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Celebration of Success Award Season

You're invited to attend the 2024 Celebration of Success event on Thursday, December 12  from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Exploratory Hall atrium.

Mason Science faculty and staff group photo

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.

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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)

Dean’s Big Challenge Award

Eligible employees: I/R Faculty
The Dean’s Big Challenge Award is for a faculty member who has best contributed to solving one of the world’s biggest problems.

Dean’s Creative Educator Award

Eligible employees: I/R Faculty
The Dean’s Creative Educator Award is for faculty engaged in efforts in cross-disciplinary education, innovative approaches to education, development of inclusive curriculum and pedagogy, enrichment of students' educational experience outside the classroom, and the embedding of entrepreneurship as an integral part of students' academic experience.

Dean’s Award for Early Career Excellence

Eligible employees: I/R Faculty
The Dean’s Award for Early Career Excellence is for faculty with under five years’ of service in the College of Science who have achieved notable success and have increased the profile for their Department and the College. Faculty nominees must show exceptional accomplishment in teaching and/or research that aligns with University and College commitments to collegiality and AJEDI (Access, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion), thus clearly establishing themselves as excellent faculty members. While they need not excel in all areas of faculty activity, they should be clearly superior in at least one area and not obviously deficient in any areas.

Dean’s Award for Excellence in AJEDI

Eligible employees: I/R and A/P Faculty
The Dean’s Award for Excellence in AJEDI is for faculty who demonstrate excellence in the areas of Access, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, by going above and beyond what is typically expected in teaching, research, service and community outreach, and other efforts.

Dean’s Impact Award

Eligible employees: I/R and A/P Faculty
The Dean’s Impact Award is for any faculty member who has achieved success, made a notable impact, and brought recognition to our college.

Dean's Teaching Excellence Award

Eligible employees: All faculty members (tenure-track, tenured, term, and adjuncts) who have completed at least 3 years of full-time teaching in the College of Science. 
Nominations are accepted across all teaching modalities. Candidates should demonstrate growth and development as an educator, student and learner engagement, assessment of student learning and achievement, teaching effectiveness and impact and that aligns with the university and college commitment to AJEDI.

Dean’s Outstanding Staff Award

Eligible employees: Classified Staff
The Dean’s Outstanding Staff Award recognizes a Classified Staff member's dedication to the well-being and operation of the college and the administrative units thereof. Individuals nominated shall exemplify strong capability, fidelity to the College’s AJEDI vision, and commitment and service to the Mason Science and University community. Specific examples of the outstanding duties performed should be emphasized in the nomination.

Dean’s Research Scientist Award

Eligible employees: I/R Faculty
The Dean’s Research Scientist Award recognizes research excellence evidenced by the discovery of new knowledge as demonstrated by published work in books, journals and leading conferences; invited talks, prizes, inventions, patents and other recognitions; and/or the track record of their competitive research funding.


 

Dean’s Research Support Award

Eligible employees: All Employees*
The Dean’s Research Support Award recognizes employees actively involved in supporting a solid research program in basic or applied sciences that has gained significant national and international attention. It must be clear that the nominee has made a valuable and innovative contribution to research in the college.  

Dean’s Creating Unity through AJEDI Award

Eligible employees: Classified Staff
The Dean’s Creating Unity Award acknowledges the significant achievements of staff members who take positive steps to create a culture and climate of respect and inclusion, value differences, model civility, and find innovative ways to improve opportunities for the diverse communities we work in and serve. Individuals whose primary roles include the promotion of equity and diversity are eligible for this award when they have demonstrated achievements above and beyond work expectations for their job.

Dean’s Centricity Award

Eligible employees: Classified Staff and Non-Student Wage
The Dean’s Centricity Award acknowledges staff members who establish and maintain positive, collegial, and effective working relationships with fellow staff, faculty, students and other internal/external stakeholders. They are dedicated to continuously improving productive interactions and frequently exceed expectations by demonstrating excellence in customer service - communications, problem solving, adaptability, and maintaining a professional attitude

Dean’s Mentorship Award

Eligible employees: All Employees*
The Dean’s Mentorship Award acknowledges college employees who made a positive impact on their colleagues through effective mentorship, coaching and/or supervision. This is an employee who serves as a role model and mentor to their colleagues, helping them to develop and improve their skills, acclimate to new positions, or learn new processes so that they can achieve success.

Dean’s Emerging Leader Award

Eligible employees: All Employees*
The Dean’s Emerging Leader Award is for employees who are highly engaged, lead the charge to tackle initiatives and promote cultural change, and strive to empower others. These employees are natural leaders who inspire others and who, regardless of position or title, exceed the responsibilities of their position in a manner that demonstrates a commitment to departmental and College success. Moreover, the Emerging Leader helps put forward other employees who can serve as mentors and role models.

Dean’s Student Service Award

Dean’s Student Service Award 
Eligible employees: Classified Staff and Non-Student Wage
The Dean’s Student Service Award recognizes a staff member’s ongoing commitment to providing expert service to our students and upholding our college mission. The award is for an exemplary colleague who has demonstrated initiative and creativity, exceptional individual and/or team contributions, and continuous improvements in the way we support student success.

Dean’s Rising Star Award

Eligible employees: Classified Staff hired within past 1-3 years
The Dean’s Rising Star Award recognizes a staff member with one to three years’ service who has made a unique departmental contribution to embracing the Mason Science spirit. This employee demonstrates high performance in their role with a proven track record of building interdepartmental relationships that lead to continuous improvement. The employee must have at least 1 year of service in COS to be eligible for this award.

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.)

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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