School-wide Faculty/Staff Awards

The VUSE Award for Excellence in Teaching

This award is conveyed by the Dean of Engineering at the final faculty meeting each spring to a member of the VUSE faculty * who has made significant contribution to excellence in undergraduate or graduate instruction during the past year.

Evidence of such excellence may include: (1) high teaching ratings, (2) development of effective course materials, (3) well-received innovations in instructional methodology, (4) positive influence on curriculum, (5) influence on teachers within VUSE, elsewhere within the University, and outside Vanderbilt, (6) innovative and effective collaboration with faculty members outside VUSE.

This award does not replace the Tau Beta Pi teaching award or any other existing award.

  • List of VUSE Excellence in Teaching Award Recipients
    • 2001 Michael Goldfarb, ME
    • 2002 Kane Jennings, ChBE
    • 2003 Bob Galloway, BME
    • 2004 Cynthia Paschal, BME
    • 2005 Sanjiv Gokhale, CEE
    • 2006 Duco Jansen, BME
    • 2007 Amrutur Anilkumar, ME
    • 2008 Ron Schrimpf, EECS
    • 2009 Xenofon Koutsoukos, EECS
    • 2010 Clare McCabe, ChBE
    • 2011 Nilanjan Sarkar, ME
    • 2012 Gerald Roth, EECS
    • 2013 Lori Troxel, CEE
    • 2014 Robert Webster, ME
    • 2015 Doug Schmidt, EECS
    • 2016 Sharon Weiss, EECS
    • 2017 Russell Dunn, ChBE
    • 2018 Daniel Arena, EECS
    • 2019 Eric Barth, ME
    • 2020 Graham Hemingway, EECS
    • 2021 Mark Abkowitz, CEE
    • 2022 Ethan Lippmann, ChBE
    • 2023 Hiba Baroud, CEE

The Judith A. Pachtman Engineering Staff Award

This award is conveyed by the Dean of Engineering to at the final faculty meeting each spring a member of the VUSE staff  for contribution beyond the norm to the School of Engineering.

Excellence in staff service may include: (1) exceptional service to faculty, students, or other staff members, (2) innovations designed to enhance quality or save money, and (3) innovative professional service beyond the expectations of the job description.

  • List of Judith A. Pachtman Engineering Staff Award Recipients

    Prior to 2008, this award was the VUSE Award for Professionalism in Staff Service.

    • 2001 Jack Cannon, EECS
    • 2002 Margarita Talavera, ChBE
    • 2003 Jim Hightower, ME
    • 2004 Phil Davis, Machine Shop
    • 2005 Lewis Saettel, EECS/Dean's Office
    • 2006 Sharon Lowe, Dean's Office
    • 2007 Phil Vermeulen, IT
    • 2008 Steve Wadley, Student Services (*Judith A. Pachtman Award)
    • 2009 Janiece Harrison, Dean's Office
    • 2010 Gary Walker, ME
    • 2011 Linda Hurst Almas, Media Center
    • 2012 Mark Holmes, ChBE
    • 2013 Jean Miller, ME
    • 2014 Brenda Jordan, Student Services
    • 2015 Karen Page, CEE
    • 2016 Paul van Wulven, ME
    • 2017 John Dunbar, BME
    • 2018 Adam McKeever-Burgett, Student Services
    • 2019 Rossane Delapp, CEE
    • 2020 Kristy Kruse, Inst for Software Integrated Systems
    • 2021 Maya Nashabi, CEE
    • 2022 Maddie French, Office of Academic Services
    • 2023 Lesa Brown, CEE
    • 2023 Melody Kekez, ME

The Edward J. White Engineering Faculty Award for Excellence in Service

This award is conveyed by the Dean of Engineering to a member of the VUSE faculty * for contribution in service to the School of Engineering.

Excellence in service may include: (1) leadership in effective committee service, (2) outstanding contribution to student life outside the classroom,  (3) effective representation of engineering concerns in the councils of the University, (4) leadership in alumni and development activities, (5) leadership in industrial relations, (6) innovative contributions to public relations, (7) contribution to the infrastructural services of the School, (8) effective and documented contribution to recruitment of students, and (9) making a difference in the lives of students having serious academic or personal problems.

Edward J. White served as Associate Dean of the School of Engineering from 1987 through 1999. His service included many of the contributions for which this award is presented. Many students having academic or personal problems found the first step in solution of their difficulties was a visit with Dean White.

  • List of Edward J. White Engineering Faculty Award for Excellence in Service Recipients
    • 2000 Edward J. White, EECS
    • 2001 Ensign Johnson, EECS
    • 2002 John Veillette, CEE
    • 2003 Art Brodersen, EECS
    • 2004 Art Overholser, BME
    • 2005 Ken Debelak, ChBE
    • 2006 Larry Dowdy, EECS
    • 2007 George Cook, EECS
    • 2008 Rich Shiavi, BME
    • 2009 Robert Stammer, CEE
    • 2010 A. B. Bonds, EECS
    • 2011 Paul H. King, BME
    • 2012 Cynthia Paschal, BME
    • 2013 Joel Barnett, ME
    • 2014 Tom Withrow, ME
    • 2015 Christopher Rowe, Gen Engr.
    • 2016 Julie Johnson, EECS
    • 2017 Duco Jansen, BME
    • 2018 David Berezov, Gen Engr.
    • 2019 Paul Laibinis, ChBE
    • 2020 Tim Holman, EECS
    • 2021 Peter Cummings, ChBE
    • 2022 Douglas Adams, CEE
    • 2023 Cynthia Reinhart-King, BME
    • 2023 Alan Peters, ECE

* A “member of the VUSE faculty” is defined as (a) a person holding an emeritus title associated with VUSE, or (b) a person holding a full-time primary appointment in VUSE under a title included in Part II, Chapter 1, Sections A and B of the Faculty Manual. That definition includes both tenured and non-tenured faculty. Graduate assistants and part-time employees are not included.