CEMS Faculty and Staff Awards

The Wiggans Innovation in Teaching Award is given to a CEMS faculty member who has exhibited a commitment to innovation and excellence in the classroom. Evidence of teaching innovation and excellence may include, but are not limited to:

• Record of positive student and peer observation of teaching effectiveness
• Record of engagement in professional development opportunities for teaching and learning
• Development or use of new, evidence-based teaching approaches, including those that promote student engagement and accessibility of the content and materials to all students
• Scholarship of Teaching and Learning projects or educational research in the discipline, as evidenced by measurable outcomes in the classroom or program, membership and presentations at professional educational societies, publications, and/or external grants

Faculty are nominated by their peers or department chairs and selected by the Dean based on the recommendations of the faculty council.

Previous Award Winners: 

Joseph Kudrle (2013), Will Louisos (2014), Jackie Horton (2015), Cathy Bliss (2016), Priyantha Wijesinghe (2017), Lisa Dion and Sheila Weaver (2019), Karen Benway (2021), Amber Doiron (2022), Bree Mathon (2023), David Jangraw (2024), Jim Kay (2025)

The Excellence in Research Awards are given to CEMS faculty members (up to two awards each year – one tenure track assistant professor, and one research or tenured professor) who have achieved excellence in research as measured by their external publications and presentations, citations, grants, awards, and other scholarship.

Faculty are nominated by their peers or department chairs and selected by the Dean based on the recommendations of the faculty council.

Previous Award Winners: 

Josh Bongard/Mary Dunlop (2013), Jianke Yang/Eric Hernandez (2014), Rachael Oldinski (2015), Doug Fletcher/Mads Almassalkhi (2016), Frederic Sansoz/Jim Bagrow (2017), Lisa Aultman-Hall (2019), Hamid Ossareh (2021), Tian Xia (2022), Safwan Wshah /Kristen Underwood (2023), Jeff Frolik /Nick Cheney (2024), Amber Doiron (2025)

The Excellence in Student Advising award is given to a CEMS faculty member or staff member for their outstanding commitment to and success in student advising.

Previous Award Winners: 

Joan Rosebush (2016), Ryan McGinnis (2017), Genevieve Anthony (2019), Matt Scarborough (2022), Dana Rowangould (2024), Jim Kay (2025)

The Outstanding Faculty Member award is given to a member of the CEMS faculty who should be commended for their all-around contributions to CEMS and their field in terms of teaching, service, and research. This is the college’s highest honor and may not be given every year, but is for those special occasions when a faculty member has truly achieved an outstanding level of internal respect and external impact.

Faculty are nominated by their peers or department chairs and selected by the Dean based on the recommendations of the faculty council.

Previous Award Winners: 

Jeff Marshall/Jeff Dinitz (2015), Dryver Huston (2016), Mandar Dewoolkar (2017), Chris Danforth (2019), Donna Rizzo (2022), Tian Xia (2025)

The Professional Service Award is given to a CEMS faculty member for their commitment to internal UVM service as measured by the impact of their service on the students of CEMS. This award may not be given every year as this is for particularly impactful service.

Faculty are nominated by their peers or department chairs and selected by the Dean based on the recommendations of the faculty council. 

Previous Award Winners: 

Sheila Weaver (2013), Joseph Kudrle (2014), Steve Titcomb (2015), Bob Erickson (2016), Will Louisos (2017), Courtney Giles (2021), Priyantha Wijesinghe (2022), Amber Doiron (2023), Krisan Geary (2024)

The staff award for innovation and creativity is given to a staff member who has been particularly creative or innovative in: developing more efficient processes, new facilities, improved advising, or other key components of CEMS.

Staff may be nominated by their colleagues, faculty, or department chairs and are selected by the Dean based on the recommendation of the Dean’s Office Senior Staff (who are not eligible).

Previous Award Winners: 

Karen Wright/Floyd Vilmont (2006), Joan Jordan (2007), Jim White (2008), Monika Ursiny (2009), Marnie Owen (2010), Penni French (2011), Karen Bernard (2012), Dawn Densmore (2013), Meghan Kelly (2014), Genevieve Anthony (2015), Sylvie Butel/Anthony Fouche (2016), Pattie McNatt (2017), Matt Manz (2019), Kiki Reno (2021), Amanda Stemple (2022), Penni French / Juniper Lovato (2023), Stephanie Glock (2025)

This award recognizes a staff member who, through their everyday actions, demonstrates the values outlined in Our Common Ground. They consistently model what it means to be compassionate, responsible, and an engaged member of our community. Their presence uplifts others, and their contributions help make our college a place of pride and belonging.

Our Common Ground Values:

• Respect – They listen, support, and care for others, creating an inclusive environment where all voices matter.
• Integrity – They act with honesty, fairness, and sincerity, taking responsibility and leading by ethical example.
• Innovation – They embrace change, learn from experience, and actively seek ways to improve and grow.
• Openness – They encourage the open exchange of ideas and promote collaboration across the community.
• Justice – They challenge injustice in all forms and work to ensure equity, dignity, and respect for every member of our campus.
• Responsibility – They are personally and collectively accountable, committed to upholding the principles that bind us together.

This staff member is a valued part of our community—and someone who truly values our community. They are thoughtful, welcoming, and consistently contribute to the positive, inclusive spirit of our college.

Previous Award Winners: 

Jess Romanelli (2025)