2025 Faculty and Staff Awards Call for Nominations
The College of Arts and Humanities is accepting nominations for the 2025 College-wide Faculty and Staff Awards.
The Awards Selection Committee consists of members from each of the departments in our college, and we have attempted to balance the number of representatives from the Armstrong, Liberty, and Statesboro campuses.
General Guideline for All Nominations:
- Faculty who worked any semester of 2024 are eligible. Applications should consist of the following materials:
- A letter of nomination (no longer than one page typed in 12-point font) explaining the reasons the candidate is worthy of the award by addressing the criteria for the award outlined below.
- The candidate’s curriculum vitae (optional for staff awards)
- An additional piece of evidence* of the candidate’s choice further demonstrating their worthiness of the award is recommended, but not required. The additional piece of evidence can be, but is not limited to:
- A letter written by the candidate
- A current annual evaluation
- A creative work
- A website
- An accepted grant proposal
- A video.
- It is up to the candidate to decide how that one piece of evidence best demonstrates their outstanding characteristics. The one piece of evidence, however, may not be an entire portfolio. The evidence must be limited to one document, one website, one creative work, one video, or one artifact. If the document is in electronic form, the nominee must ensure the selection committee’s access to it.
- Links must be live, and privacy settings must be such that the committee members can view/hear the document.
- Links must be live, and privacy settings must be such that the committee members can view/hear the document.
To nominate someone or yourself, you must first submit your name and the name of the person being nominated by clicking or copy/pasting this link: https://forms.gle/GBNtv3AhJSoPAFV17
When the name is submitted, the nominated individual will be notified that they have been nominated, and they will be asked if they want to participate in the process. If so, then a dropbox will be made for the nominated individual and sent out to complete the process.
All nominations should be submitted via the Google Form link by midnight, Monday, March 24, 2025, and all materials for consideration must be submitted no later than midnight, Friday, March 28, 2025.
The awards will be announced at the CAH Faculty and Staff Meeting at the end of the Spring 2025 semester.
Awards of Distinction
All full-time staff, temporary, tenure-track, non-tenure track, lecturers at all ranks, and tenured faculty at all ranks who have completed at least one year of teaching or service at Georgia Southern University at the time of the nomination are eligible for these awards.
Staff Award for Distinction in Service
Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities staff members who have shown excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Making significant contributions to colleagues or staff in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide service.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
Faculty Award for Distinction in Service
Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities faculty members who have shown excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Making significant contributions to colleagues or staff in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide initiatives, such as interdisciplinary programs, first-year experience, undergraduate research, or the honors program.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
Faculty Award for Distinction in Teaching
Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities faculty members who have shown excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Making a significant impact on students’ academic progress, development of leadership skills, participation in research, admission to graduate schools, or overall college experience.
- Making significant contributions to students in the form of mentorship.
- Making important curricular and/or pedagogical advances through innovative methods, approaches, or technology uses in the classroom.
Faculty Award for Distinction in Scholarly and Creative Works
Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities faculty members who have shown excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Demonstrating successful grant activity.
- Producing significant peer-reviewed publications or creative juried projects that contribute to the discipline.
- Demonstrating substantial evidence of recognition in the disciplinary field.
Latest Recipients
- Teaching
- Dr. Olivia Carr Edenfield
Professor
Department of English
- Dr. Olivia Carr Edenfield
- Scholarship
- Dr. Amanda Konkle
Associate Professor
Department of English
- Dr. Amanda Konkle
- Service
- Ms. Karla Jennings
Lecturer
Department of Communication Arts
- Ms. Karla Jennings
Award of Excellence
Faculty Award of Excellence in the First Ten Years (ten years as cumulative credit awarded for teaching at GS)
All tenure-track, non-tenure track, lecturers at all ranks, and tenured faculty at all ranks who have completed at least one year of teaching at Georgia Southern University at the time of the nomination are eligible for this award. Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities faculty members who have shown excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Making significant contributions to colleagues or staff in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide initiatives, such as interdisciplinary programs, first-year experience, undergraduate research, or the honors program.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
- Making a significant impact on students’ academic progress, development of leadership skills, participation in research, admission to graduate schools, or overall college experience.
- Making significant contributions to students in the form of mentorship.
- Making important curricular and/or pedagogical advances through innovative methods, approaches, or technology uses in the classroom.
- Producing significant peer-reviewed publications or creative juried projects that contribute to the discipline.
- Demonstrating substantial evidence of recognition in the disciplinary field.
- Demonstrating successful grant activity.
Staff Award of Excellence in the First Ten Years
All CAH staff who have completed at least one year of service at Georgia Southern University at the time of the nomination are eligible for this award. Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities staff members who have shown excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Making significant contributions in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide initiatives, such as interdisciplinary programs, first-year experience, undergraduate research, or the honors program.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
- Making a significant impact on faculty or students’ overall college experience.
- Demonstrating substantial evidence of recognition in their field.
- Increasing morale of faculty, staff, and administration.
Faculty Award of Inclusive Excellence
All tenure-track, non-tenure track, lecturers at all ranks, and tenured faculty who have completed at least one year of teaching at Georgia Southern University at the time of the nomination are eligible for this award. Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities faculty members who have shown inclusive excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Making significant contributions to inclusion in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide inclusion initiatives, such as interdisciplinary programs, first-year experience, undergraduate research, or the honors program.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
- Making a significant impact on students’ inclusive college experience.
- Making important curricular and/or pedagogical advances toward inclusion through innovative methods, approaches, or technology uses in the classroom.
Staff Award of Inclusive Excellence
Staff at all ranks who have completed at least one year at Georgia Southern University at the time of the nomination are eligible for this award. Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities staff members who have shown inclusive excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Making significant contributions to inclusion in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide inclusion initiatives, such as interdisciplinary programs, first-year experience, undergraduate research, or the honors program.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
- Making a significant impact on students’ inclusive college experience.
- Making important curricular and/or pedagogical advances toward inclusion through innovative methods, approaches, or technology uses in the classroom.
Staff Award for Career Excellence
All staff at all ranks who have completed at least ten years of service at Georgia Southern University at the time of the nomination are eligible for this award. Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities staff members who have shown a career’s worth of excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Increasing morale of faculty, staff, and administration
- Making significant contributions in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide initiatives, such as interdisciplinary programs, first-year experience, undergraduate research, or the honors program.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
- Making a significant impact on faculty or students’ overall college experience.
- Demonstrating substantial evidence of recognition in their field.
Current and Past Awards of Excellence Recipients
- 2023 Daniel Larkin, Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
- 2022 Felicity Turner, Department of History
- 2021 Annie Mendenhall, Department of Writing & Linguistics
- 2020 Amanda Konkle, Assistant Professor, Department of Literature
- 2019 Daniel Pioske, Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
- 2017 Sarah McCarroll, Associate Professor, Department of Communication Arts
- 2016 April M. Scheuths, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- 2015 Laura Stambaugh, Associate Professor, Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music
- 2014 Bradley Sturz, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
- 2013 Dustin R. Anderson, Assistant Professor, Department of Literature/Philosophy
- 2012 John D. Thompson Assistant Professor, Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music
- 2011 Dr. Bryant Smalley, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology
- 2010 Dr. Krista Wiegand, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
- 2009 Dr. Jose Manuel Hidalgo, Assistant Professor, Department of World Languages and Cultures
Ruffin Cup Award
All tenure-track, non-tenure track, lecturers at all ranks, and tenured faculty at all ranks who have completed at least ten years of teaching at Georgia Southern University at the time of the nomination are eligible for this award. Although nominations for this award can be made from outside the college, those nominated must be College of Arts and Humanities faculty members who have shown a career’s worth of excellence in their contributions in this area of work. Such contributions might be demonstrated in (but not limited to) the following ways:
- Demonstrating successful grant activity.
- Making significant contributions to colleagues or staff in the form of mentorship.
- Making significant contributions to college-wide initiatives, such as interdisciplinary programs, first-year experience, undergraduate research, or the honors program.
- Showing significant innovation in helping the college or the department, the university, or the community carry out its mission.
- Making a significant impact on students’ academic progress, development of leadership skills, participation in research, admission to graduate schools, or overall college experience.
- Making significant contributions to students in the form of mentorship.
- Making important curricular and/or pedagogical advances through innovative methods, approaches, or technology uses in the classroom.
- Producing significant peer-reviewed publications or creative juried projects that contribute to the discipline.
- Demonstrating substantial evidence of recognition in the disciplinary field.
Current and Past Ruffin Cup Recipients
- 2023 Michael Pemberton, Department of English
- 2022 Carol Jamison, Department of English
- 2021 Kathleen Comerford, Department of History
- 2020 Maria Adamos, Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies
- 2019 Michael McGrath, Department of World Languages and Cultures
- 2017 Michael Nielsen, Department of Psychology
- 2016 William L. Smith, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- 2015 Douglass Thomson, Department of Literature & Philosophy
- 2014 Linda Cionitti, Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music
- 2013 Janie H. Wilson, Department of Psychology
- 2012 Craig H. Roell, Department of History
- 2011 Sandra Peacock, Department of History
- 2010 Bruce Little, Department of Art
- 2009 Eric Nelson, Department of Writing and Linguistics
- 2008 Janice Kennedy, Department of Psychology
- 2007 Gary Dartt, Department of Communication Arts
- 2006 David Alley, Department of World Languages and Cultures
- 2005 Vernon Egger, Department of History
- 2004 Richard Rogers, Department of Psychology
- 2003 Michael Braz, Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music
- 2002 Sue M. Moore, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- 2001 Jane Rhoades Hudak, Department of Art
- 2000 Walter J. Fraser, Department of History
- 1999 Margaret A. Lloyd, Department of Psychology
- 1998 John H. Daily, Department of Political Science
- 1997 George H. Shriver, Jr., Department of History
- 1996 Roger G. Branch, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
- 1995 C. Charlton Moseley, Department of History
- 1994 J. Norman Wells, Department of Mathematics and CSC
- 1993 Daniel B. Good, Department of Geology and Geography
- 1992 Gale A. Bishop, Department of Geology and Geography
- 1991 R. Frank Saunders, Jr., Department of History
- 1990 Lowell Bouma, Department of World Languages and Cultures
- 1989 G. Hewitt Joiner, Jr., Department of History
- 1988 John B. Humma, Department of Literature and Philosophy
- 1987 Hollis Cate, Department of Literature and Philosophy
- 1986 Sturgis McKeever, Department of Biology
- 1985 Lane Van Tassell, Department of Political Science
- 1984 Robert D. Ward, Department of History
- 1983 George A. Rogers, Department of History
- 1982 Donald A. Olewine, Department of Biology (posthumously)