BRITTANY HARRIS | Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant

“Although her teaching and mentoring contributions already exceeded expectations, Brittany has also greatly improved the curriculum. For one experiment on plant growth that was not giving useful results, Brittany replaced it with another study on leaf adaptations that was far more useful and relevant to the students—and gave useful results too! She has made numerous improvements in almost every lab—totally of her own volition—a reflection of the kind of high achiever and team player that Brittany is.”

The UGS Excellence Award for Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant recognizes exceptional contributions made by a Graduate Teaching Assistant to the educational excellence of FIU. Faculty members are encouraged to nominate Graduate Teaching Assistants who exemplify outstanding teaching and mentoring.

SHANNON PRUDEN | Outstanding Service as a Graduate Program Director

“Dr. Pruden has done more in her first year as a GPD to improve the wellbeing of the students in her program and the overall health of the Psychology graduate program than most GPDs accomplish after years on the job. She has done this while continuing her own successful research program and while ably and effectively mentoring her own graduate students. Dr. Pruden is organized, conscientious, and caring—embodying the best qualities of a great graduate program director.”

DIANA M. SHEEHAN | Outstanding Mentorship of Graduate Students

“Dr. Diana Sheehan is an icon of guidance and leadership for students at the Department of Epidemiology and I am honored to write this letter in support of her nomination for the UGS Excellence Award for Mentorship of Graduate Students. I believe she is the best candidate for this award based on her powerful and inspiring enthusiasm for teaching and mentorship”

The UGS Excellence Award for Mentorship of Graduate Students recognizes excellence in the teaching and mentoring of graduate students outside the formal classroom experience.

REBECCA CHRIST | Outstanding Mentorship of Graduate Students

“From the onset of our academic, professional, and personal relationship, Dr. Christ has proven to be a knowledgeable, supportive, thoughtful, compassionate, and exceptional mentor and leader who has guided me through the challenges doctoral students face with poise, confidence, and humility. She has strived to make our relationship of mentor and mentee one of mutual professional respect and personal value, recognizing my accomplishments as an educator while understanding my needs as a graduate student. This sentiment is shared by her other mentees who also appreciate and revere her dedication to her students and her profession.”

The UGS Excellence Award for Mentorship of Graduate Students recognizes excellence in the teaching and mentoring of graduate students outside the formal classroom experience.

JACK MAGUIRE | Significant Community Engagement through Community Partnership

“For more than two years, Mr. Maguire has been part of our team as a volunteer and in working together, we have found him as a very kind, responsible, with strong moral character, and above ready to help those most in need.”

The UGS Excellence Award for Graduate Student Engagement recognizes nominees who, in conjunction with graduate faculty, have demonstrated significant local, regional, or global community engagement through a community partnership that has led to demonstrable community impacts.

ERIN SPENCER | Outstanding Creative Project

“Erin has produced a remarkable creative output that is certainly bringing prestige to FIU. Writing a book is hard enough but writing one that is a critical success and being sold globally is another matter altogether. As a PhD student at FIU, Erin is representing FIU and highlighting the amazing things our graduate students are capable of.”

The Graduate Student Outstanding Creative Project recognizes nominees who have outstanding creative activity of local or national significance.

SARAH HARTMANN | Outstanding non-STEM Paper

“Sarah’s work has important clinical implications as prevention programming could be prioritized for adolescents displaying these vulnerable typologies. Ultimately, assessing temperamental profiles may provide clinicians with a greater level of efficiency and effectivity in identifying youth who are most likely to benefit from interventions compared to more traditional assessment practices.”

The Graduate Student Outstanding Paper/Manuscript Award recognizes nominees who have contributed to the body of research in their discipline via an outstanding paper or manuscript. The manuscripts will be considered in two separate categories: STEM and non-STEM. STEM disciplines include Chemistry, Computer and Information Technology Science, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Psychology and Sociology), and STEM Education and Learning Research.

OSCAR GUZMAN | Outstanding STEM Paper

“Global increase in tropical cyclone rain rate” by Oscar Guzman and Haiyan Jiang makes fundamental and imaginative contributions to the science of Tropical Cyclones (TCs) on a warming planet and appears in Nature Communications, a leading international journal for rapid publication of fundamental new results.”

The Graduate Student Outstanding Paper/Manuscript Award recognizes nominees who have contributed to the body of research in their discipline via an outstanding paper or manuscript. The manuscripts will be considered in two separate categories: STEM and non-STEM. STEM disciplines include Chemistry, Computer and Information Technology Science, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Psychology and Sociology), and STEM Education and Learning Research.