Distinguished Scholarship Award
Congratulations to the 2024-2025 Cal Poly Distinguished Scholarship Award recipients!
| Photo coming soon | Photo coming soon | Photo coming soon |
Sarah KeadleKinesiology and Public HealthBailey College of Science and Mathematics
Learn more about Dr. Keadle here. |
Ryan JenkinsPhilosophyCollege of Liberal Arts
Learn more about Dr. Jenkins here. |
Kristen O'Halloran CardinalBiomedical EngineeringCollege of Engineering
Learn more about Dr. O'Halloran Cardinal here. |
The 2025-2026 DSA nomination period will open in the fall.
Click here to see a list of previous winners.
Click here to learn more about the DSA Committee.
Nomination Process
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
Previous Distinguished Scholarship Award Recipients
| Year | Name | Department | College |
| 2023-2024 | Tina Cheuk | School of Education | BCSM |
| Christina Firpo | History | CLA | |
| Bing Qu | Civil and Environmental Engineering | CENG | |
| 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 | |
| 2018-2019 | John Bellardo | Computer Science and Software Engineering | CENG |
| Beth Chance | Statistics | CSM | |
| Marni Goldenberg | Experience Industry Management | CAFES | |
| 2017-2018 | Todd Pierce | English | CLA |
| Taufik | Electrical Engineering | CENG | |
| Zoë Wood | Computer Science and Software Engineering | CENG | |
| 2016-2017 | Patrick Lin | Philosophy | CLA |
| Suzanne Phelan | Kinesiology | CSM | |
| Jay Singh | Industrial Technology | OCOB | |
| 2015-2016 | Ronald Den Otter | Political Science | CLA |
| Peggy Papthakis | Food Science & Nutrition | CAFES | |
|
William Siembieda |
City & Regional Planning | CAED | |
| 2014-2015 |
Wyatt Browb |
Horticulture & Crop Science | CAFES |
| Philip Costanzo, | Chemical & Biochemical Engineering | CSM | |
| Lars Tomanek | Biological Sciences | CSM | |
| 2013-2014 |
Steven Klisch |
Mechanical Engineering | CENG |
| David Marshall | Aerospace Engineering | CENG | |
| 2012-2013 |
Bernard Duffy |
Communication Studies | CLA |
| Lanny Griffin | Biomedical & General Engineering | CENG | |
| 2011-2012 |
Chris Kitts |
Biological Sciences | CSM |
| William Hendricks | Recreation Parks & Tourism | CAFES | |
| 2010-2011 |
Michael Geringer |
Management | OCOB |
| Jordi Puig-Suari | Aerospace Engineering | CENG | |
| 2009-2010 |
George Cotkin |
History | CLA |
| Rafael Jimenez | Dairy Science | CAFES | |
| 2008-2009 |
Patrice Engle |
Psychology & Child Development | CLA |
| Dean Wendt | Biological Sciences | CSM | |
| 2007-2008 |
Terry Jones |
Social Sciences | CLA |
| Michael Marlow | Economics | OCOB | |
| 2006-2007 |
Mark Moline |
Biological Sciences | CSM |
| Craig Russell | Music | CLA | |
| 2005-2006 |
Dan Biezad |
Aerospace Engineering | CENG |
| Andrew Morris | History | CLA | |
| 2004-2005 |
Estelle Basor |
Mathematics | CSM |
| Rami Shani | Management | OCOB |