Awards
SBS faculty continually receive recognition for their work in the classroom and beyond, not only from UMass Amherst but also from professional organizations, foundations, and government agencies.
- UMass Amherst Distinguished Academic Outreach Award
- UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award
- UMass Amherst Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Research and Creative Activity
- UMass Amherst Outstanding Academic Advising Award
- Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series/Chancellor's Medal
- UMass Amherst Samuel Conti Research Fellowship
- SBS Outstanding Teaching Award
- Research Leadership in Action
- Lilly Teaching Fellows
- Professional Recognitions
UMass Amherst Distinguished Academic Outreach Award
The Distinguished Outreach Award recognizes excellence in academic
outreach, defined as teaching, research and service that benefit external
constituencies. Outreach generates knowledge, shares resources, and applies
the expertise of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in ways that
advance the public good, consistent with university and unit missions.
2005–2006
Robert K. Pollin—Economics (for Outreach Research)
Maureen Perry-Jenkins—Psychology (for Outreach Research)
2004–2005
Leda Cooks—Communication
2003–2004
Daniel R. Anderson—Psychology
2001–2002
Sut Jhally—Communication
2000–2001
James M. Royer—Psychology
1999–2000
Arthur S. Keene—Anthropology
UMass Amherst Distinguished Teaching Award
Honoring individual excellence, the campus-wide Distinguished Teaching
Award is highly competitive and prestigious. Only current students and
alumni may nominate faculty for this award. Each year faculty, graduate,
and undergraduate student committees review more than 100 nominations
in a two-step process of data collection and analysis prior to selecting
three faculty and two teaching assistant awardees. Recipients receive
a monetary prize and are recognized at both the undergraduate and graduate
commencements.
2005
Naomi Gerstel—Sociology
Nicholas McBride—Communication
Graduate Assistants
Ventura Perez—Anthropology (now assistant professor)
Lena Zuckerwise—Political Science
2003
Graduate Assistant Viveca Greene—Communication
2002
Michael Morgan—Communication
Graduate Assistant Ieva Zake—Sociology
2001
Robert Faulkner—Sociology
Susan Whitbourne—Psychology
2000
Sut Jhally—Communication
1999
Graduate Assistant
Melissa Osborne—Economics
1998
Laurie Godfrey—Anthropology
Stephen Resnick—Economics
1997
David Arnold—Psychology
1995
Graduate Assistant Alice Julier—Sociology
1994
Ronnie Janoff-Bulman—Psychology
1993
Karen List—Journalism (Communication)
1991
Martha Olney—Economics
1990
Jerome Myers—Psychology
UMass Amherst Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in Research
and Creative Activity
The Chancellor created the Award for Outstanding Accomplishments in
Research and Creative Activity in 2005 for faculty members from across
campus who have, within the past three years, demonstrated outstanding
achievement that has receives national and/or international recognition
appropriate to the discipline. Each of the honorees receives a crystal
award engraved with the Amherst campus seal at Convocation in the fall.
2006
James K. Boyce—Economics
Keith Rayner—Psychology
2005
Rachel Keen—Psychology
UMass Amherst Outstanding Academic Advising Award
One faculty member and one staff member at UMass Amherst are recognized annually for guiding students through their academic experience, advising them on career options and arranging referrals to other campus services, where appropriate. Winners receive a $3,000 monetary award and a plaque.
2006
Susan K. Whitbourne—Psychology
Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series/Chancellor's Medal
This lecture series celebrates the value of academic excellence and recognizes the distinguished achievements of faculty. Those chosen for the series also receive the Chancellor's Medal, the highest honor bestowed on individuals for exemplary and extraordinary service to UMass Amherst.
2007 - 2008
Martin Wobst—Anthropology
Sara Lennox—STPEC
2006 - 2007
Ethan Katsh—Legal Studies
Melinda Novak—Psychology
2005 - 2006
Sut Jhally—Communication
2004-2005
Sheldon Goldman—Political Science
2003 - 2004
Nancy Folbre—Economics
2002 - 2003
Alan Swedlund—Anthropology
2001-2002
Madeleine Blais—Journalism
Jay Demerath—Sociology
2000-2001
James Boyce—Economics
1999-2000
Ervin Staub—Psychology
1997-1998
Carmen Diana Deere—Economics
1996-1997
Jane Blankenship—Communication
George N. Wade—Psychology
For additional listings, click here.
UMass Amherst Samuel Conti Research Fellowship
The Samuel F. Conti Faculty Fellowship Awards—$3,000 and a year's
leave of absence—encourage award recipients to concentrate on activities
related to graduate education, research, creative work and scholarly
attainment. Selection of the awardees is based on demonstrably outstanding
accomplishment and potential for continued excellence in research and
scholarly or creative activity.
2007
Naomi Gerstel—Sociology
2005
James Boyce—Economics
2002
Rachel Keen—Psychology
2001
George Wade—Psychology
1999
Charles E. Clifton, Jr.—Psychology
1992
Susan Tufts Fiske—Psychology
1994
Sally Powers—Psychology
1991
Keith Rayner—Psychology
SBS Outstanding Teaching Award
The College Outstanding Teaching Award was instituted in 1995 to augment the University Distinguished Teaching Award in an effort to recognize a larger number of talented teachers. Nominating procedures, however, are different. Candidates for the College Teaching Award are nominated by their peers and selected by the SBS Instructional Quality Council; for the University award, nominees come from current and former students and are selected by a committee of faculty and students.
2007–2008
Art Keene—Anthropology
Tamara Rahhal—Psychology
2006–2007
Maureen Perry-Jenkins—Psychology
Lynnette Leidy-Sievert—Anthropology
2005-2006
Benjamin Bailey—Communication
Ray La Raja– Political Science
2004–2005
Karen List—Communication
Joya Misra—Sociology
2003–2004
Linda Isbell—Psychology
Maribel Casteneda—Communication
David Mednicoff—Legal Studies
2002–2003
Eve Weinbaum—Labor Center
Erica Scharrer—Communication
Robert Paynter—Anthropology
2001–2002
Michael Morgan—Communication
Melinda Novak—Psychology
Leonce Ndikumana—Economics
2000–2001
David Todd—Psychology
Leda Cooks—Communication
M.V. Lee Badgett—Economics
1999–00
Deirdre Royster—Sociology
Richard Wolff—Economics
1998–99
Mort Harmatz—Psychology
Lynnette Leidy Sievert—Anthropology
1997–98
Robert Feldman—Psychology
Stephen Resnick—Economics
1996–97
Arnold Well—Psychology
Naomi Gerstel—Sociology
1995–96
Carolyn Anderson—Communication
Sheldon Goldman—Political Science
Research Leadership in Action
Research Leadership in Action is an internal grant competition
sponsored by the Vice Provost for Research for full-time UMass Amherst
tenure-track and research faculty to showcase leadership in research
and scholarly activity. 2005 was the program's inaugural year.
2007
Bernie D. Jones—Legal Studies
The Future of Equality in the Workplace: Women and the Opt-Out Revolution
Ventura R. Perez—Anthropology
Landscapes of Violence: Conflict and Trauma through Time
Sonia E. Alvarez—Political Science
Interrogating the Civil Society Agenda
Fall 2006
Jane Fountain—Political Science
Emergent Technologies and Public Policy Workshop on Nanotechnology
Spring 2006
Eve Darian-Smith—Legal Studies
Summer Institute on Rights and Regulation
Fall 2005
Norm Sims—Communication/Journalism
Media Giraffe Project
Spring 2005
Aline G. Sayer—Psychology
Sally I. Powers—Psychology
Scientific Conference on New Statistical Methods for Analyzing Families
and Couples
Lilly Teaching Fellows
Tenure-track faculty selected by the Center for Teaching at UMass Amherst “for their promise in teaching and research, their interest in undergraduate teaching and in developing innovative teaching skills, and their potential for making a positive impact on the teaching culture in their department, college and broader campus community.”
2007–08
Lisa Sanders—Psychology
Millicent Thayer—Sociology
Emily West—Communication
2006-07
Paula Chakravartty—Communication
2005-06
Nilanjana Dasgupta—Psychology
Thomas Hilbink—Legal Studies
2004-05
Anne Ciecko—Communication
Beth Jakob—Psychology
Srirupa Roy—Political Science
2003-04
Julie Hemment—Anthropology
2002-03
Linda Isbell—Psychology
Betsy Krause—Anthropology
Mari Castaneda—Communication
2001-02
David Mednicoff—Legal Studies
Erica Scharrer—Communication
2007
Michael Constantino—Psychology
Recipient of 2007 Early-Career Award from the American Psychological Foundation’s (APF) Division 29 (Psychotherapy). The award recognizes promising contributions to psychotherapy, psychology, and the division of psychotherapy by a Division 29 member with 10 or fewer years of postdoctoral experience.
2006
Jeffrey D. Blaustein—Psychology
Named editor-in-chief of Endrocrinology by the Endocrine Society, the first from the field of behavioral neuroendocrinology
David Mednicoff—Legal Studies
Fulbright Fellowship for research and teaching in Qatar for the 2006-7 academic year. He is the first American Fulbright scholar to go to Qatar in the field of international politics, and the first non-Muslim to receive a grant related to law and Arab politics.
Rachel Keen—Psychology
Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences for her stellar achievements related to child behavior.
Michael Ash—Economics/Center for Public Policy and Administration
Fulbright Fellowship for research and teaching in Hungary.
Sheldon Goldman—Political Science
American Political Science Association’s Law and Courts Section Lifetime Achievement Award.
2005
Krista Harper—Anthropology/Center for Public Policy and Administration
European
Union Policy Affairs Research Fellowship from the Fulbright Scholar Program
to study Roma human rights advances and attitudes
Laura Jensen—Political Science
Johnson Award for Best Paper in
Ethics and Accountability in the Public Sector in the "established
scholar" category,
sponsored by Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership, University
of Pittsburgh
Her papers “Public Ethics, Legal Accountability,
and the New Governance” was co-authored
with Sheila Suess Kennedy, Professor of Law and Public Policy, University
of Indiana
Read more...
Bernie D. Jones—Legal Studies
William Nelson Cromwell Foundation
prize sponsored by the American Society for Legal History, the annual
prize for excellence in scholarship in American Legal History by a junior
scholar
Recognizes Jones’s work on antebellum will contests in the
South, involving elite white male testators who left bequests of freedom
and property to their biological slave children and the children's mothers.
Rachel Keen—Psychology
Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award, Society for
Research in Child Development, 2005
Peter Rossi—Sociology/Social and Demographic
Research Institute (emeritus)
The Association for Public Policy and Management (APPAM) names
annual award in his honor for lifetime achievements in the field.

