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.

Ted Lasso’s Playbook for Higher Education Hiring Practices
The Emmy-winning Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–) has not only taught us that football is life; it reminds us that leadership can make a significant difference in sport and