GSA Awards

The GSA annually confers five awards in recognition of exemplary service to graduate students at Rice University. The deadline for submissions is around April 1 of each year. The awards committee is chaired by the Internal Vice President (who takes office on April 1) and includes four other graduate students chosen at a GSA meeting, as well as the GSA faculty advisor and a member of the Rice Office of Student Activities as ex officio members. Nominations should be submitted using the online webform or via email to the current Internal VP.

The GSA awards are meant to encourage and recognize outstanding service to graduate student life and education at Rice. The award criteria were intentionally kept vague in order to permit recognition of the broadest possible range of service to the Rice graduate community.

You can read the 2009 GSA Awards Annoucement.

Faculty Teaching and Mentoring Award

Recipients are selected based on demonstrated commitment to graduate education on teaching graduate students at Rice. The award consists of $1,500, funded through the Office of the President, and a plaque. Up to two awards may be conferred each year.

Recent recipients include:

  • 1994: John Boles (History) and Paul Cloutier (Space Physics and Astronomy)

  • 1995: Ellsworth Milburn (Music)

  • 1996: John Anderson (Geology and Geophysics)

  • 1997: Douglas Schuler (Jones School)

  • 1998: Katherine Ensor (Statistics) and Robin Sickles (Economics)

  • 1999:James Faubion (Anthropology) and Diana Lobel (Religious Studies)

  • 2000: Willy Zwanaepoel (Computer Science) and Robert Patten (English)

  • 2001: Peter Caldwell (History) and Walter Chapman (Chemical Engineering)

  • 2002: Yildiz Bayazitoglu (Mechanical) and John Biln (Architecture)

  • 2003: Kyriacos Athanasiou (Bioengineering) and Michelle Hebl (Psychology)

  • 2004: John B. Boles (History) and Rebekah Drezek (Bioengineering)

  • 2005: Chris Kelty and Hannah Landecker (Anthropology) and Steven Crowell (Philosophy)

  • 2006: Jordan Konisky (Biochemistry and Cell Biology) and Brett Ashley Leeds (Political Science)

  • 2007: Thomas Haskell (History) and Robert Raphael (Bioengineering)

  • 2008: Janice Hewitt (Cain Project) and Stephan Link (Chemistry)

  • 2009: Dennis Huston (English) and Matteo Pasquali (Chemical Engineering)

 

Faculty/Staff Service Award

Recipients are selected in recognition of efforts beyond the call of duty to improve the quality of life for graduate students at Rice. The award consists of a plaque. Up to two awards may be conferred each year.

Recent recipients include:

  • 1994: Robert Patten (Studies in English Literature and English)

  • 1995: Jane Dunham (International Services) and Diana Welch (Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering)

  • 1996: Evelyn Nolen (Journal of Southern History)

  • 1998: Sarah Nelson Crawford (Student Activities) and Linda Rassinier (Geology and Geophysics)

  • 1999: Julie Kudelka (Bioengineering) and Iva Jean Jorgensen (Computer Science)

  • 2000: Adria Baker (Office of International Students/Scholars) and Mona Hicks (Office of Student Activities)

  • 2001: Cheryl Mattherly (Director of Career Services) and Bruce Johnson (Chemical Engineering)

  • 2002: Tracy Michelle Voltz

  • 2003: Theresa L. Chatman (Project Manager of AGEP) and Sandra Flechsig (Earth Science)

  • 2004: Dr. Tianhong Dai (Postdoctoral Research Associate in Bioengineering)

  • 2005: Somarine Sam Diep (OISS), Dolores Schwartz (Biochemistry and Cell Biology), Iva Jean Jorgensen (Computer Science)

  • 2006: Doug Schuler (Jones School), Maria Maldonado (Facilities Engineering and Planning)

  • 2007: Martha Alexander (ECE-LANP) and Kevin Kirby (VP Administration)

  • 2008: Carlos Amaro (Bioengineering) and Mark Pierce (Bioengineering)

  • 2009: Mark Davis (President's Office) and Lily Lam (OISS)

 

Robert Lowry Patten Award

The Robert Lowry Patten awards, funded by an endowment, are intended to honor graduate students who might not otherwise<!-- The award is named in honor of the GSA's esteemed faculty advisor
and attempts to recognize graduate students who may not otherwise--> have been honored for their service and achievements on behalf of graduate students. The award consists of $400 and a plaque. Up to four awards may be conferred each year.

Recent recipients include:

  • 1998: Mark A. Nichols (Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science), Heidi Elizabeth Zeimer (Psychology), Kristin Heather Griffith (Psychology) and David J. Mendelow (Jones School).

  • 1999: Kristin Peterson (Anthropology), Shannon Leonard (English), Scott Berger (Mathematics) and Michelle Shearer (Geology and Geophysics).

  • 2000: Aimee Placas (Anthropology), Desrey Fox (Linguistics), Arnaud Chevallier and Prasanna Gandhi (Mechanical Engineering and Material Science).

  • 2001: Jae Chung (Anthropology), Jennifer Steele (Physics and Astronomy), Alejandro Chaoul (Religious Studies) and David Streutker (Physics and Astronomy)

  • 2002: Auleen Ghosh (Chemical), Xinyu (Frank) Zhao (Chemical) and Zheng Huang (Mathematics)

  • 2003: Michelle Calabretta (Biochemistry and Cell Biology), Elizabeth Fenton (English), Busheng Li (Chemical Engineering) and David Messmer (English)

  • 2004: Fefei Lou (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Eden King (Psychology), and Miles Scotcher (Biochemistry and Cell Biology)

  • 2005: Xiaoyang Bai (Biochemistry and Cell Biology), Vinod Kumar (Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science), Eden King (Psychology), Summer Nijjer (Ecology and Evolutionary Biology)

  • 2006: Sushant Madhukul Dutta (Mechanical Engineering), Aramis Martinez (Physics and Astronomy), Kadim Tasdemir (Electrical Engineering), Ahmand Khoshnevis (Electrical Engineering)

  • 2007: Jennifer Greeson (Bioengineering), Mark Little (Earth Science), Louise Organ (Bioengineering), Hao Yang (Physics and Astronomy)

  • 2008: Noah Bedard (Bioengineering), Laura Renee Chandler (History), Shuijing Li (Mathematics), Nadhi Thekkek (Bioengineering)

  • 2009: Yi Chen (Physic), Natassja Lewinski (Bioengineering), Darren Roblyer (Bioengineering), and Daniel Stark (Physics)

 

GSA Service Award

Recipients are selected based on contribution of time, effort, and devoted service to the cause of improving graduate student life and education at Rice. The award consists of $500, funded by the GSA, and a plaque. Up to two awards may be conferred each year.

Recent recipients include:

  • 1991: RobErt Schmunk (Space Physics)

  • 1992: Dusty Capistran (Philosophy)

  • 1993: Sue Minkoff (Computational and Applied Mathematics)

  • 1994: Joseph Elias (Electrical Engineering)

  • 1995: Rob Butera (Electrical Engineering) and Laurie Feinswog (Computational and Applied Mathematics)

  • 1996: Maeve McCarthy (Computational and Applied Mathematics)

  • 1997: Chris Stokes (History)

  • 1998: Joy Roth (Geology and Geophysics) and Russell Hale (Jones School)

  • 1999: Erin Williams (Biochemistry and Cell Biology) and Heidi Ziemer (Psychology)

  • 2000: Julia Smith-Wellner (Geology) and Andrea Frolic (Religion)

  • 2001: Ilse Guzman-Jiminez (Chemistry) and Hillary Young (Linguistics)

  • 2002: Zhongping Jian (Electrical) and James Yager(Biochemistry)

  • 2003: Musie Ghebremichael (Statistics) and Miles Scotcher (Biochemistry and Cell Biology)

  • 2004: Robert Cardnell (Biochemistry and Cell Biology) and Balaji Sitharaman (Chemistry)

  • 2005: Joanna Papakonstantinou (Computational and Applied Mathematics) and Marcos Huerta (Physics and Astronomy)

  • 2006: Cristina Hofmann (Chemistry) and Angela Noel Hvitved (Biochemistry and Cell Biology)

  • 2007: Jordan Miller (Bioengineering) and Hui Zhan (Physics and Astronomy)

  • 2008: Nikhil Gheewala (Bioengineering) and April Smith (Bioengineering)

  • 2009: Michael Contreras (Civil Engineering) and Eileen Meyer (Physics)

 

"Friends of Rice Graduate Students" Award

Recipients are selected in recognition of individuals who have significantly enhanced the lives of graduate students at Rice University in some way. This award is a token of appreciation to honor people within and beyond the Rice community who may not otherwise be recognized for their service to graduate students. Candidates for the award may or may not be members of the Rice community, but they should not be eligible for the other four awards. The award shall consist of a plaque.

Recent recipients include:

  • 2000: Mary Lou Margrave

  • 2001: Purvez Captain

  • 2002: John Schroeter

  • 2003: Darlene Weist

  • 2004: Jonel Curl and Mary Lou Margrave

  • 2005: Abeer Mustafa and Sarah Kennedy

  • 2007: Austin Chapter of Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic

  • 2009: Christopher Revell

 

Outside GSA Awards for Graduate Students

THE RICE UNIVERSITY SERVICE AWARD

Given in memory of
Dean of Students Hugh Scott Cameron, it is awarded to as many as four
individuals of the Rice student population, past and present, who have
been most exemplary in rendering service to the student body.

Contact the Office of Student Activities for information on nominations.

Sallyport Award

It is presented by the Association of Rice Alumni to recognize a
deserving graduate degree candidate who has made contributions to the
Rice community above his or her individual department and who may not
otherwise be recognized. The winner will receive a silver bowl (with
his/her name and year engraved on it) and a stole to wear at
graduation. The winner's name will also appear on a plaque in the Rice
Memorial Center. The Student-Alumni Liaison Committee decides the
recipient of this award. Therefore, please send a faculty letter of
recommendation and a resume electronically to lblinn@rice.edu or hard copies to MS-520 to nominate a graduate student for this award. Students can also be nominated using an online form at
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~stact/awards.html