The Meyerson Award

The President Emeritus and Mrs. Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring (the Meyerson Award) was established through a generous gift by the late UB President Emeritus Martin Meyerson and his wife, Margy Ellen, to recognize exceptional teaching and mentoring at the university. It is the highest university award given specifically for undergraduate mentoring.

Application now open!

The application for the 2024–25 Meyerson Award is due on Oct. 18, 2024.

Nomination Criteria

Faculty members who provide the guidance and support needed to help undergraduate students develop the skills necessary for research, creativity, critical thinking and innovation are eligible to be nominated for the award.

Like the Meyersons, we believe that the best undergraduate creative experiences are collaborative, encourage student autonomy and responsibility, and create strong mentoring relationships with faculty.

Only tenure track or tenured faculty are eligible to be nominated. Clinical faculty are not eligible.

How to Nominate a Faculty Member

All nomination materials must be submitted electronically. Please collect all supporting documentation prior to completing the online form.

Nominations should include:

  1. A substantial letter of nomination from the department chair or academic dean that clearly describes the basis for the nomination.
  2. Two letters of support from other faculty who can speak first-hand to the mentoring performance of the nominee.
  3. Five descriptive letters of support from former undergraduate students who have direct knowledge of the nominee's mentoring quality and impact.
  4. The nominee’s CV.

Supporting letters and evaluative statements should not be mere testimonials; they should provide specific examples of the nominee’s mentoring and impact/outcomes. A personal statement from the nominee is neither needed nor encouraged.

The award recipient will be chosen by a selection committee comprised of past Meyerson Award recipients and undergraduate student representatives.

Previous Recipients

Year

 

Recipients

 

2025

Joan Baizer, physiology and biophysics

Omer Gokcumen, biological sciences

Kenneth Joseph, computer science and engineering

2024

Priya Banerjee, physics

Eleonora Botta, mechanical and aerospace engineering

Andreas Daum, history

2023

Timothy Cook, chemistry

Mostafa Nouh, mechanical and aerospace engineering  

2022

Stewart Clark, pharmacology and toxicology

Lukasz Ziarek, computer science and engineering  

2021

 

Nicholas Rajkovich, architecture

Mitsuaki Shimojo, linguistics

Jaroslaw Zola, computer science and engineering

2020

 

Lora Cavuoto, industrial and systems engineering

Salvatore Rappoccio, physics

Wenyao Xu, computer science and engineering

2019

 

Colleen Culleton, Spanish

Kwang Oh, electrical engineering

David Schmid, English

2018

 

Michael Detty, chemistry

Johannes Hachmann, chemical and biological engineering 

Larry Hawk, psychology

2017

 

Martha Bohm, architecture

John Crassidis, mechanical and aerospace engineering 

Walter Hakala, English

2016

 

Laura Anderson, nursing

Barbara Bono, English

Annette LeCuyer, architecture

2015

 

Anna Mariella Bacigalupo, anthropology

Lance Rintamaki, communication

Mark Swihart, chemical and biological engineering

2014

 

Beth Tauke, architecture

Stephen Free, biological sciences

Rajendram Rajnarayanan, pharmacology and toxicology

2013

 

James Jensen, civil, structural and environmental engineering

Kemper Lewis, mechanical and aerospace engineering

Gail Willsky, biochemistry

2012

 

Maria Horne, theatre and dance

Lynne Koscielniak, theatre and dance

Jennifer Zirnheld, electrical engineering

Satpal Singh, pharmacology and toxicology

Kate Rittenhouse-Olson, biotechnology

Jun Zhuang, industrial and systems engineering

John Ringland, mathematics