College of Liberal Arts Research Awards

The Dean’s office will solicit nominations from all College departments by February of each year. For the next round of awards, the nomination packages are due in the College office by March 25 and should be forwarded to toredmon@olemiss.edu. The award winners will be announced at the spring faculty meeting before graduation.

(Last Updated February 2022)

DR. MIKE L. EDMONDS NEW SCHOLAR AWARD IN THE COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

The Dr. Mike L. Edmonds New Scholar Award in the College of Liberal Arts will be presented annually to untenured, tenure-track professorial rank faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts who are within 6 years of their initial tenure-track academic appointment and who have demonstrated exemplary performance in research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement. Candidates must be untenured when nominated. Depending on the quality of the pool of nominees, up to four awards will be available, with one each chosen from the areas of (1) Natural Sciences and Mathematics, (2) Social Sciences, (3) Humanities, and (4) Fine and Performing Arts.

The ideal recipients must have significantly enhanced the scholarly reputation of the College and University through exceptional contributions to their disciplines and demonstrated a positive impact on the success of their department.  [Individuals may only receive this award one time, but recipients will retain their eligibility for the College of Liberal Arts Award for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement (Humanities), Sanford and Susan Thomas Senior Professor Research Award in the Social Sciences, Hensley Family Senior Professor Research Award in the Fine and Performing Arts, and Melinda and Ben Yarbrough, M.D., Senior Professor Research Award for the Natural Sciences. These awards are only given to post-tenure, senior faculty.] Each recipient will receive a $1,000 cash prize and medal to be presented at the College of Liberal Arts graduation ceremony in May. Awardees will be invited to be members of the platform party during these ceremonies.

RECIPIENTS

2022

Saumen Chakraborty, assistant professor of chemistry & biochemistry
Veronica Menaldi, assistant professor of of Spanish in the department of modern languages
Carrie Smith, assistant professor of psychology

2021

Jacqueline DiBiase-Sammons, assistant professor of classics
Laura Dixon, assistant professor of psychology
Sarah Hennigan, assistant professor of film production
Thái Hoàng Lê, assistant professor of mathematics

2020

Anne Cafer, assistant professor of sociology & anthropology
Jonah Jurss, assistant professor of chemistry & biochemistry
Jessica Wilkerson, assistant professor of history

2019

Carolyn Freiwald, assistant professor of sociology & anthropology
Erik Hom, assistant professor of biology

2018

Darren Grem, associate professor of history
Thomas Allan Peattie, assistant professor of music
James M. Thomas, assistant professor of sociology & anthropology
Davita Watkins, assistant professor of chemistry & biochemistry

2017

Jared Delcamp, assistant professor of chemistry & biochemistry
Derrick A. Harriell, assistant professor of English and African American Studies
Joshua Hendrickson, assistant professor of economics
Matthew R. Wilson, assistant professor of theatre arts

SENIOR FACULTY RESEARCH AWARDS

College of Liberal Arts Award for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement

The College of Liberal Arts Award for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement will be presented annually to an outstanding tenured faculty member in the Humanities. The award is given in recognition of sustained exemplary performance in research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement at the national/international level while serving as a faculty member at the University of Mississippi. [The Sanford and Susan Thomas Senior Professor Research Award is available for faculty in the Social Sciences, the Hensley Family Senior Professor Research Award is available for faculty in the Fine and Performing Arts, and the Melinda and Ben Yarbrough, M.D., Senior Professor Research Award is available for faculty in the natural sciences and mathematics.]

The ideal recipient will have achieved scholarly recognition and influence well beyond the University of Mississippi community and made a positive contribution to the success of their department. Recipients of the award are not eligible to receive the award again. Each recipient will be recognized with a $2,000 cash prize and a medal, which will be presented at the College of Liberal Arts graduation ceremony in May. Awardees will be invited to be members of the platform party during this ceremony.

Hensley Family Senior Professor Research Award in the Fine and Performing Arts

The College of Liberal Arts Hensley Family Senior Professor Research Award in the Fine and Performing Arts will be presented annually to an outstanding tenured faculty member from the Fine and Performing Arts. The award will be given in recognition of sustained exemplary performance in scholarship and/or creative achievement at the national/international level while serving as a faculty member at the University of Mississippi.

The ideal recipient will have achieved scholarly recognition and influence well beyond the University of Mississippi community and made a positive contribution to the success of their department. The recipient will be recognized with a $2,000 cash prize and a medal.  Recipients of the award are not eligible to receive the award again.

Sanford and Susan Thomas Senior Professor Research Award in the Social Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts Sanford and Susan Thomas Senior Professor Research Award in the Social Sciences will be presented annually to an outstanding tenured faculty member chosen from the Social Sciences. The award will be given in recognition of sustained exemplary performance in research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement at the national/international level while serving as a faculty member at the University of Mississippi.

The ideal recipient will have achieved scholarly recognition and influence well beyond the University of Mississippi community and made a positive contribution to the success of their department. The recipient will be recognized with a $2,000 cash prize and a medal. Recipients of the award are not eligible to receive the award again.

Melinda and Ben Yarbrough, M.D., Senior Professor Research Award for the Natural Sciences

The Melinda and Ben Yarbrough, M.D., Senior Professor Research Award for the Natural Sciences will be presented annually to an outstanding tenured faculty member in the Natural Sciences and Mathematics. The award is given in recognition of sustained exemplary performance in research, scholarship, and/or creative achievement at the national/international level while serving as a faculty member at the University of Mississippi.

The ideal recipients will have achieved scholarly recognition and influence well beyond the University of Mississippi community and made a positive contribution to the success of their department. Recipients of the award are not eligible to receive the award again. Each recipient will be recognized with a $2,000 cash prize and a medal, which will be presented at the College of Liberal Arts graduation ceremony in May. Awardees will be invited to be members of the platform party during this ceremony.

RECIPIENTS

2022

Ted Ownby, William F. Winter professor of history and southern studies, College of Liberal Arts Award for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement in the Humanities
Jared Delcamp, associate professor of chemistry & biochemistry, Melinda and Ben Yarbrough, M.D. Senior Professor Research Award for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics

2021

Stephanie Miller, associate professor of psychology, Sanford and Susan Thomas Senior Professor Research Award in Social Sciences
Aimee Nezhukumatathil, professor of English and creative writing, College of Liberal Arts Award for Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement in the Humanities

2020

Amal Dass, associate professor of chemistry & biochemistry, Melinda and Ben Yarbrough, M.D. Senior Professor
Research Award for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics

2019

Jeffrey Watt, Cook Chair and professor of history, for Humanities and Fine and Performing Arts
Bing Wei, professor of mathematics, for Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, and Mathematics
Conor Dowling, associate professor of political science, Sanford and Susan Thomas Senior Professor Research Award in Social Sciences
Nancy Wicker, professor of art & art history, Hensley Family Senior Professor Research Award in the Fine and Performing Arts

2018

John Green, professor of sociology & anthropology and director of the Center for Populations Studies, for Social Sciences
Nathan Hammer, associate professor of chemistry & biochemistry, for Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Rhona Justice-Malloy, professor of theatre arts, for Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts
Todd Smitherman, associate professor of psychology, for Social Sciences

2017

Emanuele Berti, associate professor of physics, for Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Robbie Ethridge, professor of anthropology, for Social Sciences
Jaime Harker, professor of English and director of the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, for Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts