Emerging Scholar Award
Dr. Daniel Macfarlane
The Emerging Scholar Award program was launched in late 2006 to acknowledge the accomplishments of WMU faculty members who are among the rising stars in the U.S. higher education. This award recognizes the scholarly or creative achievements of outstanding colleagues whose accomplishments are evidence of great potential for scholarship or creative work. Eligible faculty are all those current, continuing, full-time, Board-appointed, tenured persons with faculty rank and in good standing, who were tenured no earlier than January 2020. Untenured faculty members are not eligible. A faculty member may be nominated in more than one year, but may win the award only one time.
Award Criteria
Scholarship or creative activity may be artistic, historical, literary, philosophical, scientific or technical. Current scholarly/creative achievement shall demonstrate:
- Impact on the state of scholarship or advancement of knowledge in the discipline.
- Impact beyond the discipline or on the general public.
- Evidence of international professional recognition.
- Evidence of outstanding promise to achieve renown in continuing work,
Contact Tonya Dean or email: faculty-development@wmich.edu with questions, comments, or concerns regarding the Emerging Scholar Award.
Nomination Procedure
Nominations are due Tuesday, April 1, 2025 for the 2025-26 Emerging Scholar Ward Award. Nominations must be submitted electronically through the webform (right).
Nominations may be made by any member of the University community. Self-nomination is acceptable.
Nomination materials
Nominations must comprise a current curriculum vitae (CV) and at least two letters of support, including one from outside the University. Nominators are asked to address specifically how the faculty member meets each of the criteria, and use appropriate headings to guide the reviewers. The letters should explain:
- the significance of the nominee’s research/creative achievements, in terms of impact on both the discipline and the general public and
- why current scholarship/creative activity portends renown in continuing work.
Incomplete nominations will not be considered.