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CALS Robert H. Foote Mid-Career Teaching Award

Nominees for this award must have demonstrated a dedication to excellence in teaching and mentoring and developed an innovative and sustainable teaching program.

Awardees must engage with students using creative and novel techniques, introducing students to cutting edge information in their field.

  • Office Managing the Award Process: Office of Academic Programs, contact: Christina Schmidt (cms536 [at] cornell.edu)
  • Date of Announcement: Early March
  • Deadline for Submission: March 31, 2023 (use this online form)
  • Eligibility: The Robert H. Foote Mid-Career Teaching Award is for any CALS teaching faculty member (tenure track or teaching faculty) who has been teaching continually for more than 5 but less than 25 years.
  • Presented at: Dean's Awards Ceremony, Summer

Nomination process

Using this online form, nominators submit information about the nominee (name, title, department, current appointment: percent teaching, research and outreach) and upload a single PDF that includes the following:

1. SUMMARY: A nominating statement (maximum of three pages) that confirms their eligibility for this award and presents evidence of the nominee’s commitment to excellence in teaching and mentoring.

  • Present evidence for using current and innovative teaching methods in their classrooms, including how this person has worked to keep students abreast of cutting-edge knowledge in their field of expertise.
  • Describe exceptional efforts to interact with and mentor students.
  • Include student comments, indicating teaching excellence and impact.
  • List any evidence of participation in the scholarship of teaching and learning (e.g. any publications about teaching and learning, committee service related to teaching; participation in educational groups within professional societies; participation at teaching workshops or conferences or other professional development; previous educational awards)

2. TEACHING: A table indicating teaching experience, highlighting the nominees primary teaching responsibilities (include course titles), years taught, and approximate numbers of students per course.

3. LETTERS OF SUPPORT: A letter of support from the department chair and up to two additional letters of support, including at least one from a colleague familiar with the nominee’s teaching (may also include a letter from a student).

4. TEACHING CV: CV (maximum of three pages) focusing on relevant teaching experiences and accomplishments.

 

Previous Awardees of the CALS Robert H. Foote Mid-Career Teaching Award (formerly Innovative Teacher Award) Since 1994

YearAwardee

1994

George W. Hudler, Plant Pathology

1995

Aaron N. Moen, Natural Resources

1996

David A. Levitsky, Nutritional Sciences

1997

Susan M. Merkel, Microbiology
Marcia L. Cordts, Microbiology

1998

Susan C. Piliero, Education

1999

Deborah H. Streeter, Agricultural, Resource, and Managerial Economics

2000

Geraldine K. Gay, Communication

2001

Robert A. Milligan, Applied Economics and Management

2002

Kenneth W. Mudge, Horticulture

2003

William D. Schultze, Applied Economics and Management

2004

Debbie J. Cherney, Animal Science

2005

Richard T. Curtis, Applied Economics and Management

2006

Parfait Eloundou-Enyegue, Development Sociology

2007

Linda S. Rayor, Entomology

2008

Poppy L. McLeod, Communication

2009

Marcia Eames-Sheavly, Horticulture

2010

Jeremy P. Birnholtz, Communication

2011

Susan M. Merkel, Microbiology

2012

Sahara E. Byrne, Communication

2013

Kathie T. Hodge, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology

2014

Eric Nelson, Plant Pathology / Michael Milgroom, Plant-Microbe Biology

2015Cindy van Es, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
2016Lori Leonard, Development Sociology
2017Drew Margolin, Communication
2018Mike Webster, Neurobiology and Behavior, Lab of Ornithology
2019John McKinley, Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
2020Kevin Kniffen, Applied Economics and Management
2021Chris Fromme, Molecular Biology and Genetics
2022Pedro David Pérez, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management