Faculty Awards
Supported by staff and fulfilled through students, the mission of Whitman College is carried out by our distinguished faculty. They are teachers and scholars, dedicated to the college, their disciplines and their students.
Each year Whitman recognizes outstanding contributions by individual faculty members, presenting them with awards for demonstrated excellence in teaching, advising, scholarship, mentoring. The awards are named for legendary faculty emeriti, some living, some deceased, whose impact on generations of students created a legacy that helps define Whitman’s use of the term “demonstrated excellence.”
Selection will be made by the Provost and Dean of the Faculty in consultation with the Committee of Division Chairs.
No faculty member may receive more than one award in any five-year period.
Faculty awards
2024-2025 Faculty Awards Nomination
Awards will be announced at the end of the year faculty reception. The five most recent recipients in each category were:
Robert Y. Fluno Award for Distinguished Teaching in Social Sciences
The Robert Y. Fluno Award for Distinguished Teaching in Social Sciences was established in 1994 by donations from the Whitman College Parents Association. The award is given without regard to academic rank or degree attainment to continuing Whitman faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching.
2023-2024 Rosie Mueller
2022–2023 Shampa Biswas
2021–2022 Rachel George
2020–2021 Alvaro Santana-Acuña
2019–2020 Thomas R. Armstrong
Thomas D. Howells Award for Distinguished Teaching in Humanities and Arts
The Thomas D. Howells Award for Distinguished Teaching in Humanities and Arts was established in 1994 by donations from the Whitman College Parents Association. The award is given without regard to academic rank or degree attainment to continuing Whitman faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching.
2023-2024 Aarón Aguilar Ramírez
2022–2023 Michelle Jenkins
2021–2022 Christopher Leise
2020–2021 Kisha Lewellyn Schlegel
2019–2020 Lauren E. Osborne
A.E. Lange Award for Distinguished Science Teaching
The A.E. Lange Award for Distinguished Science Teaching was founded in 1981. The award is given to a teacher of natural and physical sciences at Whitman College who has demonstrated skill and excellence in teaching and inspiring students in his or her discipline. The award is given without regard to academic rank or degree attainment to continuing Whitman faculty who have demonstrated excellence in teaching.
2023-2024 Jonathan A. Collins
2022–2023 Machelle Hartman
2021–2022 Jim Russo
2020–2021 Nominee declined
2019–2020 Britney L. Moss
George Ball Award for Excellence in Advising
The George Ball Award for Excellence in Advising was established in 1995 by donations from the Whitman College Parents Association. The award is given to a continuing Whitman faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in advising Whitman students.
2023-2024 Patrick K. Spencer
2022–2023 Chetna Chopra
2021–2022 Tarik Elseewi
2020–2021 Hitomi Johnson
2019–2020 Andrea K. Dobson
G. Thomas Edwards Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship
The G. Thomas Edwards Award for Excellence in the Integration of Teaching and Scholarship was established in 1998 with gifts from Whitman College alumni, former students, and friends of Tom Edwards and the college. This is an annual award for a Whitman College faculty member who is both an excellent teacher and excellent scholar.
2023-2024 Mark P. Hendricks
2022–2023 Jakobina K. Arch
2021–2022 Arielle Cooley
2020–2021 Brian R. Dott
2019–2020 Alissa A. Cordner
The Sally A. Hooker Award for Excellence in Staff Support for Teaching
This award is named for Sally Hooker, who retired from Whitman College in 2013 as Associate to the Provost and Dean of Faculty after 28 years of service to the college, which also included serving as the administrative assistant in Division II. Sally was awarded the Janice Abraham Award for Significant Contributions and Outstanding Service in 2002. She served as friend, sounding board, endless source of information, and a shoulder to cry on when needed, for generations of faculty. Her death in 2014 left a deep void that we hope this award will help fill to some extent.
2023-2024 Richele Heilbrun
2022–2023 Bill Duncan
2021–2022 David Sprunger
2020–2021 Antonia Keithahn
The Suzanne L. Martin Award for Excellence in Mentoring (administered by the Dean of Students office)
The Suzanne L. Martin Award for Excellence in Mentoring was established in 2006 in memory of Martin and her exceptional mentoring ability and dedication to the Whitman College community. The award recognizes a staff or faculty member who has helped students get the most out of their time at Whitman.
2023-2024 Zahi Zalloua
2022–2023 Baker Weilert
2021–2022 Arash Davari
2020–2021 Robert Fricke
2019–2020 Daniel D. Schindler
From left to right, Zahi Zalloua, Pat Spencer, Richele Heilbrun, Arielle Cooley (Alumni Award), Rosie Mueller, Jon Collins, Mark Hendricks and Aarón Aguilar-Ramírez.