Awards of Professional Distinction are given at each commencement to persons who have made important contributions to their profession (link to current policy memo is: Current Policy Memo.

Dates of Commencement are posted on the Registrar home page under the sidebar “Calendars.” The URL is: Calendars. These calendars have been approved by the Board of Curators.

There is a process in which the candidates are selected and the Provost initiates that process and the committee notifies him of the candidates who have been selected. When notified, Department Chairs nominate individuals whom they feel have made important contributions to their profession. If you feel you know someone who should be considered for an Award of Professional Distinction, please contact the Department Chair in the appropriate degree granting department.

Only department chairs and their administrative assistants have access to enter information in the form which is then directed to the appropriate person. If you have questions or need access, please call the Provost Office at 573-341-6440.

Please complete the attached nomination form for each individual you wish to nominate. Be sure to complete each question. Nominations are due the first Monday of November to be considered for a commencement ceremony the following year.

Nominate

Thank you for your nominations.

Each Fall Missouri S&T Department Chairs are encouraged to nominate up to three outstanding young faculty-rank or equivalent level researchers, one in each of the three disciplinary categories: Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Life Sciences.  Full packets will be due to facultyaffairs@mst.edu by November 25^th. Please refer to the updated Blavatnik National Awards Nomination Guidelines for details on candidate eligibility and selection criteria, and the Nomination Materials and Instruction page for nomination material requirements and online submission instructions.

Nominees must:

• Have been born in or after 1983.*
• Hold a doctorate degree (PhD, DPhil, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.).
• Currently hold a tenured or tenure-track academic faculty position, or equivalent, at an invited institution in the United States.
• Currently conduct research as a principal investigator in one of the disciplinary categories in Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, or Chemical Sciences.

*Age-limit exceptions will be considered in exceptional circumstances upon a detailed written submission from the nominating institution received by the Academy at blavatnikawards@nyas.org no later than Wednesday, November 13^th, 2024. We strongly encourage institutions considering nominating a candidate born prior to 1983 to contact us as early as possible during the nomination period.

Please refer to the updated Blavatnik National Awards Nomination Guidelines for details on candidate eligibility and selection criteria, and the Nomination Materials and Instruction page for nomination material requirements and online submission instructions.  A flyer advertising the program is also available on our website.

The C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award recognizes a University of Missouri System faculty member who demonstrates commitment, dedication, and effectiveness in advancing the land-grant mission through extension, international education, and agricultural economics programs. The fellowship is presented to a faculty member who personifies the creativity, vision and leadership exhibited by the late Dr. C. Brice Ratchford, president emeritus of the University of Missouri System and dean of cooperative extension. The annual award is funded from a permanent endowment created with contributions from the Ratchford family and from numerous colleagues, friends and organizations in recognition of Dr. Ratchford’s memory.  The award is in the amount of $4,000, less applicable taxes.

Eligibility: The nominee must be a faculty member with the University of Missouri System. Nominations may be submitted for any University of Missouri System faculty member, based on or off-campus, active or emeritus, whose accomplishments exemplify Dr. Ratchford’s commitment to advancing the land-grant mission through extension, international education or agricultural economics programs. Nominations may be made by any member of the university community.

Selection: The Ratchford Fellow is named by the University of Missouri Board of Curators based upon recommendation by the president. The president is advised by a panel, which includes representatives from the University of Missouri System universities and off-campus faculty and Missouri citizens. The panel is chaired by UM System Chief Engagement Officer or his/her designee. 

Each year the Miner Alumni Association initiates a selection of the Class of ’42 Excellence in Teaching Award winner in the summer. The campus committee on effective teaching shall recommend the outstanding non-­tenured tenure track faculty member each year to receive the Class of' 42 Excellence in Teaching Award.

Click here for more details.

Governor's Award For Excellence In Teaching
The Governor's Award for Excellence in Teaching is designed to recognize faculty members at participating higher education institutions demonstrating a commitment to high-quality teaching and student success. 

Selection and Recognition 
All four UM System universities shall name a recipient of this award on an annual basis. 

Nomination and selection criteria, reviewed processes, and recognition are the purview of the universities and should be managed by the institution's Office of the Provost consistent with the timeline below. 

Timeline
Spring Semester: Nominations reviewed, and recipient selected

Last Day of Spring Semester: Recipient information (nomination packet, letters of support, ect.) due to UM Academic Affairs

June: Recipients recognized by the President at the Board of Curators meeting

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Established by the Secretary of State in 2003, these fellowships serve as an innovative model for engaging the American academic science, engineering, and medical communities in U.S. foreign policy and international development through a one-year immersive experience at the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Jefferson Science Fellowships are a mutually beneficial partnership between government and participating U.S. academic institutions. These fellowships are open to tenured, or similarly ranked, faculty from U.S. institutions of higher learning who are U.S. citizens. After successfully obtaining a security clearance, Fellows are embedded at the U.S. Department of State or USAID where they can expect to learn the foreign policy and international development process while contributing their technical expertise to policy formulation and implementation.

Fellows can expect to become conversant in the operations and processes of the U.S. Department of State or USAID and will complement and enhance existing staff while being provided the opportunity to contribute their expertise on teams managing rapidly evolving foreign policy and international development issues. Fellow placements vary each year and are designed in consultation with host offices within the U.S. Department of State or USAID.

After completing the fellowship, faculty return to an academic career with a deeper understanding of the impact of science and technology in foreign policy, diplomacy, and international development to augment their research and teaching. Upon mutual agreement, Fellows may remain consultants for their host office, further strengthening the partnership between government and the U.S. academic community. 

Recruiting Fellows who reflect the American people is a high priority. America’s diversity is a source of strength that few countries can match. The more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible the diplomatic and international development communities are, the stronger, smarter, and more creative the response will be to the challenges of the 21st Century. Nominations are accepted in the Fall and more details will be announced when the nomination period opens.

The Thomas Jefferson Award recognizes faculty who rise above excellence and demonstrate clear distinction in teaching, research, writing, creative activities and service to the University of Missouri System and humankind. View a list of prior recipients.

Number of awards and award amounts: There will be up to one $10,000 award, less applicable taxes. The award also includes the Thomas Jefferson Cup.

Eligibility: Any faculty member at one of the four UM System universities with at least ten (10) years of service may be nominated. Active faculty only. Nominations will be accepted annually. 

Click here for more details.

Click here for more details.