Faculty Recognition

There are a number of different ways that we recognize 51��'s exceptional faculty and scholars. These include the Excellence in Research Mentoring Awards and the Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards.

The Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSA) are 51��'s top honor for exceptional researchers and scholars in the arts, humanities and sciences, and celebrate their accomplishments over the course of a career. The New Faculty ORSA honors exceptional researchers at 51�� who are within seven years of first becoming an Assistant Professor.

Nomination due date for the 2026 ORSA awards is December 19, 2025.

The Provost's office holds an annual recognition ceremony honoring the recipients each April as a part of Faculty Appreciation Week.

To nominate a faculty member please review the nomination processes and complete . Applications are reviewed in three different areas according to this review process.

View previous winners.

Nomination Criteria

ORSA Review Criteria for Arts

Significant exhibits and/or performances (consider prestige of exhibitions/performance venues: local, regional, national, international, selectivity).
Books, book chapters, digital exhibits in nominee’s field.
Reviews and/or mention of work (prestige of publishing venue, number of reviews).
Invited lectures/talks/workshops.
Honors/grants/awards received (consider selectivity, impact).
Other accomplishments (e.g., leadership in prestigious professional organizations, membership in especially prestigious and selective groups).
Significance of impact in the respective field and/or larger communities.
Evidence of national and international reputation.

New Faculty ORSA Review Criteria for Arts

Significant exhibits and/or performances (consider prestige of exhibitions/performance venues: local, regional, national, international, selectivity).
Books, book chapters, digital exhibits in nominee’s field.
Reviews and/or mention of work (prestige of publishing venue, number of reviews).
Invited lectures/talks/workshops.
Honors/grants/awards received (consider selectivity, impact).
Other accomplishments (e.g., leadership in professional organizations, membership in especially prestigious and selective groups).
Significance of impact in the respective field and/or larger communities.
Evidence of national recognition/reputation.
Evidence of international recognition/reputation.

ORSA Review Criteria for Humanities

Quality of original research and scholarship, as measured by books, book chapters, journal publications, digital humanities projects in the nominee’s field.
Impact of research as measured by: invited talks and/or keynote addresses at major national and international conferences/meetings; other invited talks and lectures at different venues.
Evidence of grants and fellowships recognized for importance and impact in the humanities.
Broader appeal and impact in the nominee’s field and/or on society conveyed in terms that can be comprehended by URC/ORSA review panels.
External recognition or awards pertinent to nominee’s advanced career stage from well-recognized national and/or international organizations relevant to the discipline, including memberships, fellowships.
Prominent service of academic or scholastic nature at the national and/or international level.
Mentorship of future generations of productive scholars in nominee’s discipline.

New Faculty ORSA Review Criteria for Humanities

Evidence of scholarship activity that is distinct from mentors or early collaborators.
Growing evidence of quality of publications of original research and scholarship, as measured by books, book chapters, journal publications, digital humanities projects in the candidate’s field.
Impact of research as measured by: invited talks at national and international conferences, meetings and other institutions.
Evidence of early career awards or similar recognition from prominent organization in the nominee’s field.
Broader appeal and impact in the nominee’s field and/or on society conveyed in terms that can be comprehended by URC/New Faculty ORSA review panels.
Evidence of emerging service of academic or scholastic nature at the national and/or international level.
Engagement of students in the nominee’s scholarly activities.

ORSA Review Criteria for Sciences

Quality of refereed publications of original research, as measured by reputation of publication venue -- journals, and conference proceedings (to the extent deemed important to the specific field); citations count from an established source (Google scholar, Web of Science, etc).
Impact of research as measured by: invited major talks at national and international conferences/meetings; talks at other institutions; substantial impact on theory, methodology, and/or application within the nominee’s scientific line of inquiry (e.g. driving of new research directions; data sets collected, archived and made available for subsequent/secondary research).
PI, co-PI and/or multi-institutional collaborative investigator on grants/fellowship awards from competitive extramural funding agencies, foundations, national/international institutes.
Broader appeal and impact in respective field and on society, conveyed in terms that can be comprehended by URC/ORSA review panels.
External recognition or awards/patents pertinent to nominee’s advanced career stage from national and/or international (scientific) organizations relevant to the discipline, including memberships, fellowships.
Prominent (research-related) service at the national and/or international level (e,g., editorial board of well-recognized scientific journals; standing membership on scientific review panels; significant administrative role in major scientific organizations; reviewer for funding agencies and reputable journals).
Impact of mentorship of future generations of productive scholars in nominee’s discipline (e.g., MS and Ph.D. students, undergraduate research students, high school students, post-docs).

New Faculty ORSA Review Criteria for Sciences

Clear evidence of ongoing and planned research program that is distinct from that of the nominee’s mentors or senior collaborators. Extent to which the nominee is uniquely poised to make substantial contributions to his/her research field in the future.
A growing and consistent record of publications in reputable refereed publication venue --journals, and conference proceedings (to the extent deemed important to the specific field).
Evidence of involvement and mentorship of students, post-docs in nominee’s research program.
PI, co-PI or collaborative participant on at least one active, nationally competitive grant.
Impact of research as measured by invited talks at national and international conferences, meetings, and other institutions.
Awards/recognition pertaining to early career achievement from major national or international scientific organizations.
Broader appeal and potential impact in respective field and on society, conveyed in terms that can be comprehended by URC/New faculty ORSA review panels.
Evidence of emerging service at the national and/or international level (e,g., standing membership on scientific review panels; reviewer for funding agencies and reputable journals; editorial board membership on major journals.

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