Deadline:  January 12, 2026

The Distinguished Mentor Award recognizes the work that mentors put in to make their student’s experiences successful. Each year, OUR recognizes two faculty/staff members who have been nominated by their student mentee(s). All faculty and staff who mentor students in research, scholarly, or creative work are eligible for nomination.  Any nominated mentors will be notified, making nomination alone a token of gratitude from the student. This award is open to all discipline areas on campus.

Eligibility and Criteria

To receive the DMA, a member of the UI faculty or professional and scientific staff must be nominated by an undergraduate student.  

Nomination and Selection Process

Required Documentation:
Students who wish to nominate their mentor may do so by submitting an essay emphasizing why their mentor deserves to be recognized as a Distinguished Mentor.  Essays should be no more than 500 words and should be submitted using the link above.  

The following questions are examples of topics that may help students in their writing:

  • What specific qualities make this mentor a perfect candidate for the Distinguished Mentor Award?
  • How has your mentor affected your undergraduate education at the UI?
  • How has your mentor assisted you in overcoming obstacles in your research?
  • How has your mentor helped you mature as a student?

There is no limit to the number of students who can nominate a single mentor.  If multiple students wish to nominate the same mentor, they may do so collaboratively in one submission essay or they may do so individually.​ Only undergraduates may be involved in the nomination.

Late or incomplete materials will not be accepted. 

Submission Process and Deadline

The deadline for submissions is January 12, 2026

CLICK HERE to begin the submission process.  Click "Apply" and sign-in with your Hawk ID and password through the blue "University of Iowa Login" button.  If you have any problems or questions, please contact Lauren Galliart (lauren-galliart@uiowa.edu) in the OVPR prior to the deadline. 

Award Details

Each recipient will receive:

  • An OUR Research Fellow of their choice for the upcoming summer or academic year.  
  • A beautiful award to be displayed proudly at home or the office.
  • Recognition at the annual award ceremony hosted by the Office of the President recognizing faculty and staff achievements