Call for 2026-27 faculty awards nominations

Dear UIC faculty, 

We are pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2026-27 faculty awards, as shared with your dean yesterday. 

Below is a summary of internal faculty awards to be honored in 2026-27. We encourage you to consider nominating yourself or a colleague. 

The University Scholars program, now in its 39th year, is sponsored by the Office of the President. This prestigious program provides recognition of faculty excellence and funding over three consecutive years to support six UIC faculty members who have demonstrated superior performance in scholarly activities in both research and teaching and who show great promise for future achievements. Nominations are due by Friday, Feb. 20, and guidelines are posted on the University Scholars webpage. Questions may be directed to Elizabeth Houlihan at facultyaffairsevent@uic.edu. 

The UIC Distinguished Professor appointment recognizes faculty who have made a significant impact in their field through scholarship, creativity and leadership. Professors selected for the award will receive a nonsalaried, nonservice appointment, which will be effective with the new appointment year 2026-27. 

A review panel will make recommendations to Provost Karen Colley and Vice Chancellor Robert Barish, who will submit names to the University Board of Trustees for approval. Nominations are due by Friday, Feb. 20, with details available on the UIC Distinguished Professor webpage. Questions may be directed to Elizabeth Houlihan at facultyaffairsevent@uic.edu. 

The Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes exceptional contributions to teaching effectiveness. Nominations are due by Friday, Feb. 20, and must be submitted online as outlined in the guidelines on the Award for Excellence in Teaching webpage. Questions may be directed to Elizabeth Houlihan at facultyaffairsevent@uic.edu. 

The Community Engagement Award recognizes extraordinary contributions and commitment to the advancement of community engagement. Up to two faculty can receive the award. The recipients will each receive a one-time payment of $5,000. Nominations are due by Monday, March 30, following the guidelines on the Community Engagement Award webpage. Questions may be directed to the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Engagement at diversity@uic.edu.

The Graduate Mentoring Award recognizes excellence and innovation in graduate mentoring. New for 2025-26, the award will highlight the mentoring done by directors of graduate studies. Nominations will be due to the Graduate College by Wednesday, March 4. Full details, including past recipients, can be found on the Graduate Mentoring Award webpage. Questions may be directed to Benn Williams at bwilli7@uic.edu.

The Interprofessional Teaching in Action Matters (I-TEAM) Award recognizes faculty teams who demonstrate excellence in interprofessional practice and education through teaching innovation and the advancement of CAIPPER’s mission. Applications will open in spring 2026, and submissions are due by Friday, May 15, following the instructions on the I-TEAM Award webpage. Questions may be directed to Ami Shah at ashah58@uic.edu.

The Piergiorgio L.E. Uslenghi Global Engagement Faculty Award and the Piergiorgio L.E. Uslenghi Global Engagement Emerging Leader Faculty Award recognize faculty who have made outstanding contributions to UIC’s global engagement, particularly those efforts that extend beyond core faculty responsibilities and significantly impact student development. Nominations are due by Friday, March 20, and should be submitted to oge@uic.edu as outlined in the guidelines. Questions may be directed to Shellie Brown at shelliec@uic.edu.

Thank you for your continued commitment to recognizing excellence at UIC. 

Karen Colley, PhD
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs 

Robert Barish, MD, MBA
Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

For more information, please contact:
Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
facultyaffairsevent@uic.edu