Campus Awards

Presented to a graduating senior physics major with the greatest potential of achieving a professional career in physics or a physics-related field, the award was established by the late Robinson Abbott, professor of biology  from 1961 to 1991, and his wife, Rose Marie, who taught UMN Morris biology courses, to recognize the importance UMN Morris played in their lives. All four Abbott children graduated from UMN Morris, three with physics majors. 

The UMM Academic Staff Award was established to annually recognize a member of the Academic Professional and Administrative (P&A) staff who has made distinguished contributions to the mission of the University of Minnesota, Morris.

Presented annually in recognition of contribution to campus life, the Allen W. Edson Award’s recipient is nominated by the student body, faculty, and staff, and chosen by the Student Affairs Committee. The award honors Allen Edson, superintendent of the University of Minnesota West Central School of Agriculture (WCSA) and Experiment Station on the Morris campus from 1947 to 1958. 

The professor recognized for outstanding contributions to undergraduate education through teaching, research and artistic activities, advising, academic program development, and educational leadership is invited to give the opening address.

This award is presented to graduating English majors whose performances in English classes have been consistently superior and who have made positive contributions to the discipline or major in and beyond the classroom. 

The American Indian Salt Springs Cultural Award and the Salt Springs Teacher Scholarship are presented on the basis of academic excellence and contribution to the Indian and campus community to outstanding American Indian students who will return to the Morris campus the following academic year.  Awards are funded by the Salt Springs Endowment supporting American indian education at Morris.

The Anthropology Research Award is given to an anthropology major who has shown exceptional ability for independent research. The award is given to a student with fewer than 90 credits toward graduation and includes monetary support for conducting research or presenting research at a professional meeting.

Presented to a senior male athlete on the basis of athletic excellence and integrity, the award honors Arnold Henjum, professor of education from 1964 to 1992, who made innumerable contributions to Minnesota public education. Recipients must earn a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average.

Awarded to graduating art history majors, this award recognizes academic excellence and potential for further achievement in the arts. 
 

This award recognizes faculty, staff, and students who have displayed exemplary service on our campus in support of promoting racial justice, a supportive climate for all people, and positive, lasting change. The recipients’ names will appear on a plaque to be located in the TMC. More than one recipient in the same university affiliation may earn the award.

Established by the family and friends of the late Brion Dalager, University of Minnesota Morris music student from 1969 to 1972, this scholarship is awarded annually to students who have demonstrated outstanding ability on a band instrument. 

Bestowed by the student organization Voces Unidas, the César Chávez Award recognizes a student and faculty/staff member each year for outstanding support of Hispanic-Latinx students.

Presented annually to an outstanding senior on the basis of academic excellence and contribution to campus life, the chancellor of the University of Minnesota Morris makes the Chancellor’s Award selection after consulting with various campus groups. 

The Chemistry Undergraduate Research Fund (CURF) provides support for students who are majoring in chemistry/biochemistry and have an interest in carrying out research in chemistry/biochemistry or a closely related field. The awardee must have demonstrated outstanding aptitude for research in the chemistry discipline’s Introduction to Research course and the potential for continued success.

Presented annually to an outstanding senior economics major demonstrating academic excellence in that field, this award is presented by the University of Minnesota Morris economics/management faculty in memory of their colleague, Chris Berg, one of UMN Morris’s early economics faculty.

Established by former colleagues and students to honor the memory of Clemens Brauer, associate professor of geology from 1966 to 1981, the award supports geology majors in their educational pursuits at the University of Minnesota Morris by providing financial assistance to cover field camp expenses. Recipients must exhibit academic excellence and plan a professional or academic career in geological sciences. 

Each year, the Center for Community Partnerships, which includes the Center for Small Towns and the Office of Community Engagement, awards one student, one faculty/staff member, and one community partner with a community engagement award for engaging in meaningful campus-community partnerships. We recognize these award winners at a celebration at the end of the spring semester.

Each year, the Center for Community Partnerships, which includes the Center for Small Towns and the office of Community Engagement, awards one student, one faculty member, and one community partner with a community engagement award for engaging in meaningful campus-community partnerships. We recognize these award winners at a celebration at the end of the spring semester.

Each year, the Center for Community Partnerships, which includes the Center for Small Towns and the office of Community Engagement, awards one student, one faculty member, and one community partner with a community engagement award for engaging in meaningful campus-community partnerships. We recognize these award winners at a celebration at the end of the spring semester.

The Cougar Excellence Awards are awarded each year to fourth-year student-athletes who represent the best of Cougar Athletics: passion, dedication, athletic competitiveness, and academic engagement. Recipients have competed at the University of Minnesota Morris for a minimum of two years.

The Curtis H. Larson Award is conferred upon the graduate chosen as senior class speaker. The selection is made by faculty and graduating seniors. The award was established in memory of the late Curtis Larson, the University of Minnesota Morris’s first class speaker in 1964.

This award is presented to outstanding first- and second-year students in studio art who demonstrate creative potential in future discipline coursework. This award is intended for purchase of materials and supplies for the recipient’s artwork and experimentation with new media.

Established by the family, students, and friends of Edith Rogers Farrell, late professor of French and undergraduate research advocate, the annual award is granted to a graduating senior whose research is judged by a jury of faculty to be excellent.

The Award, established in 2000, recognizes sustained research and/or artistic productivity of a UMN Morris faculty member over the course of a career.

This award honors a first-year student’s outstanding performance in a chemistry class. It is given by the Chemical Rubber Company.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the largest United States exchange program offering opportunities 
for students and young professionals to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and primary and secondary school teaching worldwide. The program awards grants annually in all fields of study in more than 140 countries worldwide. 

Offered annually to outstanding political science majors in their senior year, this award is given to students who have exceptional records of accomplishment at the University of Minnesota Morris as well as strong prospects for success after graduation. The award is in memory of Millard Gieske who was a professor in political science for more than 15 years. He served as acting chair of the Division of the Social Sciences, was a respected leader in many professional organizations, and authored many political works. 

This award supports political science students who pursue legislative internships in Washington, D.C., or at the Minnesota State Capitol. It honors the memory of Millard Gieske, Morris professor of political science.

Selected by a committee of coaches on the basis of academic and athletic achievement, recipients of the Men’s and Women’s Honor Athlete Awards have earned a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. 

The Horizon Award is awarded annually to an outstanding sophomore psychology major. Recipients who receive this award have exceptional records of accomplishments at Morris and strong ambitions for their academic careers.

Presented to a senior student majoring in biology who demonstrates the most promise and interest in a career in the biological sciences, the award is in honor of the late Jay Roshal, professor of biology from 1960 to 1983 and the first University of Minnesota Morris Division of Science and Mathematics chair.

The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Award honors faculty who have done significant research, teaching or service/leadership to advance justice, equity, diversity and inclusion at the University, in the person's field of study, or in our broader community. These awards are meant to advance and elevate equity work; provide funding in recognition of the value of that work; and showcase critical scholarship, pedagogy, and community engagement.

Presented annually to the most outstanding jazz musicians at UMN Morris, this award is given in memory of Keith Carlson by Jack and Ethel Carlson. 
 

This award is presented to a staff or faculty member who goes above and beyond to work with and advocate for LGBTQIA2S+ students on the Morris campus.

This award is presented to a LGBTQIA2S+ graduating student leader who role-models advocacy behavior in the classroom and campus community.

This award is presented to a LGBTQIA2S+ and/or ally student who is not a graduating student, who but has shown exemplary potential, initiative, and involvement within the LGBTQIA2S+ community on campus and/or the Morris community.

Presented annually to a student who demonstrates creative potential in the field as well as a technical understanding of a variety of print processes, this award honors the late Lois P. Hodgell, who was a professor of art at Morris from 1962 until her retirement in 1993. The award recipient must show outstanding achievement in printmaking.

This award is presented to a graduating discipline senior who has achieved academic excellence and has provided service to the discipline and the Morris campus. It is funded through collective alumni gifts to the management/economics discipline.

Presented annually to a student and to a staff member deemed to have made outstanding contributions to the quality of Morris campus life, the Mary Martelle Memorial Award perpetuates the memory of Mary Martelle, senior secretary in the Office of Student Activities from 1965 until her death in 1976.

The Josef Mestenhauser Student Award for Excellence in Campus Internationalization recognizes outstanding student contributions to international education, including internationalizing the curriculum and campus.

*system-wide recognition for students

This award was established by colleagues, students, alumni, friends, and the University of Minnesota Morris Commission on Women and Gender Equity in recognition of Professor Emeritus of History Mariam Frenier’s dedication to UMN Morris and in appreciation for her contributions to the development of the gender, women, and sexuality studies major. It is annually granted to a junior or senior majoring in gender, women, and sexuality studies in recognition of high academic achievement and social, political, and civic activism.

Presented to a junior or senior who demonstrates ability and shows promise as a serious art student. Given by George and Joan Benoit, former Morris residents, in memory of their daughter who was an art major studying at Penn State when an accident took her life.

The Oustanding Faculty and Staff Support of Student Leadership award is intended to recognize faculty and staff who support student leaders and student-initiated/student-directed activities. Areas of student involvement may include student organizations, committees, and special activities whose events or programs are coordinated with or administered by the Office of Student Activities.

The Outstanding Graduate in Psychology Award is given annually to seniors graduating with psychology majors. Recipients who receive this award have excelled in the following areas: scholarship, research experience, and participation in the psychology discipline.

The Oustanding Student Leader Award is intended to recognize student achievements in student-initiated/student-directed activities. These include the student organizations, committees, and special activities whose events or programs are coordinated with or administered by Student Engagement & Events.

Recognizing that at the University of Minnesota Morris, student organizations play a substantial role in furthering the educational goals of the institution outside of the classroom, this award is intended to recognize the work not of any individual leader but that of an entire organization.  

The University of Minnesota Morris recognizes the outstanding service of its employees. The Outstanding Support Staff award will be presented to one employee in each of the following groups:

• Civil Service/LELS
• AFSCME Clerical and Technical
• Teamster represented employees

Pi Delta Phi is the National French Honor Society for undergraduate and graduate students at accredited public and private colleges and universities in the United States. The highest academic honor in the field of French and the oldest academic honor society for a modern foreign language in the United States, Pi Delta Phi was founded as a departmental honor society at the University of California at Berkeley in 1906. The Society was nationalized when the Beta Chapter was established at the University of Southern California in 1925. The Society was officially endorsed by the American Association of Teachers of French as the only collegiate national French honor society in 1949. The purpose of the Society is to recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and Francophone literatures, to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world, and to stimulate and to encourage French and francophone cultural activities.

The Pi Sigma Alpha Best Paper Award is awarded to political science students whose papers, submitted for courses during the previous calendar year, were judged the best based on degree of original research, level of critical thinking, and quality of writing. Pi Sigma Alpha is the national political science honor society for college students of political science and government.

Established in memory of the late Raymond J. Lammers, professor of theatre, and his late wife Dolores, this award is presented to seniors majoring in and demonstrating outstanding undergraduate careers in one of the following disciplines: theatre, English, world language, or communication, media, and rhetoric. Professor Lammers was one of the first UMN Morris faculty members and figured prominently in the creation of the theatre major and theatre program. 

The Robert C. Johns Research Partnership Award is presented annually to a team of individuals who have collaboratively drawn on their diverse expertise to achieve significant impacts on transportation. The award is named in honor of former CTS director Robert Johns, who provided visionary leadership in recognizing that the most effective research to address today’s complex transportation challenges is often a result of interdisciplinary teamwork and partnerships.

This award recognizes talented Morris students and creates a permanent, quality, library art collection. Morris art faculty identify up to 10 works from each of the two student art shows. A committee of two library staff, and two library student assistants select one piece from each of the art shows.

Presented to an economics or management student who has demonstrated outstanding research abilities and maintained academic excellence. The award is funded by Schneider National, Incorporated.

Scholar of the College Awards are presented annually to students who demonstrate distinguished contributions to scholarship in one or more of the academic disciplines.

Honors and acknowledges diverse students who are doing outstanding work at the University of Minnesota, both in and out of the classroom. Recipients have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to their area(s) of study and engagement with a particular issue of social justice, community, and/or community organization.

*system-wide recognition for students

Awarded to an outstanding sociology and/or anthropology student, this honor recognizes academic excellence and active engagement in the fields of sociology and anthropology.

The annual spdf Award is given to a senior chemistry major demonstrating outstanding scholarship, potential, and service in chemistry. Chemistry students know that the letters s,p,d,f refer to the internal structure of the atom as determined by experiment and theory. Historically, the letters were nothing but labels for colors of light emitted or absorbed by atoms when the internal structure was unknown.

This award recognizes students who have displayed exemplary service to advance campus sustainability conversations and initiatives. The efforts of these student leaders have helped to create positive change with leadership that has been a model to others. Sustainability is a big idea that connects with our liberal arts leadership. These students have asked “big questions” and have worked to find solutions.

This award is presented to a graduating senior with a major or minor in history who has demonstrated distinguished academic performance in history. The award is named for Dr. Ted L. and Judith Underwood. Ted served the University of Minnesota Morris as an outstanding scholar, teacher, and administrator from 1967 until his retirement in 1999. Judith completed a degree in education at University of Minnesota Morris in 1971 and pursued a successful career in education in the Minneapolis area from 1973 to 1999.

The University of Minnesota President's Award for Outstanding Service was established in 1997 to recognize faculty and staff (current or retired) who have provided exceptional service to the University, its schools, colleges, departments and service units. Such service must have gone well beyond the regular duties of a faculty or staff member, and demonstrate unusual commitment to the University community.

The Wawokiya (Lakota for “one who helps”) Award is awarded annually to an outstanding senior psychology major. Recipients who receive this award have strong records of accomplishment at Morris and sincere interest in helping others.

Presented annually to a senior in elementary or secondary education, the William R. Scarborough Memorial Award recognizes demonstrated competence and potential for becoming an outstanding member of the teaching profession. The award honors the memory of William Scarborough, former Division of Education chair, who joined the faculty in 1966 and made many contributions to the Morris campus and to public education in Minnesota. 

Presented to a senior female athlete who exemplifies the spirit of competition at UMN Morris in women’s athletics, the award is in memory of Willis Kelly, physical education coach and athletic director at UMN Morris for more than 20 years. She was the first director of women’s athletics in 1975 and served as director of men’s and women’s athletics from 1982 until her retirement in 1987. Recipients must earn a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average.