Faculty and Staff Awards

The UKCD Dean’s Award for Achievements in Research aims to recognize one faculty member annually for their excellence in research and scholarship.  

Eligibility 

• Nominees must be a current faculty member, 0.5 FTE or higher, in the UK College of Dentistry with at least one year of service in the college prior to January 1 of the year in which the award is given. Nominees must not have received the award in the past two years. Nominees must
• have at least 10 percent effort devoted to research. The award recognizes distinctive research and scholarship of a faculty member achieved in the recent past, i.e., during the prior two years. Should a member of the Award Selection Committee be nominated, they will recuse themselves from the review of the nomination.    

Criteria 
The person receiving the award must be able to demonstrate achievements in research as evidenced by some or all of the following:  

• Achievements in scholarly activity as evidenced by continuous accepted/published peer-reviewed manuscripts in the last 2 years; 
• Quality of publications as evidenced by recent publications and journal impact factors; 
• Evidence of research presentations to peers whether locally, nationally, or internationally, depending on level; 
• Grant applications and/or extramural funding in the area of research;  
• Invitations to speak on research area of focus;  
• Participation in research committees or research associations/groups nationally or internationally; and/or  
• Mentoring in the area of research as evidenced by graduate research committee participation, or mentoring group/committee. 

Required Materials for Application 

• A one-page nomination letter from nominator—self-nominations are acceptable.   

Award Selection Committee members will be nominated and revisited each year by the Dean, with input from the Associate Dean of Research. The Committee will consider the following upon receiving a nomination:  

• Details submitted via the nomination form;
• Nominees will be asked to select 2-3 recent published manuscripts to represent their work and provide for review; 
• Any other relevant documentation regarding achievements in research nominees wish to provide; and  
• Current CV—on file with college. Nominees may forward a more recent file if desired.

Timeline  

The nomination deadline is 11:59 p.m. on April 9, 2025. Upon being nominated, faculty will be notified of their nomination. The nominee should submit additional information and materials to use during the nomination review process by 11:59 p.m. on April 23, 2025. 

Award recipient to be announced at the 2025 UKCD College Retreat on Monday, July 15, 2025. 

Submit a nomination here.

Purpose 
The UKCD Dean’s Award for Achievements in Service aims to recognize one faculty member annually for their excellence in service.  

Eligibility 

Nominees must be a current faculty member, 0.5 FTE or higher, in the UK College of Dentistry with at least one year of service in the college prior to January 1 of the year in which the award is given. Nominees must not have received the award in the past two years. The award recognizes the service accomplishments of a faculty member achieved in the recent past, i.e., during the prior five years. Should a member of the Award Selection Committee be nominated, they will recuse themselves from the review of the nomination.

Criteria 

The person receiving the award must be able to demonstrate achievements in service as evidenced by some or all the following:  

• Participation in local, college, and/or university committees/groups;  
• Membership and leadership positions in professional associations/groups at the local, national, or international-level;  
• Mentoring activity;  
• Service in journal peer-review or journal editorial boards; and/or 
• Patient care service.  

Required Materials for Application  

• A one-page nomination letter from nominator—self-nominations are acceptable.    

Award Selection Committee members will be nominated and revisited each year by the Dean. The Committee will consider the following upon receiving a nomination:

• Details submitted via the nomination form; 
• Any relevant documentation regarding achievements in service nominees wish to provide; and  
• Current CV—on file with college. Nominees may forward a more recent file if desired.

Timeline  

The nomination deadline is 11:59 p.m. on April 9, 2025. Upon being nominated, faculty will be notified of their nomination. The nominee should submit additional information and materials to use during the nomination review process by 11:59 p.m. on April 23, 2025.  

Award recipient to be announced at the 2025 UKCD College Retreat on Monday, July 15, 2025. 

Submit a nomination here. 

Purpose 
The UKCD Dean’s Award for Achievements in Teaching aims to recognize one faculty member annually for their excellence in teaching.  

Eligibility 

Nominees must be a current faculty member, 0.5 FTE or higher, in the UK College of Dentistry with at least one year of service in the college prior to January 1 of the year in which the award is given. Nominees must not have received the award in the past two years. The award recognizes the teaching accomplishments of a faculty member achieved in the recent past, i.e., during the prior five years. Should a member of the Award Selection Committee be nominated, they will recuse themselves from the review of the nomination.

Criteria 

The person receiving the award must be able to demonstrate achievements in teaching as evidenced by some or all the following:  

• Achievements in didactic or clinical teaching as evidenced by student or peer evaluations; 
• Effective use of innovative teaching methods;  
• Evidence of presenting innovative teaching methods to peers whether locally or beyond;  
• Evidence of student learning or achievements; 
• Peer-reviewed publications regarding teaching methods or research;  
• Grant applications and/or extramural funding in the area of teaching; and/or  
• Participation in courses, workshops, or academies to enhance current skills in the area of teaching.  

Required Materials for Application  

• A one-page nomination letter from nominator—self-nominations are acceptable. 

Award Selection Committee members will be nominated and revisited each year by the Dean, with input from the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. The Committee will consider the following upon receiving a nomination:

• Details submitted via the nomination form;  
• Copies of peer and student evaluations for all courses taught (Committee will secure on behalf of nominee.);  
• Any relevant documentation regarding achievements in teaching nominees wish to provide; and  
• Current CV—on file with college. Nominees may forward a more recent file if desired.

Timeline  

The nomination deadline is 11:59 p.m. on April 9, 2025. Upon being nominated, faculty will be notified of their nomination. The nominee should submit additional information and materials to use during the nomination review process by 11:59 p.m. on April 23, 2025.

Award recipient to be announced at the 2025 UKCD College Retreat on Monday, July 15, 2025. 

Submit a nomination here.

Purpose 
The UKCD Staff Excellence Award aims to recognize annually up to two staff members, one in a clinical role and one in a non-clinical role, who demonstrate exemplary ability and outstanding performance in their respective positions and who have contributed to the overall success of the college. 

Eligibility 

Nominees must be a current staff member, full or part-time, in the UK College of Dentistry with at least one year of service in the college prior to January 1 of the year in which the award is given. Nominees must not have received the award in the past two years. Additionally, nominees must not have an active disciplinary action on file for the past year, and should have a record of consistent satisfactory work performance, time, and attendance. Should a member of the Award Selection Committee be nominated, they will recuse themselves from the review of the nomination.

Criteria 

The person receiving the award must be able to demonstrate ability and outstanding performance as evidenced by some or all the following:  

• Exceptional dedication to the job; 
• Positive attitude about the job, the department/unit, and the college; 
• Exceptional interpersonal relations with colleagues and members of the UKCD and UK community with whom the employee has contact; and 
• Proven record of exceptional performance/productivity. 

Required Materials for Application  

Nominator must be a current UKCD staff or faculty member, and must complete the online award application which includes the below questions. Self-nominations are acceptable. 

Please be sure to fully respond to each question with available supporting details to aid in a thorough review and scoring of each nomination. 

• In what ways has the nominee demonstrated dedication to their job?
• How would you describe the nominee’s attitude about their job, department/unit, and the college?
• How would you describe the nominee’s interactions with other colleagues and college stakeholders (students, patients, alumni, etc.), and members of the UK community?
• In what ways has the nominee shown exceptional performance/productivity in their job?
• Are there any additional comments you feel would assist the selection committee in making its decision?  

Award Selection Committee members will be nominated and revisited each year by the Dean. A member of the Award Selection Committee will confirm candidate eligibility with necessary parties, including confirming employee length at college, no active disciplinary action on file for the past year, and a record of consistent satisfactory work performance, time, and attendance. Candidates must meet these requirements to be eligible for an award.  

Timeline  

The nomination deadline is 5 pm on April 9, 2025. 

Award recipient(s) to be announced at the 2025 UKCD College Retreat on Monday, July 15, 2025. 

Submit a nomination here.

Nomination and deadline information for additional awards, including the Class of '68 Faculty Development Award and Lyman T. Johnson Awards, will be shared via other channels with college stakeholders. Please watch for details. 

• Dr. Cynthia Beeman: Dean’s Award for Achievements in Service
• Dr. Octavio Gonzalez: Dean’s Award for Achievements in Research
• Dr. Thamer Musbah: Dean’s Award for Achievements in Teaching
• Clem Stambaugh: Staff Excellence Award
• Karen Woolfork: Staff Excellence Award
• Dr. Jennie Ison: Class of 1968 Faculty Development Award
• Dr. Kwane Watson: Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence
• Jocelyn Murtha: Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer

• Dr. Thamer Musbah: Class of 1968 Faculty Development Award
• Dr. Pamella Shaw: Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence
• Erick Joseph: Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer

• Drs. Kelly Dingrando and Marcia Rojas-Ramirez: Class of 1968 Faculty Development Award
• Dr. Linda Larkin-Scott: Lyman T. Johnson Torch of Excellence
• Udechukwu Iheduru: Lyman T. Johnson Torch Bearer