Nominations are now being accepted for the 2005 Alumni Awards for Outreach Excellence, which recognize Virginia Tech faculty and staff members for outstanding achievements that contribute to the university's outreach mission to the community at large, the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

The Alumni Awards for Outreach Excellence, one for individual achievement and one for team achievement, focus on sustained outstanding contributions of faculty and staff members working to realize economic and social transformation.

Nominations for the university awards, which are sponsored by the Commission on Outreach and International Affairs with support from the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, close on March 18. Alumni, students, faculty, department heads, directors, deans, and external clients may submit nominations.

"The exceptional accomplishments of our faculty and staff in 'putting knowledge to work' merit special recognition," said Judith Shrum, commission chair. "These awards help to honor and reward our faculty and staff for their contributions to making university knowledge available to the people of the commonwealth and the world whom we serve through outreach efforts."

The recipient of the individual achievement award will receive a monetary award of $2,000 and a plaque, while the team achievement winners will share $2,000 and a plaque. Recipients of these university-wide awards are automatically inducted into the Academy of Outreach Excellence at its spring meeting.

In addition to the two university awards, the Commission on Outreach and International Affairs will continue to support a program launched last year to recognize excellence in outreach at the college level. Recipients of the college-level awards receive $500 and a plaque. Individual colleges will set deadlines for their respective awards.

Nominees for all awards should exhibit excellence in the performance of outreach programs, including but not limited to innovation, creativity, program results, impacts, leadership, subject matter expertise, and communication skills. Their work should demonstrate a focused program, planned and implemented to deliver coherent content.

Detailed information on the awards and nomination procedures is available at http://www.outreach.vt.edu/.

Share this story