CHHS Annual Awards

Beginning in spring 2024, the College of Health and Human Services will celebrate the accomplishments of our staff and faculty with awards that mirror other faculty and staff awards at the University.

Awards will be given at the annual meeting of the college, held at the end of the spring semester.

Nominations for 2025 are now open.

Faculty awards

  • Distinguished faculty scholar: Recognizing the research and scholarship of CHHS faculty

    Nominate

  • Distinguished teaching: Recognizing the classroom excellence of our part-time instructors

    Nominate

  • Emerging scholar: Recognizing the research and scholarship of junior faculty

    Nominate

Staff awards

  • Distinguished service: Recognizing exceptional service through innovation or effectiveness serving students, faculty or staff in important or unique ways

    Nominate

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion awards

  • DEI Distinction Award This award recognizes commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, fostering engagement and collaboration, promoting learning to create transformative change in our CHHS community

    Nominate an individual, group or unit

Student awards

New in 2024, we want to recognize the student employees and graduate assistants who work so hard to make CHHS a great place to be.

  • If they're a WMU student, CHHS or other, working for an hourly wage, consider them for the Student Employee of the Year award. (The University's award nominations are due at the same time, so nominate for both!)
  • If you've got a research or teaching graduate student, consider nominating them for the Graduate Assistant of the Year award.

Nomination process

  • All nominations due February 1.
  • Decisions made by March 1. Appropriate committees will make decisions in February meetings.
  • Where appropriate, CHHS award recipients will receive letter of support to be used for WMU awards.
  • Will provide CMS web form to collect ALL CHHS award nominations.

Recipients

Faculty Awards

Distinguished faculty scholar 

  • 2024 - Robert Bensley

Distinguished teaching

  • 2024 - Ashley Brennan

Emerging scholar

  • 2024 - Hyejoon Park, SLHS

Staff Awards

Distinguished service

  • 2024 - Leesa Jaquays, Social Work and SLHS
  • 2024 - Jaime Neary, Nursing

DEI Distinction Award

CHHS Student Awards

Graduate assistant of the year

  • 2024 - Jennifer Purrenhage, Social Work

Student employee of the year

  • 2024 - Mia Kerouac

University awards

The CHHS annual awards are aligned with annual awards given by the University. You may choose to nominate for both University and college-level awards at the same time. Where applicable, college award recipients will receive a letter of support to be used in a University-level nomination.

  • Emerging Scholar Award
    The Emerging Scholar Award recognizes the accomplishments of WMU faculty members who are among the rising stars in the U.S. higher education. WMU nominations due April 3
  • Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award
    The Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award is among the highest annual honors WMU can bestow on a faculty member. The award recognizes an outstanding record of scholarship across one's career. WMU nominations due Feb 10
  • Distinguished Teaching Award
    The Distinguished Teaching Award is the highest honor given by the University to recognize faculty members for their work. WMU nominations due April 3
  • Distinguished Service Award
    The Distinguished Service Award recognizes exceptional service through innovative and effective programs which are academic, or related to another facet of University life, such as programs that serve students, faculty or staff in an important and unique way. WMU nominations due April 3
  • Excellence in Diversity Award
    Recognizing the efforts of individual, group or academic units related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Nomination deadlines vary.

Student Awards

  • Graduate Assistant of the Year
  • Student Employee of the Year
    Recognize your student employees' hard work and contributions to WMU by nominating them for the Gary L. Belleville Student Employee of the Year award. Nominations due Feb. 1.