Office of Engagement’s

Engaging Rising Star Award

All Awards
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New for 2025

Nominations are Open

This new award celebrates Purdue University’s emerging leaders—staff, students, assistant/associate clinical/practice faculty, and assistant/associate tenure-track professors—who excel at integrating community engagement into their work. Award recipients demonstrate significant societal impact through teaching, research, and outreach aligned with Purdue’s Office of Engagement Framework. Nominations, including self-nominations, are welcome and should highlight recent and planned community engagement activities.

Honorees will be invited to attend the Community Engagement Summit on March 4th, 2025

Nomination forms should be submitted by email as one PDF file by January 20th, 2025 to Julie Gibbs at jagibbs@purdue.edu

Awards Committee may recognize multiple winners in each category or choose not to present an award, based on their discretion

The Engaging Rising Star Award honors staff, students, assistant or associate professors in clinical/practice, and assistant or associate professors on the tenure track.

Who is Eligible for This Award

The engaging rising star award recognizes staff, students, assistant/associate clinical/practice, and assistant/associate tenure-track professors (full professors are not eligible; they can be considered for the Morrill award) that are showing tremendous potential when integrating community engagement in their teaching, research, and/or engagement efforts resulting in broader or societal impact.

A key requirement for this award is that community engagement aligns with Purdue University’s Office of Engagement Framework and Protocol. In other words, community engagement follows the community engagement definition; aspires to one or more of the outcomes delineated; and leverages one or more of the onramps described, to name a few.

Here’s How to Nominate

Nominations for this award can be received from colleagues, department heads, deans, etc. Self-nominations are also welcome. Note that team-related nominations should be submitted under the Engaged Unit/Program award (see below). Winners will receive a $1,000 cash award. Nomination packages should not exceed 5 pages (not including support letters) and must include the following elements:
  1. Biography of nominee highlighting background, professional experience, and degrees as well as teaching, research, and/or engagement interests.
  2. Describe community engagement teaching, research, and/or engagement activities/projects over the past three years. Additional points will be provided to those who have integrated community engagement in at least two of the mission areas of the university (teaching, research, and engagement) and is clearly described in the application. Please include relevant links/attachments to reports, programs, outputs, impact stories, journal articles, etc.
  3. Future community engagement teaching, research, and/or engagement activities over the next 3 years.
  4. List of community partners with whom you have or will partner with.
  5. Two letters of support: one from supervisors/colleagues and one from community organizations/partners.

Nomination forms should be submitted by email as one PDF file by January 20th, 2025 to Julie Gibbs at jagibbs@purdue.edu