Award statuettes are provided to each winner, honoring their service to the UTSA community and beyond.
MARCH 19, 2024 — UTSA has announced this year’s University Excellence Awards (UEA) ceremony details and nominees. The annual program celebrates the achievements of Roadrunner faculty and staff, ranging from exceptional teaching and innovative research to exemplary team spirit and impactful advocacy.
This year’s UEA ceremony will be an in-person event that will take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 30, in the H-E-B Student Union Ballrooms (HSU 1.104/1.106) on the UTSA Main Campus.
The ceremony will feature UTSA President Taylor Eighmy, Heather Shipley, interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs; Veronica Salazar, executive vice president for business affairs and chief enterprise development officer, and representatives from the Faculty Senate and the Staff Senate.
UTSA’s University Excellence Awards encompass two categories:
The 2024 nominees are:
Recognizes tenured, tenure-track and fixed-term-track professors who are developing signature learning experiences for undergraduates.
Richard S. Howe Faculty Service Award
Recognizes full-time faculty (fixed-term track, tenure-track or tenured) who have shown exemplary commitment to UTSA undergraduates.
Teaching Excellence Award
Recognizes faculty whose command of their respective disciplines, teaching methodologies, communication skills and commitment to learning translate into a superior learning experience for students.
Core Curriculum Award
Recognizes distinguished performance in teaching one or a set of core curriculum courses during the academic year of the award; innovation and involvement in core development projects; and excellence in teaching as demonstrated by standard measures of performance.
University Service Award
Recognizes tenured and tenure-track faculty who are exemplary in their commitment to service within the university and whose service has had a major impact on UTSA students and/or faculty.
Advancing Globalization Award
Recognizes an individual or a team of faculty who have significantly expanded UTSA’s involvement in the global arena.
Innovation & Impact Award (I2)
Recognizes creative and innovative team projects of high impact which involve partnerships across boundaries (within UTSA and/or elsewhere) and have potential for future expansion.
Community Engagement Award
Recognizes faculty who are exemplary in their service and civic scholarship outside of the university, providing leadership and making significant contributions to the public good.
Research Achievement Award
Recognizes tenure and tenure-track faculty who have conducted high-quality, high-impact research that has or has potential to be translated into national and international recognition and has made a substantial contribution to the faculty member’s field.
Mentoring Award
Recognizes faculty who are exemplary in their commitment to mentoring within the university and whose service has had an impact on the opportunities and development of UTSA faculty by providing mentoring in critical areas such as teaching and research.
Performance, Creative, Production Award
Recognizes individuals whose performance, creative production or other related scholarly achievement in arts or design has manifested exceptional excellence and merit.
Darrell Balderrama and members of the Najim Center team pose on the orange carpet after they all won in 2023.
Richard S. Howe Service to Undergraduate Students Award
Recognizes staff who have shown exemplary commitment to UTSA undergraduates.
Leadership Award
Recognizes an individual who has promoted departmental and the university’s mission and goals through actions and job performance, demonstrated exceptional leadership ability, and fostered a positive and motivating work environment.
Rising Star Award
Recognizes a new employee with less than three years of continuous service with UTSA who has made significant contributions throughout the year to his or her area, or to the University community.
Extra Mile Award
Recognizes an individual with three years or more of continuous service with UTSA and who has taken the initiative to contribute to the success of UTSA through his or her outstanding contributions at work.
Team Spirit Award
Recognizes a group of employees who have demonstrated exceptional ability to foster collaboration, communication and cooperation among colleagues internal and/or external to their department.
Order of the Roadrunner
Recognizes an individual who demonstrates exemplary service and commitment to UTSA and the achievement of its goals through his or her actions throughout the year.
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