Graduate Mentoring Awards
The Graduate and Professional School honors exemplary mentoring in the Texas A&M graduate community through its Outstanding Mentoring Awards. Awards are presented in two categories.
Outstanding Mentoring Award for Faculty
These awards seek to acknowledge and honor faculty who have enjoyed outstanding success in mentoring graduate and professional students at Texas A&M University. Awardees will be recognized at our annual mentoring celebration ceremony held each spring. We welcome all faculty ranks as nominations for this award: Academic Professional Track, Tenured, and Tenure Track.
Award
$750 and Framed Certificate
Eligibility
- Any full-time faculty member of Texas A&M University who has successfully mentored a cadre of graduate and professional students at the master’s or doctoral level.
- Nominees must have gained distinction as a mentor.
- Reputation for facilitating student learning by making complex ideas understandable and meaningful to students.
- Establishment and maintenance of high academic standards.
- Positive role modeling as a professional, with personal integrity, high ethical standards, and achievable standards for personal excellence.
- Consistent and ongoing guidance of students regarding resources within and outside the university, conflict resolution, and advocacy for completion of the program of study in a timely manner.
- Substantial influence on the academic and professional pursuits of students that may include funded research, co-authorship on publications, and co-presentations at national or international conferences.
- Embodiment of the competencies associated with successful mentoring including: maintaining effective communication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, fostering independence, promoting professional development, and supporting well-being.
- Nominees must have demonstrated continuing success as a mentor over a significant portion of their career.
Nomination Process
Faculty members must be nominated by their institutional colleagues; they may not nominate themselves. An academic department/program can nominate only one candidate per award cycle. Nominations should include the following materials and be submitted as a complete package by the end of the day on January 31:
- A summary (2-page maximum) of the nominee’s qualifications for the award.
- Abbreviated curriculum vitae of the nominee (8-page maximum).
- 3 letters of support (each letter is limited to 2 pages) from former graduate students attesting to the mentoring provided by the nominee. The letter writer must provide evidence of how the nominee contributed to the letter writer’s success and achievements.
- 2 letters of support from departmental colleagues (each letter is limited to 2 pages).
- A single PDF, electronic copy of the complete original nomination package must be submitted via email by the due date to gradmentoring@tamu.edu. No incomplete packets will be considered. Name the file: Outstanding_Mentoring_Award_LastName_FirstName_DepartmentName.pdf
Selection Process
Materials will be scored by a review committee appointed by the Dean of the Graduate and Professional School. Reviewers will be students, faculty, and administrators who engage with the mentoring academy programs on our campus.
Outstanding Mentoring Award for Graduate & Professional Students
These awards seek honor Graduate and Professional Students who have demonstrated outstanding success in mentoring undergraduate students or peers at Texas A&M University. Awardees will be recognized at our annual mentoring celebration ceremony held each spring. We welcome all graduate and professional students as nominations for this award who meet the eligibility criteria.
Award
$500 and Framed Certificate
Eligibility
- Any graduate and professional student who has been actively enrolled for at least one year, who has successfully mentored undergraduates and/or peers. Students must be currently enrolled (full-time or part-time), in good standing, and must be seeking a degree in a doctoral, master’s, or professional program at Texas A&M University.
- Distinguished record as a mentor of undergraduate students or peers, positively affecting academic, social, psychological, and career developmental outcomes.
- Reputation for facilitating student learning by making complex disciplinary ideas understandable and meaningful to students.
- Establishment and maintenance of high academic standards.
- Positive role modeling as a professional, with personal integrity, high ethical standards, and achievable standards for personal excellence.
- Exemplary, consistent and ongoing guidance of mentees regarding resources within and outside the university, conflict resolution, and advocacy.
- Substantial and positive influence on mentees’ academic and professional pursuits that may include teaching, research, co-authorship on publications, co-presentations at conferences, or other relevant scholarly activities.
- Embodiment of the competencies associated with successful mentoring including: maintaining effective communication, aligning expectations, assessing understanding, fostering independence, promoting professional development, and supporting well-being.
Nomination Process
An academic department or interdisciplinary degree program (IDP) can nominate only one candidate per award cycle; self-nominations are not accepted. Nominations should include the following materials and be submitted as a complete package by the end of the day on January 31:
- A summary (2-page maximum) of the nominee’s qualifications for the award.
- Abbreviated curriculum vitae of the nominee (8-page maximum).
- 3 letters of support (each letter is limited to 2 pages) from mentees attesting to the mentoring provided by the nominee. The letter writer must provide evidence of how the nominee contributed to the letter writer’s success and achievements.
- 2 letters of support from departmental colleagues which may include faculty, staff, and/or peers (each letter is limited to 2 pages).
- A single PDF, electronic copy of the complete original nomination package must be submitted via email by the due date to gradmentoring@tamu.edu. No incomplete packets will be considered. Name the file: Outstanding_Mentoring_Award_Student_LastName_FirstName_DepartmentName.pdf
Selection Process
Materials will be scored by a review committee appointed by the Dean of the Graduate and Professional School. Reviewers will be students, faculty, and administrators who engage with the mentoring academy programs on our campus.
Recognition
Award winners will be recognized at the Graduate and Professional School Awards Ceremony each spring.
Questions?
Please contact gradmentoring@tamu.edu.