Faculty awards are more than acknowledgments of past success; they are strategic tools for advancing both individual careers and institutional priorities and can catalyze professional development and institutional advancement. Building on O’Meara’s work (2011), we aim to elevate the role of awards as underexplored yet powerful means of supporting career advancement, professional growth, and institutional success. We outline faculty and institutional motivations for awards, highlight strategic opportunities, and offer practical guidance to help deans and provosts align awards with faculty development and institutional success.
How Leaders Shape, Signal, and Build Cultures: A Discussion Guide for Academic Leaders and Their Teams
Among the many desired traits most prized in academic leadership, the ability to shape (or reshape) institutional culture is sometimes overlooked in favor of fiscal acumen, the ability to drive
Lisa Jasinski
May 4, 2026
