About the Award
UC Davis Graduate Studies is pleased to announce that nominations are now open for the 2027 Distinguished Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Award. This prestigious award recognizes faculty members who have demonstrated an outstanding record of mentoring graduate students and/or postdoctoral scholars.
We invite faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and/or alumni to nominate distinguished mentors who have played a pivotal role in the academic and professional development of their mentees.
Nominations will open Monday, October 26, and close January 4, 2027.
• Two Awardees will each receive $10,000 in Wakeham Graduate Student Mentoring Fellowship funds to be awarded to the graduate students of their choice to support professional development (e.g., conference travel).
The nomination deadline for the 2027 Graduate and Postdoctoral Mentorship Award is January 4, 2027.
Graduate Studies will induct 2027 awardees at the next Celebration of Distinguished Mentors on Monday, May 17, 2027.
- Award Eligibility
- Nominees must:
• Be current faculty members of graduate programs (department-based or graduate group) consistent with Graduate Council policy.
• Be currently employed by UC Davis.
• Have completed a minimum of four years of service at UC Davis.
• This award is a lifetime honor; previous winners are not eligible for consideration. - Who May Nominate
- UC Davis faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and alumni are invited to nominate a distinguished mentor of graduate students or postdoctoral scholars for this award.
- Selection Criteria
- Nominations should demonstrate the nominee’s outstanding record of mentoring, which may occur within or beyond their own departmental program or research group. For service beyond a research group or department, the nominating letters should demonstrate that the nominee’s contributions exceed standard administrative roles.
Nominations should emphasize one or more of the following themes:
Mentoring for Research and Scholarly Work
Examples:
• Guiding mentees through critical transitions (e.g., applicant to trainee; graduation to job placement).
• Fostering research independence..
• Developing oral and written communication skills.
• Instilling high ethical standards.
Mentoring for Career and Professional Development
Examples:
• Providing career guidance for professions inside and outside academia.
• Supporting network development with scholars and practitioners.
• Demonstrating commitment to lifelong mentoring beyond graduation or appointment completion.
Mentoring for Personal and Interpersonal Growth
Examples:
• Showing sensitivity to the unique needs of individual mentees.
• Guiding mentees through interpersonal conflicts specific to the academic environment.
• Advising on work-life balance and burnout prevention. - Nomination Materials
- Nomination packages must include the following:
1. Recommendation Letter (Max 3 pages, 11-point font, single-spaced): From a current or recent mentee (or group of mentees) and/or a faculty member or program chair. This letter should describe the nominee’s exemplary mentorship relative to the criteria above. Strong nominations may be submitted from individual or multiple graduate students and/or postdoctoral scholars. However, strong nominations convey how the mentor has had broad and consistent impact in mentoring. Strong nominations provide specific examples of outstanding mentoring and emphasize mentoring activities and not teaching and service.
2. Letter of Support (Max 3 pages, 11-point font, single-spaced): From a colleague or chair familiar with the nominee’s qualifications. This letter should note the candidate’s graduate/professional affiliations and detail their service record relative to mentoring (e.g., involvement in graduate mentoring programs, graduate group or graduate program service).
Nominations should provide specific evidence of outstanding mentoring activities based on one or more of the three thematic categories described above. Nomination and support letters exceeding a total of 3 pages may be removed from consideration.
Note: If a nominee is selected as a finalist, Graduate Studies may request a current CV or additional letters of support from current/former students and affiliated faculty/staff.
- Selection
- The Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Welfare Committee of Graduate Council manages selection and recommends finalists to the Dean of Graduate Studies.
UC Davis Distinguished Mentors
2017
Richard Grosberg
Neville Luhmann
Omnia El Shakry
Sharon Strauss
2018
Marisol De La Cadena
Amanda Guyer
Ari Kelman
Jay Stachowicz
2019
Graham Coop
Brian Gaylord
Ellen Hartigan-O’Connor
Andrew Sih
2020
Bettina Ng'Weno
Erkin Şeker
Smriti Srinivas
2021
Carolyn Dewa
Eleonora Grandi
Jeffrey Hoch
David Olson
2022
Rachael Goodhue
Paul Hastings
Thomas Hahn
Wolf-Dietrich Heyer
2023
Aldrin Gomes
Maja Makagon
Adrienne Nishina
Richard Sexton
2024
Bruce Hammock
David Mills
Claudia Sánchez-Gutiérrez
Cassandra Tucker