The College of Education and Community Innovation Outstanding Mentor to Colleagues Award honors an individual's commitment to developing and fostering opportunities that expand access and remove barriers that prevent staff or other faculty from achieving their full potential.  Faculty-to-faculty, faculty-to-staff, or staff-to-staff mentorship.

Award Eligibility

Part-time and full-time tenured, tenure-track, affiliate, visitor, adjunct, administrative professional (AP), and professional support staff (PSS)

Award Criteria

This award is based on the following criteria, which are not ranked by order of importance or exhaustive:​

• Mentors colleagues in work, scholarship, teaching, service, and/or professional development.
• Goes beyond employment mentoring expectations.

Evaluation Rubric

2026 Outstanding Mentor to Colleagues Award Recipient

Diane Green-Smith
School of Social Work

PAST RECIPIENTS
Rick Vandermolen (2025)
Educational Leadership and Counseling

Mary Bair (2024)
Literacy, Educational Foundations, and Technology