Celebration of Success
Admission CTAs
Celebration of Success Award Season
Thank you for attending the Celebration of Succes 2024.

Sign up for the Celebration of Success bake-off
Faculty, staff, and graduate assistants, show off your baking skills while supporting a great cause on Thursday, December 12 in Exploratory Hall 3301. Entry drop off between 10 to 11 a.m. The best baker will receive a trophy and bragging rights, while proceeds from the subsequent bake sale will go to the College of Science Student Emergency Fund. GAs may select between baking either cookies or brownies. Others may select to enter any baked good. To participate, email cosevent@gmu.edu.
See details below.

Celebration of Success Dean's Awards
*Eligible employees: All employees include I/R - Tenure-Track, Tenured, Term, Adjunct, AP Faculty, Classified Staff and non-student wage. GRAs, GTAs, and student wage are not eligible.
All awards include $1500 (due to taxing policies, awardees should receive $1k)
Participate in the College of Science bake-off
All inexperienced and experienced College of Science faculty and staff bakers are invited to participate.
Graduate teaching/research assistants may also enter (cookies or brownies only).
Bakers may work individually or with a team. (Prizes will be awarded to one member per team only, NOT everyone.)

Baked good categories
- Cakes and pies
- Cookies
- Miscellaneous sweets: Any dessert item that does not fit in a category listed above (brownies, tarts, etc.)
Participants may enter any recipe. The recipe does not need to be an original recipe created by the entrant. Recipes may come from cookbooks, magazines, websites, or any other means. Gluten free options welcome.
Contest rules
- All entries are to be submitted as a whole (complete pie, complete cake, complete loaf, etc.) or in the quantity of a half dozen or more cookies.
- Participants should bring their own serving utensils (ex: cake knife, pie server, etc.). Plates, forks and napkins will be provided for judges.
- Baked good entries should be submitted on a paper plate or recyclable container. If not, it is the entrant’s responsibility to collect their container(s) immediately following the bake sale.
- Please bring two copies of your recipe: one with your name on it and one without your name. Submissions that do not include two copies of your recipe will not be included in the judging for trophy considerations.
Day-of check-in
December 12, 2024
10 to 11 a.m.
Exploratory Hall, Room 3301
Registration will close 10 minutes before judging takes place at noon.
Winner announcement:
- Faculty/Staff winners will be announced at the Celebration of Success.
- Graduate Assistant winners will be announced at 4 p.m. in Room 3301
All contestants are expected to be physically present for the announcement and accept their prize at that time.
How will recipes be judged?
All entries must meet the requirements of the category entered. Recipes not meeting contest entry criteria will be disqualified.
Entries will be judged using the following criteria:
- Appearance (maximum 10 points)
- Taste (maximum 10 points)
- Creativity (maximum 10 points)
Maximum total points possible: 30
How will finalists be selected?
Judges are required to taste test all entries. Each judge will complete a judging sheet, which will indicate each entrant’s score. Each criterion will require a score of 1 to 10; a combined score will be calculated to indicate the final scoring and placement (prize and trophy consideration).
Share without competing:
Do you want to bake but not compete? You may donate baked goods for the bake sale. Please wrap your items individually. Drop donations off in Exploratory Hall -3301 between 10 a.m. to noon