University Awards

To honor outstanding contributions, the University of Richmond annually presents three University-wide faculty awards that recognize exceptional achievement:

  • Distinguished Educator Award
  • Distinguished Scholarship Award
  • Distinguished Faculty Service Award

These honors are conferred publicly at Colloquy, the ceremonial opening of the academic year, and reflect the University's deep commitment to recognizing faculty excellence in teaching, research, and service. Awardees are selected by a cross-school panel of faculty reviewers following a nomination process open to the campus community. 

Nomination guidelines, as well as a list of past recipients, are announced each fall.

Current and Past Recipients

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  • Distinguished Educator Award

    2025 Distinguished Educator Award Recipients

    • Dr. Nancy Bagranoff, Professor of Accounting
    • Dr. Jeffrey Carlson, Associate Professor of Marketing
    • Erin R. Collins, Professor of Law
    • Dr. Monti Datta, Associate Professor of Political Science
    • Dr. Miles Johnson, Associate Professor of Chemistry
    • Dr. Matthew Oware, Irving May Professor of Human Relations, Professor of Sociology
    • Dr. David Wilkins, E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Professor in Leadership Studies

    2024 Distinguished Educator Award Recipients

    • Dr. Taylor Arnold, Professor of Data Science and Statistics
    • Dr. Karen Kochel, Associate Professor of Psychology
    • Dr. Caroline Weist, Associate Professor of German Studies
    • Dr. Ashley Austin, Associate Professor of Accounting
    • Christopher Corts, Professor of Law, Legal Practice

    2023 Distinguished Educator Award Recipients

    • Dr. Elisabeth Gruner, Professor of English
    • Meredith J. Harbach, Professor of Law
    • Dr. Aleksandra Sznajder Lee, Professor of Political Science
    • Dr. Cassandra Marshall, Associate Professor of Finance
    • Dr. David Salisbury, Associate Professor of Geography and the Environment
    • Dr. Trey Sutton, Associate Professor of Management
    • Dr. Christopher R. von Rueden, Professor of Leadership Studies

    2022 Distinguished Educator Award Recipients

    • Dr. Chad Curtis, Associate Professor of Economics
    • Dr. Angie Hilliker, Associate Professor of Biology
    • Dr. Tze Loo, Associate Professor of History and Global Studies
    • Dr. Joanna Love, Associate Professor of Music
    • Julie McConnell, Professor of Law
    • Dr. Andrew Schoeneman, Associate Professor of Nonprofit Studies
    • Dr. Joanna Wares, Associate Professor of Mathematics
  • Distinguished Scholarship Award

    2025 Distinguished Scholarship Award Recipients

    • Dr. Sandra F. Joireman, Weinstein Chair of International Studies, Professor of Political Science
    • Dr. Carol Parish, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry
    • Dr. Jenny Pribble, Professor of Political Science and Global Studies
    • Dr. Allison Tait, Professor of Law
    • Dr. Christopher R. von Rueden, Professor of Leadership Studies

    2024 Distinguished Scholarship Award Recipients

    • Dr. Chiles Wade Downey, Professor of Chemistry, Clarence E. Denoon Jr. Chair in Natural Sciences
    • Dr. Della Dumbaugh, Professor of Mathematics; Robert Edwin Gaines Chair in Mathematics
    • Dr. Kristine Grayson, Associate Professor of Biology
    • Brian Henry, Professor of English and Creative Writing
    • Dr. Shakun D. Mago, Professor of Economics, The Joseph A. Jennings Chair in Business
    • Dr. Jessica Flanigan, Professor of Leadership Studies and Philosophy, Politics, Economics and Law, Richard L. Morrill Chair in Ethics & Democratic Values
    • Dr. Chiara Giorgetti, Professor of Law

    2023 Distinguished Scholarship Award Recipients

    • Dr. Emory (Ted) Bunn, Professor of Physics, E. Claiborne Robins Distinguished Chair in the Liberal Arts
    • Dr. Jane Geaney, Professor of Religion
    • Dr. Peter Iver Kaufman, Professor of Leadership Studies
    • Dr. Monika Kukar-Kinney, Professor of Marketing
    • Dr. Marshall Geiger, Professor of Accounting
    • Kristen Jakobsen Osenga, Austin E. Owen Research Scholar & Professor of Law
    • Dr. William Ross, Professor of Mathematics, Roger Francis and Mary Saunders Richardson Chair in Mathematics

    2022 Distinguished Scholarship Award Recipients

    • Dr. Jory Brinkerhoff, Professor of Biology
    • Joel Eisen, Professor of Law
    • Dr. Jeffery Hass, Professor of Sociology
    • Dr. Violet Ho, Professor of Management
    • Dr. Michael Leopold, Floyd D. and Elisabeth S. Gottwald Professor of Chemistry
    • Dr. Miriam McCormick, Professor of Philosophy and PPEL
    • Dr. Terry Price, Professor of Leadership Studies & PPEL
  • Distinguished Faculty Service Award

    2025 Distinguished Faculty Service Award Recipients

    • Dr. Jennifer Cable, Professor of Music
    • Dr. Michelle Hamm, Professor of Chemistry
    • Dr. Tom Shields, Associate Professor of Education and Leadership Studies

    2024 Distinguished Faculty Service Award Recipients

    • Dr. Jennifer Erkulwater, Professor of Political Science
    • Dr. Jan Hoffman French, Associate Professor of Anthropology
    • Dr. Kate M. Cassada, Associate Professor of Education & Assistant Chair of Graduate Education- Educational Leadership & Policy Studies; Director, Center for Leadership in Education