The University of Nebraska system recognizes outstanding faculty, staff, and community leaders with the President's Excellence Awards.
The university's most prestigious awards for teaching, research and engagement recognize individual faculty members and one academic department whose work has had a significant impact on students, the university and the state.
The President's Excellence Awards include:
Faculty IP Innovation and Commercialization Award (FIPICA)
Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA)
Innovation, Development, and Engagement Award (IDEA)
Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award (ORCA)
University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA)
Innovations in Student Success Award (ISSA)
Inclusive Excellence Collaboration Award (IECA)
Faculty IP Innovation and Commercialization Award (FIPICA)
This award honors members of the University of Nebraska faculty who have developed and nurtured new intellectual property from concept to licensing/startup business.
View the specific criteria
Nominations must be submitted electronically by January 10, 2025.
Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award (OTICA)
The Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award honors members of the University of Nebraska faculty who have developed meritorious and sustained records of excellence in teaching and creativity related to teaching.
View the specific criteria
Nominations must be submitted electronically by January 10, 2025.
Past UNO Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Phani Tej Adidam | Marketing and Entrepreneurship |
| 2023 | Betty Love | Mathematical and Statistical Sciences |
| 2021 | Ramazan Kılınç | Political Science |
| 2019 | William Mahoney | Interdisciplinary Informatics |
| 2018 | Tammie Kennedy | English |
| 2016 | Neal Grandgenett | Teacher Education |
| 2013 | Peter Wolcott | Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis |
| 2011 | Jonna Holland | Marketing |
| 2008 | Donna Dufner | Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis |
| 2006 | Karen Dwyer | Communication |
| 2004 | Lisa Kelly-Vance | Psychology |
| 2002 | William Blizek | Philosophy and Religion |
| 1994 | Kris Berg | Health, Physical Education & Recreation |
| 1992 | Diane Gillespie | Goodrich Program |
Innovation, Development, and Engagement Award (IDEA)
The Innovation, Development, and Engagement Award honors members of the University of Nebraska faculty who have extended their academic expertise beyond the boundaries of the University in ways that have enriched the broader community.
View the specific criteria
Nominations must be submitted electronically by January 10, 2025.
Past UNO Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Christine Cutucache | Biology |
| 2020 | Sajda Qureshi | Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis |
| 2018 | Nikolaos Stergiou | Biomechanics |
| 2016 | Elliott Ostler | Educational Leadership |
Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award (ORCA)
The Outstanding Research and Creative Activity Award honors members of the University of Nebraska faculty who have conducted outstanding research or creative activity of national/international significance.
View the specific criteria
Nominations must be submitted electronically by January 10, 2025.
Past UNO Recipients
| Year | Recipient | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Nikolaos Stergiou | Biomechanics |
| 2017 | Roni Reiter-Palmon | Psychology |
| 2016 | Bruce Johansen | Communication |
| 2011 | Gert Jan deVreede | Interdisciplinary Informatics |
| 2002 | Jeffrey French | Psychology |
| 1999 | Cassia Spohn | Criminal Justice |
| 1981 | Harry Duncan | Fine Arts |
University-wide Departmental Teaching Award (UDTA)
The University-wide Departmental Teaching Award honors a department/unit at the University of Nebraska which has outstanding esprit de corps in its dedication to the education of students at the undergraduate, graduate, or professional levels.
View the specific criteria
Nominations must be submitted electronically by Januar 10, 2025.
Past UNO Recipients
| Year | Unit |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Department of Management |
| 2020 | Teacher Education Department |
| 2016 | Department of Foreign Languages and Literature |
| 2011 | Department of Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis |
| 2009 | School of Communication |
| 2005 | School of Social Work |
| 1995 | Goodrich Scholarship Program |
Innovations in Student Success Award (ISSA)
The Innovations in Student Success Award (ISSA) honors a faculty led or faculty-involved team effort that has made a unique and significant contribution to improving undergraduate six-year graduation rates.
ISSA honors specific and successful innovations designed to improve retention and graduation rates among students the unit serves in a major, within a school, within a college, or throughout a campus.
Nominations must be submitted electronically by January 10, 2025.
Inclusive Excellence Collaboration Award (IECA)
The Inclusive Excellence Collaboration Award (IECA) celebrated exceptional contributions that promoted diversity, access, inclusion, and equitable outcomes in support of inclusive excellence.
The IECA recognized academic and administrative departments, units, or faculty-led initiatives at the University of Nebraska that engaged in collaborative, sustained efforts to foster a culture of inclusivity, resulting in improved equitable outcomes for faculty, staff, and students. While the award is no longer offered, we continue to honor past recipients for their impactful work.
Past UNO Recipients
| Year | Unit |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Health Careers Research Center |
| 2020 | Division of UNO Student Success |