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Awards

Dietrich School faculty members are frequently recognized for their outstanding accomplishments in research, teaching, and mentoring. Learn more about past honorees and the processes and criteria for nominating colleagues for future recognition.

Teaching and Service Awards

Research Award

Tina & David Bellet Teaching Excellence Awards

Overview

Established in 1998 with a gift from Dietrich School alumnus, David Bellet (A&S '67) and his wife Tina, and endowed in 2008 through the family's further generosity, this annual award recognizes outstanding and innovative teaching in undergraduate studies in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. Each fall, students and faculty are encouraged to submit nominations to the associate dean for undergraduate studies. A committee reviews nominations and requests dossiers from eligible candidates. Honorees are announced in the spring, and award recipients each receive a one-time cash prize of $10,000.

In 2018, the Dietrich School celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Bellet Teaching Excellence Awards. Enjoy a brief commemorative video of that special anniversary event.

Eligibility Requirements
  1. Must be a Dietrich School faculty member with a regular full-time appointment who teaches undergraduate students
  2. Must have taught for three years on the Oakland campus
  3. Must receive three or more nominations
Bellet Dossier Evaluation Criteria

The following are the teaching excellence evaluation criteria for the candidates' dossiers.

  1. How the candidate communicates subject matter to undergraduate students of varied backgrounds and skill levels
  2. How the candidate encourages high standards of attainment for all undergraduate students
  3. How the candidate advises and mentors students, as well as expands undergraduate students' intellectual development beyond the classroom
  4. How the candidate has influenced undergraduate students, colleagues, or departmental instruction
  5. How the candidate has integrated scholarship with teaching

Teaching excellence implies:

  1. Overall excellence in teaching.
  2. Sustained commitment to teaching.
  3. Effectiveness in helping students achieve meaningful goals.
Nomination Information

Nominations are accepted October 1-31. For more information or to nominate a candidate, please contact Maryellen Gannon in the Office of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies.

Bellet Award Recipients
  • 1999  Harold B. Rollins, Geology and Planetary Sciences
  • 1999  Philip Watts, French and Italian Languages and Literatures
  • 2000  Iain Campbell, Biological Sciences
  • 2000  Barbara McCloskey, History of Art and Architecture
  • 2000  Gordon Mitchell, Communication
  • 2000  Chandralekha Singh, Physics and Astronomy
  • 2001  George C. Bandik, Chemistry
  • 2001  Paul Kameen, English
  • 2001  John Ramirez, Computer Science
  • 2001  Edward M. Stricker, Neuroscience
  • 2001  John W. Gareis, Communication
  • 2002  Keiko I. McDonald, East Asian Languages and Literatures
  • 2002  Francesca L. Savoia, French and Italian Languages and Literatures
  • 2002  Aaron Sheon, History of Art and Architecture
  • 2003  James Seitz, English
  • 2003  Peter Siska, Chemistry
  • 2004  Geeta Kothari, English
  • 2004  Ericka Huston, Chemistry
  • 2004  Marla Ripoll, Economics
  • 2004  Peter Simonson, Communication
  • 2005  H. David Brumble, English
  • 2005  Sharon McDermott, English
  • 2006  Anthony Bledsoe, Biological Sciences
  • 2006  Daniel Mossé, Computer Science
  • 2007  Bryan Hanks, Anthropology                         
  • 2007  Carl Bodenschatz, Statistics
  • 2008  Melanie Dreyer-Lude, Theatre Arts
  • 2008  Jeffrey Oaks, English
  • 2009  Gretchen Bender, History of Art and Architecture
  • 2009  Joseph Grabowski, Chemistry
  • 2010  Paul Gartside, Mathematics
  • 2010  Adam Leibovich, Physics and Astronomy
  • 2011  Drew Armstrong, History of Art and Architecture
  • 2011  Nancy Pfenning, Statistics
  • 2012  Sunil Saxena, Chemistry
  • 2012  Cynthia Skrzycki, English
  • 2013  Annmarie Duggan, Theatre Arts
  • 2013  Liann E. Tsoukas, History
  • 2014  Charles E. Jones, Geology and Planetary Science
  • 2014  Rick A. Relyea, Biological Sciences
  • 2015  Paul Floreancig, Chemistry
  • 2015  Michael Glass, Urban Studies
  • 2016 Lorraine Denman, French and Italian Languages and Literature
  • 2016 Andrew Lotz, Political Science
  • 2016 Alan Sved, Neuroscience
  • 2017 Lillian Chong, Chemistry
  • 2017 Gianni Downs, Theatre Arts
  • 2017 Alison Slinskey-Legg, Biological Sciences
  • 2018 Geoffrey Hutchison, Chemistry
  • 2018 Amy Murray Twyning, English
  • 2019 Julie Beaulieu, GSWS
  • 2019 Geoffrey Glover, English
  • 2019 Jeffrey Wheeler, Mathematics
  • 2020 Erica McGreevy, Biological Sciences
  • 2020 Dana Moss, Sociology
  • 2022 Jennifer Laaser, Chemistry
  • 2022 Dana Och, Film and Media Studies
  • 2022 Ellen Smith, English
  • 2023 Olga Klimova, Slavic Languages and Literatures
  • 2023 Giuseppina Mecchia, French and Italian
  • 2024 Bridget Keown, Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
  • 2024 Ben Rottman, Psychology
Recent Awardee Videos

Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award

Overview

The Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes teaching excellence by members of the University of Pittsburgh's faculty. Up to five awardees may be chosen annually. Each award consists of a cash prize to the faculty member of $2,000 and a grant of $3,000 to support the faculty member's teaching activities. All awardees are honored publicly.

Teaching is defined broadly and includes all activities that faculty members engage in to facilitate learning by undergraduate, professional, or graduate students: lecturing; clinical teaching; conducting seminars, tutorials, or recitations; etc.

Any faculty member who has served full-time at the University of Pittsburgh for at least five years is eligible, provided that he or she has been active as a teacher. Previous winners are not eligible. Refer to the nomination guidelines for complete details.

Recent Dietrich School Awardees
  • Ljiljana Duraskovic, Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures (2024)
  • Andrew Lotz, Department of Political Science (2024)
  • Liann Tsoukas, Department of History (2023)
  • Michael Meyer, English (2023)
  • Chris Bonneau, Political Science (2021)
  • Jeff Aziz, English (2020)
  • Jennifer Cousins, Psychology (2020)
  • Daniel Lambrecht, Chemistry (2019)
  • Jana Iverson, Psychology (2018)
  • Alan Sved, Neuroscience (2018)
  • Sean Garrett-Roe, Chemistry (2017)
  • Cindy Skrzycki, English (2017)
  • Nancy Pfenning, Statistics (2016)
  • Gretchen Bender, History of Art and Architecture (2015)
  • Marah Gubar, English (2013)
  • Brett Wells, French and Italian Languages and Literatures (2013)
  • John Ramirez, Computer Science (2012)
  • Graham Hatfull, Biological Sciences (2011)
  • Carl Bodenschatz, Statistics (2010)
  • Shalini Puri, English (2010)
  • Bill Yates, Neuroscience (2010)
  • Chuck Kinder, English (2009)
  • Marla Ripoll, Economics (2009)
  • Jeffrey Brodsky, Biological Sciences (2008)
  • William Klein, Psychology (2008)
  • Kathleen Blee, Sociology (2007)
  • Jeremy Levy, Physics and Astronomy (2007)
  • Philip Smith, English (2007)

Provost's Award for Excellence in Mentoring

Overview

Part of the University's mission is training the next generation of professional scholars. Essential to this task are faculty who provide intellectual and personal leadership that helps to support, encourage, and promote the personal and professional development of students. The Provost's Award for Excellence in Mentoring recognizes as many as four University of Pittsburgh faculty members each year who demonstrate outstanding mentoring of graduate students seeking a research doctorate degree. Winners receive a cash prize of $2,500 and are honored publicly. Refer to the nomination guidelines for complete details.

Recent Dietrich School Awardees
  • Sunil Saxena, Department of Chemistry (2024)
  • Daniel Shaw, Psychology (2023)
  • Jeremy Levy, Physics and Astronomy (2022)
  • Charles Perfetti, Psychology (2022)
  • Tia-Lynn Ashman, Biological Sciences (2021)
  • Robert Batterman, Philosophy (2021)
  • William Layton, Mathematics (2019)
  • John Markoff, Sociology (2019)
  • Michael Sayette, Psychology (2019)
  • Jonathan Arac, English (2018)
  • Lucy Fischer, English (2018)
  • Robert Hayden, Anthropology (2018)
  • Satish Iyengar, Statistics (2018)
  • G. Reid Andrews, History (2016)
  • Panos Chrysanthis, Computer Science (2015)
  • Peter Wipf, Chemistry (2015)
  • Marcia Landy, English (2014)
  • Stephen Manuck, Psychology (2014)
  • Allan Sampson, Statistics (2014)
  • Alan Juffs, Linguistics (2013)
  • Alberta Sbragia, Political Science (2013)
  • Rami Melhem, Computer Science (2012)
  • Guy Peters, Political Science (2012)
  • Steve Weber, Chemistry (2012)
  • Jean Ferguson Carr, English/Women's Studies (2010)
  • John Lyne, Communication (2010)
  • Richard Scaglion, Anthropology (2010)
  • Susan Campbell, Psychology (2009)
  • Dennis Curran, Chemistry (2009)
  • Bell Yung, Music (2009)
  • Leon Gleser, Statistics (2008)
  • Kenneth Jordan, Chemistry (2008)
  • Kathleen Blee, Sociology (2007)
  • Robert Drennan, Anthropology (2007)

Ampco-Pittsburgh Prize for Excellence in Advising

Overview

The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences annually recognizes outstanding faculty and staff academic advising of its undergraduate students with the Ampco-Pittsburgh Prize for Excellence in Advising, a one-time $4,000 (taxable) cash award.

Any Dietrich School faculty or staff member with a regular, full-time appointment who has served as an advisor for at least three years on the Oakland campus is eligible. Faculty and staff who receive a nomination from their director or department chair and two or more undergraduate students whom they have advised will be considered.

A letter from the chair of the department, the director of the program, or the director of the Advising Center is required; it should explain the advising model used in the advisor’s department, program, or office, include a perspective on his or her advising appointment and case load, and describe how the advisor has demonstrated excellence in academic advising. Letters from at least two current or former undergraduate advisees are also required. These letters should describe when and how the advisor’s advice has impacted the advisee's academic and career goals.

​Nomination Information

Nominations are accepted from October 1 through October 31, and should be sent to John Twyning, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies, 140 Thackeray Hall.

The prize winner will be selected by the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Council and announced in the spring term. For more information, contact asundergrad@pitt.edu

Recent Awardees
  • Andrew Lotz, Department of Political Science (2024)
  • Jaclyn Kurash, Department of German (2024)
  • James Scott, Student Support Services (2023)
  • Brett Wells, French and Italian (2023)
  • Danielle Andrews-Brown, Geology and Environmental Science (2022)
  • Emily Snyder, Academic Advisor, Advising Center (2022)
  • Frayda Cohen, Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies Program (2020)
  • Barbara “Babs” Mowery, Academic Advisor, Advising Center (2020)
  • Carolyn Carson, Urban Studies (2019)
  • Russell Clark, Physics and Astronomy (2018)
  • Mark Kemp, English (2017)
  • Claude Mauk, Linguistics (2016)
  • Mark Collins, Geology and Planetary Science (2015)
  • Jane Wallace, Economics (2014)
  • Katherine Wolfe, Economics (2014)
  • Gretchen Bender, History of Art and Architecture (2013)
  • Kathleen Allen, Anthropology (2012)
  • Tony Novosel, History (2011)
  • Barbara Kucinski, Psychology (2010)
  • Fiore Pugliano, English (2009)
  • George Bandik, Chemistry (2008)
  • Daniel Romesberg, Sociology (2007)

Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award

Overview

The Chancellor’s Distinguished Public Service Award annually recognizes outstanding public service contributions by members of the University of Pittsburgh's faculty.

Recent Dietrich School Awardees
  • Leonora Anyango, Department of English (2024)
  • Mark Kramer, Department of English (2019)
  • Kay Brummond, Department of Chemistry (2018)
  • Tony Novosel, Department of History (2017)
  • Robert Ruck, Department of History (2014)
  • Laurence Glasco, Department of History (2011)
  • Toi Derricotte, Department of English (2009)
  • George Bandik, Department of Chemistry (2006)

Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award 

Overview

The Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award annually recognizes outstanding scholarly accomplishments of members of the University of Pittsburgh's faculty. Up to five awardees are chosen in two categories:

  • Senior Scholar Awardees include faculty members who have compiled a substantial and continuing record of outstanding research and scholarly activity. Nominees in this category must have achieved preeminence in their field and be so recognized in letters of support from national and international leaders in the field. Except in unusual circumstances, referees cannot be friends or colleagues of the nominees.

  • Junior Scholar Awardees include faculty members who, by virtue of the exceptional quality of their early contributions, have demonstrated great potential as scholars and have achieved some international standing. Candidates for this award must have received their highest degree no more than 12 years before the time of nomination.

Each Chancellor's Distinguished Research Award will consist of a cash prize to the faculty member of $2,000 and a grant of $3,000 to support the faculty member's teaching and research. All persons selected for this award will be honored publicly.

Any tenured or tenure-stream, full-time faculty member who has served at least three years at the University of Pittsburgh is eligible to be nominated. Refer to the nomination guidelines for complete details.

Recent Dietrich School Awardees
  • Alexander Deiters, Department of Chemistry (Senior Scholar) (2024)
  • Jennifer Whiting, Department of Philosophy (Senior Scholar) (2024)
  • Jean-Marie Laskas, English (Senior Scholar) (2023)
  • Jeffrey Brodsky, Biological Sciences (Senior Scholar) (2022)
  • Heath Cabot, Anthropology (Junior Scholar) (2021)
  • Michael Hatridge, Physics and Astronomy (Junior Scholar) (2021)
  • Lise Vesterlund, Economics (Senior Scholar) (2021)
  • Yan Dong, Neuroscience (Junior Scholar) (2020)
  • Jules Gill-Peterson, English (Junior Scholar) (2020)
  • Peng Liu, Chemistry (Junior Scholar) (2020)
  • Edouard Machery, History and Philosophy of Science (Senior Scholar) (2018)
  • Jill Millstone, Chemistry (Junior Scholar) (2018)
  • Haitao Liu, Chemistry (Junior Scholar) (2017)
  • Lucy Fischer, English/Film Studies (Senior Scholar) (2016)
  • Seth Horne, Chemistry (Junior Scholar) (2016)
  • Marlene Cohen, Neuroscience (Junior Scholar) (2015)
  • Kirk Erickson, Psychology (Junior Scholar) (2015)
  • Kenneth Schaffner, History and Philosophy of Science (Senior Scholar) (2015)
  • Jonathan Pruitt, Biological Sciences (Junior Scholar) (2014)
  • Marcus Rediker, History (Senior Scholar) (2014)
  • Nathaniel Rosi, Chemistry (Junior Scholar) (2014)
  • Tia-Lynn Ashman, Biological Sciences (Senior Scholar) (2013)
  • Kirk Savage, History of Art and Architecture (Senior Scholar) (2013)
  • Brent Doiron, Mathematics (Junior Scholar) (2012)
  • Eric Moe, Music (Senior Scholar) (2012)
  • Jeremy Levy, Physics and Astronomy (Senior Scholar) (2011)
  • Edouard Machery, History and Philosophy of Science (Junior Scholar) (2011)
  • John D. Norton, History and Philosophy of Science (Senior Scholar) (2011)
  • Alexander Star, Chemistry (Junior Scholar) (2011)
  • Thomas Hales, Mathematics (Senior Scholar) (2010)
  • Colin MacCabe, English (Senior Scholar) (2010)
  • Kazunori Koide, Chemistry (Junior Scholar) (2009)
  • G. Bard Ermentrout, Mathematics (Senior Scholar) (2008)
  • Peter Wipf, Chemistry (Senior Scholar) (2008)
  • Alejandro de la Fuente, History (Junior Scholar) (2007)
  • Graham Hatfull, Biological Sciences (Senior Scholar) (2007)
  • Jana Iverson, Psychology (Junior Scholar) (2007)
  • Michelene Chi, Psychology (Senior Scholar) (2006)
  • Robert Coalson, Chemistry (Senior Scholar) (2006)
  • Marcia Landy, English (Senior Scholar) (2005)
  • Hrvoje Petek, Physics and Astronomy (Senior Scholar) (2005)
  • Rick Relyea, Biological Sciences (Junior Scholar) (2005)
  • Kathleen Blee, Sociology (Senior Scholar) (2004)