The Penn State Behrend Council of Fellows established the Faculty Research Award in 1982 to recognize that faculty member who, in the opinion of their peers, truly fills the role of an inspired, dedicated researcher.
"Research" is defined in HR-23 (Promotion and Tenure Procedures and Regulations) as: "The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishments – competence, usually demonstrated through publication, exhibition, performance, or presentation of scholarly papers, to carry out research or creative work of high quality and scholarly significance and the ability to train students in research methods and practice; evidence of thorough understanding of the field; maintenance of high levels of academic performance; recognized reputation in the subject matter field; evidence of continued professional growth and active contribution to professional organizations."
Eligibility: Any full-time faculty member who has completed two years or more of continuous full-time service as of the judging date is eligible for this award. Previous recipients of the award are ineligible for a period of five years. Recent recipients of this award include: Alicyn Rhoades (2019), Courtney Nagle (2020), Ozgun Demirag (2021), Omar Ashour (2022), and Blair Tuttle (2023).
Nomination Procedure: School directors shall solicit nominations annually from their respective faculty members. In addition to these nominations, any full-time faculty member of the college may nominate a colleague for the award via this nomination form, which will be sent to the appropriate school director. A nominee's body of work during the previous five to seven years will receive the highest emphasis, although the entire body of work while at the college will be considered. Self-nominations are not permitted. Mentoring of undergraduate student research will not be considered; however, publications/presentations which include undergraduate student collaborators will be.
Nomination Deadlines: This award nomination involves a two-step nomination process with two deadlines. Each sponsor must complete and submit this nomination form by the college each year, generally in the second full week of March. Nomination forms will be sent to the appropriate school director for consideration. Each school director will then forward a single nomination to the Chancellor's Office by the deadline established by the college in early April. Final nominations from school directors must include a completed nomination form, those sections of the nominee's curriculum vitae pertaining to "The Scholarship of Research and Creative Accomplishments," and a statement that includes a detailed discussion of the nominee's qualifications, the quality of publications, and scholarly reputation.
Award Announcement: The recipient of this award will be announced prior to commencement and will be posted to the Penn State Behrend website.