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Faculty Awards (2024)

The University of North Florida is proud of the academic and professional accomplishments of its faculty. The many personal and collaborative achievements noted here illustrate the commitment to teaching, scholarship, outreach, and research among members of the university community.

Distinguished Professor Award

The Distinguished Professor Award is presented annually to a University of North Florida faculty member who has a balanced record of distinction at UNF in all three areas of teaching, scholarship, and service. The award includes an honorarium of $6,000, a commemorative plaque, the listing of the recipient's name on a permanent University plaque, and an invitation to deliver the Academic Convocation address. This award is made possible through unrestricted gifts to the UNF Foundation, Inc.

Eligibility:

Any regular, full-time member of the UNF faculty who holds the rank of full or associate professor, is eligible for the award except for past recipients of the award and persons serving on the Screening Committee.

Distinguished Professor
Heather Barnes Truelove
Department of Psychology

Distinguished Professor Runner-Up
Lynne Arriale
School of Music

Presidential Professorships

Purpose: To recognize and facilitate the scholarly productivity of distinguished faculty.

Eligibility:

Selection Criteria -- Faculty members eligible for such appointment:

  1. must hold tenure at the rank of full Professor at the University of North Florida.
  2. must have a strong record of significant scholarly accomplishment in the form of publications, grants, collaborations, or any discipline-specific index of achievement.
  3. have never held a Presidential Professorship at the University of North Florida.

The John A. Delaney Endowed Presidential Professorship

Department of Biology

Delaney Presidential Professors


The Terry Presidential Professorship

Amy Lane (2022-2025)
Department of Chemistry

Terry Presidential Professors

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

The Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards (10) are to be given in the Spring in recognition of excellence in teaching achieved during the previous two academic years.

Eligibility:

Any full-time member of the UNF regular teaching faculty, who has held a regular faculty appointment at the rank of Laboratory Lecturer with "instructor-of-record" status, Senior Instructor, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, for the previous two academic years at UNF, and who has taught at least four (4) undergraduate courses during that time is eligible to be nominated for these awards.

Leidy Barrero
Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures

Mandi Barringer
Department of Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work

Michelle DeDeo
Department of Mathematics & Statistics

Trevor Dunn
Department of Art, Art History, & Design

Rachel Frieder
Department of Management

Indika Kahanda
School of Computing

Adrienne Lerner
Department of Political Science & Public Administration

Katryne Lukens-Bull
Department of Public Health

 Eirin McBride
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Andrea Venet
School of Music

Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award

The Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award is to be given annually in recognition of excellence in graduate teaching during the previous two academic years.

Eligibility:

Any full-time member of the UNF teaching faculty, who has held an in-rank faculty appointment and has been designated as graduate faculty for the previous two academic years at UNF, and who has taught at least three graduate courses during that time.

Amanda Pascale
Department of Leadership, School Counseling, & Sport Management

John White
Teaching, Learning, & Curriculum

Excellence in Online Teaching Award

The University of North Florida recognizes faculty who perform meritoriously in online teaching. To that end, the Excellence in Online Teaching Award shall be given annually in recognition of excellence in online teaching.

The award winner will receive an honorarium of $2,500 and a commemorative plaque. The award is funded by Digital Learning, which reserves the right not to provide the monetary award to any winner who is not a UNF employee at the time of UNF’s Annual Convocation.

Eligibility:

Any regular, full-time member or permanent part-time member of the UNF faculty, who holds an in-rank faculty appointment at UNF and meets the following requirements:

Maria Angeles Fernandez Cifuentes
Department of Languages, Literatures, & Cultures

Outstanding Adjunct Teaching Award

The University of North Florida recognizes the importance of adjunct faculty who perform meritoriously in teaching. To that end, the university has made appropriations for Outstanding Adjunct Teaching Awards to be given in the Spring semester in recognition of excellence in teaching achieved during the past three calendar (including summer) terms.


Eligibility:

Any member of the UNF adjunct teaching faculty or clinical adjunct with classroom responsibilities, who has held a faculty appointment as an adjunct instructor or clinical supervisor for at least one semester during each of the three previous calendar years at UNF, and who has taught at least six (6) courses/section during that time is eligible to be nominated for these awards. Clinical Supervision does not equate to course instruction for the purpose of this award. Former Full-time UNF faculty are not eligible for this award. No winner of an Outstanding Adjunct Teaching Award shall be eligible to win another Outstanding Adjunct Teaching Award until the FIFTH year following receipt of the last award.

Holly Adams
Department of English / Writing Center

Brianna Patterson
Leadership, School Counseling, & Sport Management

Audrey Sprenger
Sociology, Anthropology, & Social Work

Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award

The University of North Florida recognizes faculty members who perform meritoriously in scholarship. Therefore, four Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Awards are made possible through unrestricted gifts to the University of North Florida Foundation. The award includes an honorarium of $2,500 and a commemorative plaque.

Eligibility:

Any full time member of the University of North Florida faculty who has seven years of full-time regular employment at the University is eligible to be considered for an Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award. Time served in visiting and adjunct positions does not count toward eligibility.

Dale Casamatta
Department of Biology

Chris Kelso
Department of Physics

Gokan May
Department of Advanced Mfg & Materials Innovation

Community Engaged Scholarship Award

The University of North Florida wants to recognize faculty members who perform meritoriously in the area of Community Engaged Scholarship.

Eligibility:

Any full-time tenured or tenure-track member of the faculty is eligible to be considered for the Outstanding Faculty Community Engaged Scholarship Award.  No Community Engaged Scholarship awardee shall be eligible for another Outstanding Faculty Community Engaged Scholarship Award until the fifth year following the receipt of the last award.

Jenifer Ross
Department of Nutrition & Dietetics

Outstanding Faculty Service Award

The University of North Florida recognizes faculty members who perform meritoriously in service to the University, the community, and their profession, with a special emphasis on service to the University. Therefore, two Outstanding Faculty Service Awards are made possible through unrestricted gifts to the University of North Florida Foundation. The award includes an honorarium of $2,500 and a commemorative plaque.

Eligibility:

Any full time member of the University of North Florida faculty who has seven years of full-time regular employment at the University is eligible to be considered for an Outstanding Faculty Service Award. Time served in visiting and adjunct positions does not count toward eligibility.

Chita Lakshmi K Balasubramanian
Department of Physical Therapy

John White
Department of Teaching, Learning, & Curriculum