Honoring our innovative and creative faculty | So Good News

I am delighted to announce the debut of the Chancellor’s Innovation Impact Award. This new program celebrates our talented faculty, researchers, staff, students and community partners for their outstanding contributions to innovation and creativity that drive transformative change and societal impact. Each year, the awards allow us to recognize transformative work in the arts, engineering, humanities, physical and biological sciences, and social sciences at Santa Cruz University.

Nominations are now open Innovator of the year reward. This award honors faculty and associated project teams, which may include staff and students, for innovative work that has impacted society in the past 12 months or has reached a milestone that positions innovation for immediate societal impact. Nominations are encouraged from all academic disciplines and fields of study. Up to two awardees will be recognized and the lead faculty member’s project will receive a $10,000 research award to further their efforts.

All faculty, staff and students are invited nominations; self-nominations are not accepted. The nomination deadline is November 10. The awards will be announced on Thursday, February 23.

The Innovation Impact Awards program recognizes work in two additional categories:

The A lifetime achievement in innovation honors a faculty member whose career accomplishments include innovations that have led to significant, long-term societal impact and are an inspiration and positive influence for students and colleagues.

The A community changer awarded to a leader or organization in the Santa Cruz region that has made a significant contribution to regional economic prosperity by supporting innovation, creativity, entrepreneurship or the development of an innovation ecosystem in close collaboration with the university.

More information is available here Innovation Impact Awards website

I am in awe of our faculty, students, and staff, as well as the scholarship, research, innovation, and creativity that emerges every day at our university. Please join me in celebrating their outstanding contributions to our campus, our state and the world by nominating them for Innovator of the Year.