The 2024-2025 DSA Nomination Period is now closed!

The Academic Senate Distinguished Scholarship Award Committee invites nominations for the Distinguished Scholarship Award. Each year, three awards are presented, each accompanied by a cash prize of $2,000.

These awards recognize achievement in scholarship and creative activity across the entire range of disciplines represented at Cal Poly. They honor work conducted primarily at Cal Poly and celebrate both exemplary specific accomplishments and outstanding bodies of achievement

Faculty, students, staff, and alumni may submit nominations.  Faculty members may nominate themselves. All nominations must be submitted using the online nomination form.

All nominees must be current members of the Cal Poly faculty (i.e. members of collective bargaining unit 3) and must be active at Cal Poly for at least one quarter during the academic year in which they are nominated (for example, faculty who are on leave for an entire academic year will not be eligible for that year). Faculty members at all ranks are eligible as long as they have completed at least three years of full time service or its equivalent at Cal Poly.

Selection Criteria:

1.Quality of the creative or scholarly work as evidenced by any of the following:

• Extensive peer recognition of the work as substantial, seminal, and scholarly
• Contributions to improvements in the human condition and quality of life
• Use of the ideas, techniques, and creative work by industry, practitioners, and others

2. Importance of the scholarly work to students as evidenced by any of the following:

• Influence of the nominee's scholarly and creative work on student learning
• Effectiveness in furthering scholarship and creative activity among students
• Quality and significance of related senior projects, theses, and other student work
• Influence of the work on curriculum improvement and enhanced student learning experiences

3. Importance of the scholarly work to Cal Poly as evidenced by any of the following:

• Enhancement of the reputation of Cal Poly or its academic units
• Significance of grants and contracts received
• Mentoring and facilitating the professional development of other faculty and staff
• Recognition from industry, professional and academic organizations, and other institutions

2023-2024 Award Recipients

Tina Cheuk School of Education, BCSM	Christina Firpo History, CLA	Bing Qu Civil and Environmental Engineering, CENG

Previous Distinguished Scholarship Award Recipients

Year	Name	Department	College
2022-2023	Carlos Flores	Economics	OCOB
	Clinton Francis	Biological Sciences	BCSM
	Seeta Sistla	Natural Resournces Management and Environmental Sciences	CAFES
2021-2022	Anarag Pande	Civil and Environmental Engineering	CENG
	Nishanta 'Nishi' Rajakaruna	Biological Sciences	BCSM
	Alison Ventura	Kinesiology and Public Health	BCSM
2020-2021	Frederico Cassassa	Wine and Viticulture	CAFES
	Stephen Hamilton	Economics	OCOB
	Briana Ronan	School of Education	CSM
2019-2020	Scott Hazelwood	Biomedical Engineering	CENG
	Foaad Khosmood	Computer Science and Software Engineering/Computer Engineer	CENG
	Diana Stanton	Theater and Dance CLA
2018-19	John Bellardo	Computer Science and Software Engineering	CENG
	Beth Chance	Statistics	CSM
	Marni Goldenberg	Experience Industry Management	CAFES
2017-18	Todd Pierce	English	CLA
	NFN Taufik	Electrical Engineering	CENG
	Zoe Wood	Computer Science and Software Engineering	CENG
2016-17	Patrick Lin	Philosophy	CLA
	Suzanne Phelan	Kinesiology	CSM
	Jay Singh	Industrial Technology	OCOB
2015-16	Ronald Den Otter	Political Science	CLA
	Peggy Papthakis	Food Science & Nutrition	CAFES
	William Siembieda	City & Regional Planning	CAED
2014-15	Wyatt Browb	Horticulture & Crop Science	CAFES
	Philip Costanzo,	Chemical & Biochemical Engineering	CSM
	Lars Tomanek	Biological Sciences	CSM
2013-14	Steven Klisch	Mechanical Engineering	CENG
	David Marshall	Aerospace Engineering	CENG
2012-13	Bernard Duffy	Communication Studies	CLA
	Lanny Griffin	Biomedical & General Engineering	CENG
2011-12	Chris Kitts	Biological Sciences	CSM
	William Hendricks	Recreation Parks & Tourism	CAFES
2010-11	Michael Geringer	Management	OCOB
	Jordi Puig-Suari	Aerospace Engineering	CENG
2009-10	George Cotkin	History	CLA
	Rafael Jimenez	Dairy Science	CAFES
2008-09	Patrice Engle	Psychology & Child Development	CLA
	Dean Wendt	Biological Sciences	CSM
2007-08	Terry Jones	Social Sciences	CLA
	Michael Marlow	Economics	OCOB
2006-07	Mark Moline	Biological Sciences	CSM
	Craig Russell	Music	CLA
2005-06	Dan Biezad	Aerospace Engineering	CENG
	Andrew Morris	History	CLA
2004-05	Estelle Basor	Mathematics	CSM
	Rami Shani	Management	OCOB