Dean’s Outstanding Performance Award for Professional Track Faculty

The Outstanding Performance award for Professional Track Faculty was instituted in 2020, by the Dean of the Clark School. The award recognizes exceptionally influential accomplishments in one, or both, the areas of research and teaching.

Nomination Form
Dean Samuel Graham Jr. at 2023 commencement ceremony

This award recognizes the educational and research contributions of professional track faculty in the Clark School of Engineering. Nominations from faculty, staff, and students are being solicited. Please work with the faculty member’s respective department to gather and submit nomination materials.

Eligibility

Nominations are limited to faculty who are neither tenured nor eligible for tenure and who have a primary appointment in the College at the time of nomination. They should have at least the equivalent of 5 years of service to the College.

Up to two awards will be given to honor faculty who have made significant contributions in one or both of the following areas:

  • Research
  • Teaching

The standard for receiving this award is high. The nominee’s record in a specific area of effort should be sufficiently strong to demonstrate to the selection committee that it satisfies a combination of the following, or equivalent, indicators. If there are no nominations that meet these expectations, the selection committee will not recommend an award.

Evaluation Factors for Research

  • Impact of publications, inventions, and talks on their field, society, and the Clark School
  • Appraisals by external experts in the field
  • Awards and recognitions
  • Accomplishments of students, postdocs, and others who they have mentored
  • Promotion of diversity and inclusion within society and their fields through their research activities.

Evaluation Factors for Teaching

  • Significant contributions to teaching, which may include education outside the classroom
  • Appraisals by colleagues and students
  • Ability to motivate students to learn and exceptional learning outcomes
  • Innovative techniques and materials, significant course and curriculum development
  • Efforts that have enhanced diversity and inclusion within society and the Clark School.

Nomination Package

The package submitted for nominees must not exceed 15 pages (12 pt font, 1” margins), and includes the following:

  • A cover page with the nominee’s name, department(s), dates at the University of Maryland, and academic rank
  • A table of contents for the package
  • A letter of nomination (3 pages maximum) describing the nominee’s most significant contributions in the context of the indicators of quality and impact described above
  • A complete curriculum vita for the nominee, in UMD format

It should also include the following area-specific information:

For Research

  • A 1-2 page statement from the nominee about their research.
  • Three external letters of recommendation that evaluate the nominee’s scientific and technical contributions (A departmental representative must contact the referees to obtain the letters; collaborators are permitted to provide letters).
  • A brief statement of the credentials of each reference (Professional relationships between the nominee and reference should be disclosed here).
  • For researchers who publish, a tabulation of the nominee’s top 10 most-cited peer-reviewed publications, along with articles listed in decreasing order of non-self citation count. The nominee should also include their Researcher ID. For other researchers, appropriate metrics for their scholarly output (e.g. licensed patents, etc.).

For Teaching

  • A 1-2 page statement from the nominee about his/her teaching, which may include approach, specific examples of innovative techniques, curriculum development, etc.
  • Three letters of recommendation, consisting of one each from:
    • a student
    • a University colleague (e.g., a faculty member, administrator), and
    • the nominee’s Department Chair or unit Director.
  • A list of courses, by semester, taught at the University during the past 5 years (or since being appointed at the University, if shorter) with student evaluations.
  • Optionally, peer teaching evaluations (if performed).
  • Examples of teaching materials may be appended, as long as the total page limit is not exceeded.

Supporting letters should elaborate on the nominee's contributions in their primary area(s) of effort worthy of recognition, as well as contributions extending beyond this area.

Note that nominations from last year will be considered again this year, and nominators have the option to withdraw or update the package. Prior recipients are not eligible to be nominated again.

Submit a nomination

Meet the 2022 Recipient: Natasha Andrade

Dr. Andrade is a Senior Lecturer in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. She has demonstrated a commitment to teaching and mentoring students and improving the promotion process for PTK faculty. Her research on engineering education has been presented at the annual American Society for Engineering Education conference and profiled in the American Society of Civil Engineers magazine, Civil Engineering. She has served as the faculty advisor for Alpha Omega Epsilon –Upsilon Chapter.  She has also led student groups in the International Solid Waste Design Competition, Engineering Leadership Capstone, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Capstone Design Competition, and three study abroad courses she created. Currently, she serves as Chair of the Engineering Senate.

 

Meet the 2022 Recipient: Michael Galczynski

Mr. Galczynski is a Senior Lecturer in the Clark School’s Keystone Program. He is being recognized for his passion and dedication to improving teaching during the height of the COVID pandemic, producing videos for ENES 100 that introduced students to important engineering concepts. He has carried on by producing digital content for ENES 102. Students lauded his ability to make difficult courses fun and easy to understand, inspiring them to be better engineers. In 2021, he received the Donna B. Hamilton Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching from the Office of Undergraduate Studies. Michael has served as a faculty advisor for several student clubs and organizations, including the Steel Bridge team, Sigma Alpha Lambda, and Engineering Playdate, a program for girls ages 8 - 12 who want to become engineers.

 

Past Recipients


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