The office of the provost administers numerous awards presented to faculty for excellence in teaching and advising.
David M. Darrin '40 Counseling Award
Established in 1974 by the late David M. Darrin ’40, this award is given annually to a member of the faculty who has made unusual contributions in the counseling of students. Mr. Darrin, Institute benefactor and former trustee, was a Presidential Counselor. Nominations are by students, and the recipient is chosen by Phalanx, the student honor society.
James M. Tien '66 Early Career Award
This award, in recognition of early career achievement, is funded and awarded by the faculty. Nominations are made by the faculty, and the recipient is chosen by the Faculty Committee on Honors. The award is given to a member of the faculty, who has been on the faculty at Rensselaer for a minimum of three years, and has a maximum of 10 years of professional experience. The award honors productivity in both teaching and research, with outstanding achievement in one of these areas.
Jerome Fischbach '38 Faculty Travel Award
Since 1963, this annual award has been funded by Jerome Fischbach ’38, to express appreciation for the many contributions faculty have made to the students. The award permits a member of the Rensselaer faculty, who has been actively associated with Rensselaer for 20 years or more, to participate in an international meeting as a representative of Rensselaer. The recipient is selected by the Faculty Committee on Honors.
William H. Wiley 1866 Distinguished Faculty Award
This award was established in 1977 by the late Edward P. Hamilton ’07, a 34-year trustee of Rensselaer. He set up an endowment in memory of his uncle, William H. Wiley, an alumnus of the Class of 1866. Nominations are made by the faculty, and the recipient is chosen by the Faculty Committee on Honors. The award is based on excellence in teaching, productive research, and interest in the totality of the educational process.
Rensselaer Alumni Association Teaching Award
The RAA Teaching Award was created in 1994 by its Board of Trustees, and is designed to recognize current members of the Rensselaer Faculty for their outstanding teaching techniques, contributions to the campus experience and commitment to the students. Candidates should practice creative and innovative teaching techniques, contribute toward improving the campus experience, be readily available to students, possess a warm, supportive attitude towards students, and treat students as valued colleagues within the community of scholars. Nominations may be made by any member of the Rensselaer Community, and the recipient is selected by the RAA Awards Committee.
Trustees' Outstanding Teacher Award
The Trustees’ Outstanding Teacher Award was established in 1994 through the generosity of several members of the Board of Trustees. Given annually, this award recognizes outstanding accomplishments in classroom instruction. Selection is made based on evidence of sustained outstanding teaching as reflected by student evaluations, peer evaluations and letters of support from colleagues, alumni and students. Nominations are sought from the Rensselaer Community and reviewed by a selection committee, with final selection made by the President.
Class of 1951 Teaching Awards
The Class of 1951 Outstanding Teaching Fellowship and Award were established by the members of the Class of 1951, at their 50th Class Reunion.
Class of 1951 Outstanding Teaching Development Grant
(nominations solicited in even years)
The Fellowship recognizes Rensselaer faculty members for their outstanding accomplishments in education. The purpose of this award is to provide support for deserving faculty who wish to experiment and/or develop new and novel methods for improving student learning. The award consists of a grant to be used for the development of new and novel teaching techniques and methodologies.
Class of 1951 Outstanding Teacher Award
(nominations solicited in odd years)
The goal of this award is to honor and reward Rensselaer faculty members for their accomplishments, and for outstanding performance in undergraduate teaching.