Achievement Awards

The GPSC Appreciation Awards are designed to recognize outstanding achievement. With this in mind, your letter should include specific examples of the nominee's excellence. Judges will be looking for examples of activities that surpass those required of the nominee in his/her position. Nominations should address all criteria listed below if appropriate and may include others. Judging is based on the general criteria and the specific criteria listed below each of the awards.

*Nominations must be from UA Faculty, staff or Graduate/Professional Students, unless otherwise specified.

Three Awards Categories:

First Place: $150

Second Place: $100

Third Place: $75

Available Awards:

• Outstanding Faculty for Graduate/Professional Students
• Outstanding Administrative Advocate for Graduate/Professional Students
• Outstanding Research Assistant
• Outstanding Teaching Assistant
• Outstanding Administrative Graduate Assistant
• Outstanding Graduate/Professional Student Leadership

General Criteria for Awards:

• Makes special efforts to acknowledge excellence in others
• Improves awareness of, and respect for, underrepresented groups
• Takes positive steps to be inclusive and help persify the campus community
• Makes efforts to "build community"

Outstanding Faculty for Graduate/Professional Students

Nominee must be a faculty member who has made outstanding efforts to mentor and advise graduate or professional students in their college or department. The GPSC requests evidence that the nominee creates opportunities for the students that they work with to achieve excellence. We seek nominations who:

• Create opportunities for the graduate/professional students, faculty, and staff with whom they work to achieve excellence
• Demonstrate outstanding efforts of mentorship and develop mentees’ research and professional skills
• Mentor a wide persity of students
• Assist students to present and publish their work, to find financial aid, and to provide career guidance
• Offer psychological support, encouragement, and essential strategies for life in the scholarly community
• Demonstrate continued interest in the in pidual's professional advancement
   

Outstanding Administrative Advocate for Graduate/Professional Students
Nominee must be a staff member who has made outstanding efforts in advocating for graduate and professional students. We seek nominations who:

• Advocate for graduate and professional students
• Understand the needs of graduate and professional students
• Are available and accessible to graduate students
• Work as an effective liaison between graduate students and the graduate advisor
• Help students become aware of and follow regulations governing graduate degrees effectively
• Prevent and resolve student problems
• Carry out administrative functions effectively and efficiently
   

Outstanding Research Assistant
Nominee must be a graduate research assistant in the current fiscal year who has made outstanding contributions in his or her position. We seek nominations who:

• Demonstrate outstanding contributions to research
• Show continued professional growth as a researcher
• Demonstrate originality and imagination
• Offer research mentoring to peers and/or undergraduates
• Example(s) of scholarly achievements, publications, or programs
   

Outstanding Teaching Assistant
Nominee must be a graduate teaching assistant in the current fiscal year who has made outstanding contributions in his or her position. We seek nominations who:

• Demonstrate outstanding teaching practice
• Facilitate and inspire student learning
• Show continued improvement of teaching practice
• Provide psychological support, encouragement, and essential strategies for life to students
• Instill the desire to learn in students
• Sustain a high level of dedication to students
   

Outstanding Administrative Graduate Assistant
Nominee must be a graduate or professional student in the current fiscal year who has made outstanding efforts in providing administrative support to their respective unit/office. We seek nominations who:

• Carry out administrative functions effectively and efficiently;
• Understand the needs of graduate and professional students;
• Demonstrate commitment to excellence in the completion of tasks and duties;
• Work as an effective liaison between his/her office and graduate students;
• Take on responsibilities beyond their job requirement;
• Have a positive impact to the UA community.
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Outstanding Graduate/Professional Student Leadership
Nominee must be a currently enrolled graduate or professional student in the current fiscal year who has made outstanding effort to advocate on behalf of Graduate and Professional Students at the University of Arizona. We seek nominations who:

• Demonstrate leadership in a co-curricular endeavor
• Make exemplary contributions to a program/organization
• Help the program/organization grow through his/her leadership
• Have positively influenced a program/organization from behind the scene
• Demonstrate commitment to excellence in the completion of tasks and duties
• Have a positive impact to the UA community
• Have the ability to motivate self and others