff awards

The College of Education recognizes its faculty and staff with several awards honoring outstanding performance and distinguished service within the last three years (including the current academic year). The recipients are honored each year with a stipend, plaque, and awards ceremony celebrating their accomplishments.

COE Awards

A list of the awards offered to faculty and staff in COE.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Award

This award is available to full-time faculty and staff and can recognize either an individual or a group. Examples of promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) may include, but are not limited to:

• DEIJ research and broad dissemination of research findings
• participation in existing programs that have led to the recruitment and retention of students and/or faculty
• implementing and/or directing DEIJ programs for an institution, organization, or committee
• engaging with and providing enrichment opportunities for communities that do not have access to resources or education programs

Award for Innovation 

The David A. Williams Award for Innovation recognizes an educator who builds on the former Dean of COE David Williams’ legacy of innovative ideas, research, and programs. Effective innovation provides students with exceptional learning experiences that are above and beyond what is expected in a traditional curriculum. All full-time faculty in COE are eligible for this nomination unless they have previously received this award. Please provide a detailed explanation of why your nominee should receive this award, describe the innovation, and discuss its significance and impact.

Previous recipients currently still on faculty include Chris Lanterman (2007), Pam Powell (2011), Gerald Wood (2012), Shadow Armfield (2013), Pit Kolodinsky (2015), Pat Peterson (2016), Kathy Bohan & Cynthia Conn (2017), Angelina Castagno (2018), Louise Lockard (2019), Gilbert Accelerated School Leader Partnership (2020), Marti Canipe (2021), and Claudia Rodas (2021).

Exceptional Service Award

This award acknowledges exceptional contributions by a faculty member or committee to the College of Education. All full-time faculty in the COE are eligible for nomination unless they have previously received the award, and one faculty member or committee will be recognized each year.

Please provide a description of the exceptional service provided by the nominee/committee in support of the mission of COE. This includes professional service to the college and/or NAU, our students, or service to the community. Please discuss its significance, outcomes, and impact. Service will be considered “exceptional” when it is above and beyond the expectations of the current job description.

Scholar of the Year

All full-time faculty including research professionals in the College of Education are eligible for nomination unless they have previously received this award. This award acknowledges individuals in COE who have been especially productive in their research, academic, or creative endeavors.

Please provide a detailed explanation of why you or your nominee should receive this award; describe the scholarship and discuss both its significance and how it has contributed to the faculty, unit, university, or discipline.

Extra Mile Service Award

This award acknowledges outstanding and distinguished contributions by a staff member to the College of Education. All benefit-eligible staff are eligible for nomination unless they have previously received this award.

Please provide a detailed description of the nominee’s outstanding work that went the “extra mile” in support of the mission of COE and discuss its significance and impact.

Commitment to Student Success

The Colleen Nobel Rice Service Award—Commitment to Student Success award was implemented by a former dean, Gypsy Denzine, to honor the outstanding service by Colleen Rice, a COE student advisor. All staff are eligible for nomination unless they have previously received this award, which recognizes outstanding employees focused on commitment to student success. Service will be considered outstanding when it is “above and beyond” the expectations of the current job description.

Former recipients include Colleen Rice (2011), Betty Russell (2012), Nancy Serenbetz (2013), Candy Holloway (2014), Laura Theimer (2015), Julie Ellsworth (2016), Janet Savery (2017), Marilee Eveleth (2018), Joanne Wood (2019), Nicole Bies-Hernandez (2020), Selita Mitchell (2021), and Roxie Jacobsen (2021).