Faculty Awards
The Office of the Provost coordinates eight awards that recognize faculty excellence in research, teaching, and service to the University; signal milestone accomplishments and contributions across the disciplines; and celebrate outstanding members of the Notre Dame community. See below for award descriptions and nomination guidelines. Faculty, academic staff, and students are eligible to submit nominations for any of these awards, and renominations of eligible candidates are encouraged. For any questions about award nominations—including whether a prospective nominee meets the eligibility criteria—please contact Natalie Sargent, Director of Faculty Recognition.
2026 Faculty Award Winners
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Badih Assaf
Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Teaching
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Juan Del Valle
Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Teaching
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Roya Ghiaseddin
Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Teaching
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Peter Garnavich
Research Achievement Award
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Eric Jumper
Research Achievement Award
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Jennifer Tank
Research Achievement Award
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Ernest Morrell
President's Award
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Gerard F. Powers
Hesburgh Legacy Award
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Maria Holland
Dockweiler Award for Excellence in Advising
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Karen Richman
Dockweiler Award for Excellence in Advising
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Gina V. Shropshire
Dockweiler Award for Excellence in Advising
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Christopher Kolda
Faculty Award
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Mark Robison
Rev. Paul J. Foik, C.S.C., Award
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Giuseppe Mazzone
Thomas P. Madden Award
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University Faculty Awards
Rev. Edmund P. Joyce, C.S.C., Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Joyce Awards are the University’s most prestigious recognition of extraordinary achievement and sustained effectiveness in teaching undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional students. Joyce Award winners serve as mentors and exemplars of outstanding teachers across the disciplines. Up to three Joyce Award winners will be selected each year.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must have been employed as full-time members of the Notre Dame faculty for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020–21 academic year) and must currently be either:
- Tenured members of the tenured and tenure-track (T&TT) faculty, or
- Members of Notre Dame’s regular faculty in a category other than T&TT who have taught at least 10 undergraduate, graduate, and/or professional courses/sections in the past five years
All faculty who meet the above eligibility criteria and did not win a Joyce Award in 2024 are eligible for nomination—including faculty who won this award prior to 2024. Once a faculty member wins a Joyce Award following the Spring 2024 awards cycle, that faculty member will not be eligible for renomination.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Sustained teaching excellence
- Profound influence on students’ learning experience, such as through creative or innovative pedagogical approaches, and/or on the teaching skills of faculty peers
- Demonstrated commitment to continuous improvement in teaching and learning
Research Achievement Award
The Research Achievement Awards are the University’s most prestigious recognition of outstanding research achievements for faculty who have made significant contributions to scholarship in their disciplines, such as through publications in first-tier academic journals, and to the research and graduate education goals of the University. Up to three Research Achievement Award winners will be selected each year.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must have been employed as full-time, tenured members of the Notre Dame regular faculty for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year) and not have won the award at their current rank. Nominations may be made for individual or collaborative accomplishments.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Outstanding research achievement appropriate to the nominee’s rank (associate professor or full professor with tenure) and discipline(s)
- Pioneering, innovative, or groundbreaking approach to research that distinguishes it as noteworthy
- Research results published in a top-tier journal, or made public through a disciplinarily-relevant medium, within the past 24 months
President's Award
The President’s Award recognizes pioneering and visionary achievements in research, public impact, and/or creative endeavors that advance University goals. Special consideration will be given to nominations where faculty working together across academic units has enabled Notre Dame to address meaningful questions beyond a singular discipline. Up to one award will be made each year, whether for individual or collaborative achievements.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must have been employed as full-time members of the regular faculty or administration for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year).
Faculty who won this award prior to 2024 may be eligible for renomination if they meet the above criteria. Once a faculty member wins this award following the Spring 2024 awards cycle, that faculty member will not be eligible for renomination.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Exceptional achievement in research, public impact, and/or creative endeavor
- Alignment with University goals
- Meaningful and demonstrable engagement with pressing topics or issues that transcend a single discipline or methodological approach
Hesburgh Legacy Award
Building upon the legacy of Fr. Ted Hesburgh and his national and international leadership, this award celebrates and inspires meaningful academic contributions to social justice and peace, particularly on issues of strategic importance to the University, the Church, and the world. Up to one award will be made annually, whether for individual or collaborative achievements.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must have been employed as full-time members of the regular faculty or administration for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year).
Faculty who won this award prior to 2024—including past winners of the former Grenville Clark and/or Reinhold Niebuhr awards—may be eligible for renomination if they meet the above criteria. Once a faculty member wins this award following the Spring 2024 awards cycle, that faculty member will not be eligible for renomination.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Substantive academic contribution to issues of social justice and peace
- Sustained commitment to work that aligns with Notre Dame’s Catholic mission
- Impact that resonates beyond Notre Dame’s campus
Dockweiler Award for Excellence in Advising
The Dockweiler Awards recognize excellence in academic advising, as well as advising/support for student-athletes, as a key component of the Notre Dame student experience. Up to three Dockweiler Award winners will be selected each year.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must not have received the Dockweiler Award previously, have been employed as full-time members of the regular faculty or full-time academic staff for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year), and must have been employed within their current advising unit for at least 18 months prior to nomination.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Outstanding service in academic advising or career counseling
- Transformative and lasting impact on student advisees
- Positive impact on staff and/or faculty peers who also advise students
Faculty Award
The Faculty Award recognizes impactful and lasting service to the University of Notre Dame as a leader among faculty colleagues, including through mentorship of junior faculty; leadership as a department chair, director of undergraduate or graduate studies; service on a departmental or academic awards committee; and/or through demonstrated commitment to advancing Notre Dame colleagues for external recognition. Up to one Faculty Award winner will be selected annually.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must have been employed as full-time members of the regular faculty for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year).
Faculty who won this award prior to 2024 may be eligible for renomination if they meet the above criteria. Once a faculty member wins this award following the Spring 2024 awards cycle, that faculty member will not be eligible for renomination.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Sustained leadership among faculty colleagues
- Strong record of University service
- Commitment to assisting the professional development and/or recognition of junior colleagues
Rev. Paul J. Foik, C.S.C., Award
In honor of the director of the University library from 1912 to 1924, who also served as a leader in the library profession, the Rev. Paul J. Foik, C.S.C., Award recognizes a Library faculty member who has advanced the profession through personal scholarship, leadership in an external organization, or other national service or academic distinction. Up to one Foik Award winner will be selected annually.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must have been employed as members of the Library regular faculty for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year).
Faculty who won this award prior to 2024 may be eligible for renomination if they meet the above criteria. Once a faculty member wins this award following the Spring 2024 awards cycle, that faculty member will not be eligible for renomination.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Sustained leadership in the library profession
- Appropriate service in external organizations as an ambassador for Notre Dame
- Positive influence on Library faculty and staff colleagues as well as students, faculty, and staff more broadly
Thomas P. Madden Award
The Thomas P. Madden Award honors a faculty member who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in the teaching of first-year students. Up to one Madden Award winner will be selected annually.
Most Recent Honoree(s)
Eligibility
Eligible nominees must have been employed as members of the regular faculty for the last five years (since the start of the fall semester of the 2020-21 academic year).
Faculty who won this award prior to 2024 may be eligible for renomination if they meet the above criteria. Once a faculty member wins this award following the Spring 2024 awards cycle, that faculty member will not be eligible for renomination.
Primary Evaluation Criteria
Nominations must demonstrate:
- Sustained excellence in teaching courses for first-year students
- Substantive commitment to continuous improvement in pedagogy that engages and transforms first-year students
Nomination Guidelines
Faculty, academic staff, and students are eligible to submit nominations for any of these awards.
Nominations may be formatted either as letters (addressed to the relevant award committee), or as statements that fully address the evaluation criteria and overall purpose of the award. Nominations of fewer than 10 sentences or more than two pages will not be accepted. Nominators are encouraged to include the nominee's most recent CV whenever possible, although a CV is not required.
Nominations should not include privileged or confidential information, such as information from CIF reports; peer observations or teaching evaluations; or other material from reappointment, tenure, and promotion materials. This information will be removed if included in a nomination.
If you have any questions about these awards, or the process for nomination, please contact Natalie Sargent, Director of Faculty Recognition.
More faculty awards
See an expanded list of faculty awards presented by the University’s colleges and schools.