Would you like to recognize a faculty member that has had a major impact as a mentor to doctoral students? The Graduate School is excited to announce that we are now accepting nominations for the Spring 2026 Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award. Mentoring doctoral students is one of the most important responsibilities of graduate faculty. Effective mentoring encompasses many facets, and strong mentoring relationships can be transformative—shaping students’ academic experiences and launching them into successful careers. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, recognizes that mentoring doctoral students is essential to preparing the next generation of scholars and is central to our mission as a leading research university.
The Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award honors a faculty member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to mentoring and has made a meaningful, lasting impact on the lives and careers of doctoral students. The winner of this award will be announced at the Spring 2026 Doctoral Hooding Ceremony.
Eligibility Criteria
A successful candidate for the Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award will:
- be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member;
- be actively engaged in mentoring doctoral students; and
- have a demonstrated record of successful student outcomes.
Nominations are open to faculty who have not received this award within the past five years. Preference will be given to faculty members hooding a doctoral graduate in the current semester.
Nomination Process
Graduate students and faculty may submit nomination packets by noon on Friday, April 24, to the Dean of the Graduate School at [email protected]. Each packet should include:
- a letter of nomination describing the nominee’s excellence in mentoring doctoral students
- the nominee’s CV or a link to their professional/academic webpage
Contact [email protected] with any questions about the Outstanding Doctoral Mentor Award.