The State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) annually honors faculty at Virginia's two- and four-year, public and private institutions of higher learning since 1987. The recipients of the award represent the highest standards of teaching, scholarship, and service. Since 1987, 37 faculty members from Old Dominion University (ODU) have received the award.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) is the Commonwealth's coordination body for higher education, with a mission to promote the development and operation of an educationally and economically sound, vigorous, progressive, and coordinated system of higher education.
SCHEV presents Outstanding Faculty Awards every year to deserving professors. The Outstanding Faculty Awards are the Commonwealth's highest honor for faculty at Virginia's public and private colleges and universities. These awards recognize superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and public service.
More information about the SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award may be found on the SCHEV site.
SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award (OFA) nominees and award winners will be recognized at the spring faculty awards dinner. SCHEV OFA winners will hold the title permanently and be so identified in University publications. The names of all SCHEV OFA winners will be engraved on a plaque prominently displayed at the University.
NOMINATION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2025
Eligibility
For integration of research and instruction, preference has been given to nominees who have developed programs that encourage the application and dissemination of research-based knowledge among a diverse population of learners and whose impact has been felt beyond the university. Evidence of impact can include, for example, work being featured in print and broadcast media, partnerships that extend beyond the academy, and participation in broader conversations that speak to the pressing issues of our times.
Nominees shall have met the following criteria:
- Outstanding teaching performance in the areas of Teaching, Discovery (i.e., research), Knowledge Integration and Service as recognized by teaching awards and supported by student and colleague testimonials.
- In the area of research, nominees should have produced recognized creative works, published books, authored a substantial number of refereed articles and/or have received significant external grants.
- Have won awards for their work.
- Have significant records of professional and community service, the impact of which has been recognized by community and/or disciplinary leaders.
Nomination Process & Schedule
ONLY ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
ODU may nominate six regular faculty members and one "rising star." A rising star must have fewer than six years of continuous service as a full-time faculty member and must be in at least her/his third year of service at a Virginia institution.
Old Dominion University nominees for the open SCHEV Awards will compete with nominees from the five other research universities in Virginia.
The Outstanding Faculty Awards Committee will review the nominations in the spring and select the University's nominees. A representative of Academic Affairs will work with each of the University's nominees to produce the final nomination packets for submission to SCHEV by the end of September.
| Date | Action |
| Friday, February 7, 2025 |
Nominations (including yourself) are due to the department/school chair. Submission MUST include:
|
| Friday, February 21, 2025 |
The Chair submits the completed nomination packet(s) to the dean's office. This allows the Dean to review the packet(s) and add a letter of support before submitting the nomination(s) to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs & Strategic Initiatives. |
| Friday, March 7, 2025 | Dean submits the completed nomination packet(s) to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs & Strategic Initiatives office via facultyawards@odu.edu. |
| Monday, March 10, 2025 | The Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs & Strategic Initiatives office uploads nominee packet(s) to the SharePoint site and notifies the Outstanding Faculty Award Committee. |
| Friday, March 28, 2025 | The Outstanding Faculty Award Committee recommendations are due to the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs & Strategic Initiatives. |
SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award
(OFA) Nomination Check Sheet
Please submit a nomination letter, a CV, and a sampling of Student Opinion Surveys. You may submit other additional materials.
Indicate if you are nominating a faculty in the RISING STAR category (must be within the first 6 years of service [as of the next September 30 when the nominations are submitted]) or the regular OFA category.
Nominees should have significant accomplishments in the following areas:
- Teaching
- Discovery
- Knowledge Integration
- Service
These accomplishments should also reflect the ODU mission (see below).
The Mission of Old Dominion University
"Old Dominion University, located in the City of Norfolk in the metropolitan Hampton Roads region of coastal Virginia, is a dynamic public research institution that serves its students and enriches the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation and the world through rigorous academic programs, strategic partnerships, and active civic engagement."
The Mission Support section of the mission statement describes in detail the principles and practices that underlie the University's undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, and service missions: a sound general educational program; critical thinking; diversity; academic freedom; serving the needs of the local, national, and international communities, including military members and their families; and collaborating with government, industry, and alumni. Finally, the Major Goals of the University are described under the following headings: Students, Faculty, Academic Programs, Teaching, Research, Scholarship and Creativity, Distance learning, Lifelong Learning, Community Service, Student Life, Alumni, and Quality.
A complete statement of the mission and major goals may be found in the Old Dominion University Undergraduate Catalog and Graduate Catalog.
Award & Presentation
Nominees will receive a one-time $500 award from the Vice President for Research to support scholarly activities, and they will be recognized at a luncheon in the fall hosted by the Provost and at the spring faculty awards dinner and will also be recognized by the University's Board of Visitors.
Winners will receive a $7,500 award, funded by the Dominion Foundation, and will be recognized by the General Assembly and honored by the Governor at a special event. Since 1987 when the program began, 37 Old Dominion University faculty members have received this award.
Past Award Winners
2011: Mark Butler, Biological Sciences
2012: Steve Yetiv, Political Science and Geography
2014: Carolyn Rutledge, Nursing
2015: Gail Dodge, Physics
2016: Charles Hyde, Physics
2017: Jennifer Michaeli, Engineering Technology; Anatoly Radyushkin, Physics
2018: Helen Crompton, Teaching and Learning
2020: Kent Carpenter, Biological Sciences
2021: Jennifer Fish, Women's Studies
2021: Ling Li, Information Technology and Decision Sciences
2023: Khan Iftekharuddin, Electrical & Computer Engineering
2000: John Toomey, Music
2001: Sushil Chaturvedi, Mechanical Engineering; Dwight Allen, Educational Curriculum and Instruction
2002: Janet Peery, English
2003: Sheri Reynolds, English
2004: Charles Wilson, English
2005: Katharine Kersey, Early Childhood, Speech-Language Pathology, and Special Education; Cynthia Jones, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
2006: Donald Zeigler, Political Science and Geography; Sharon Raver-Lampman, Early Childhood, Speech-Language Pathology, and Special Education
2007: John Adam, Mathematics and Statistics
2008: Bridget Anderson, English; Shaomin Li, Business Management
2009: Lawrence Hatab, Philosophy; Lawrence Weinstein, Physcis
1991: Karen Polonko, Sociology and Criminal Justice
1992: Gregory Selby, Mechanical Engineering
Karen Polonko's Sociology Class, 1990s
1993: Michele Darby, Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting
1994: Nancy Bazin, English
1995: Helen Rountree, Sociology and Criminal Justice
1996: William Stanley, Engineering Technology
1997: Dana Heller, English
1999: Daniel Dauer, Biological Sciences; Chris Drake, Political Science and Geography
2011: Mark Butler, Biological Sciences
2012: Steve Yetiv, Political Science and Geography
2014: Carolyn Rutledge, Nursing
2015: Gail Dodge, Physics
2016: Charles Hyde, Physics
2017: Jennifer Michaeli, Engineering Technology; Anatoly Radyushkin, Physics
2018: Helen Crompton, Teaching and Learning
2020: Kent Carpenter, Biological Sciences
2021: Jennifer Fish, Women's Studies
2021: Ling Li, Information Technology and Decision Sciences
2023: Khan Iftekharuddin, Electrical & Computer Engineering
2000: John Toomey, Music
2001: Sushil Chaturvedi, Mechanical Engineering; Dwight Allen, Educational Curriculum and Instruction
2002: Janet Peery, English
2003: Sheri Reynolds, English
2004: Charles Wilson, English
2005: Katharine Kersey, Early Childhood, Speech-Language Pathology, and Special Education; Cynthia Jones, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
2006: Donald Zeigler, Political Science and Geography; Sharon Raver-Lampman, Early Childhood, Speech-Language Pathology, and Special Education
2007: John Adam, Mathematics and Statistics
2008: Bridget Anderson, English; Shaomin Li, Business Management
2009: Lawrence Hatab, Philosophy; Lawrence Weinstein, Physcis
1991: Karen Polonko, Sociology and Criminal Justice
1992: Gregory Selby, Mechanical Engineering
Karen Polonko's Sociology Class, 1990s
1993: Michele Darby, Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting
1994: Nancy Bazin, English
1995: Helen Rountree, Sociology and Criminal Justice
1996: William Stanley, Engineering Technology
1997: Dana Heller, English
1999: Daniel Dauer, Biological Sciences; Chris Drake, Political Science and Geography