Biology Awards
Biology Teaching Award for Outstanding Instructional Achievement by a Graduate Student
The Division of Biology offers an award to recognize excellence in teaching by a graduate student at the University of Tennessee. There is one award in the amount of $1000.
The competition is open to all currently enrolled graduate students recruited into the departments within the Division (BCMB, EEB, and Microbiology) and the Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology who have completed a graduate teaching assistant (GTA) assignment in the last year. Preference will be given to candidates who have taught multiple semesters and at the 100-level, but in all cases the standard will be demonstration of quality of instruction.
An application for the award shall consist of the following:
- Cover letter describing the courses you have taught at UTK, a brief teaching philosophy, examples of your teaching philosophy in action, and why you think you should win this award (limit three pages)
- Current curriculum vitae (including courses taught at UTK)
- Copies of teaching evaluations and any other evidence of teaching excellence you feel would support your candidacy
- Two letters of reference from faculty members at UTK familiar with your instruction. (See below for acceptable forms of reference letters.) Names of references should be included with the application.
The judging committee will be asked to evaluate applications based on the following criteria:
- Evidence of instructional commitment and excellence, as evidenced by cover letter statements, teaching evaluation results, and reference letters.
Alexander Hollaender Fellowship Award
The Alexander Hollaender Graduate Fellowship is made possible through an endowment fund contributed by Dr. and Mrs. Alexander Hollaender. In 1944, Dr. Hollaender established the Biology Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and was its Director until 1967. Dr. Hollaender had close ties to East Tennessee and expressed the wish that strong preference in awarding fellowships be given to students from this region. The Fellowship Committee will consider academic qualifications, geographical origin, and scientific/professional promise.
The Fellowship award of $6,000 will be awarded to graduate students in 10 monthly installments, August-May, of the following academic year (students that are graduating are not eligible).
Applicants must provide a letter of application and a brief resume including the following information:
- Place of birth: City, County, and State
- High School attended: City, County, and State
- Colleges attended and degrees awarded
- Transcripts of college course work
- Graduate Record Examination Scores and honors or awards
- A list of research publications, if any
- Three letters of reference in support of the application must be sent DIRECTLY to the Committee
Timothy L. Cokkinias Award and Carolyn W. Fite Awards for Outstanding Scholarly Achievement by a Graduate Student
The Division of Biology offers awards to its graduate students based on their record of scholarly achievements at the University of Tennessee in the amount of $1000 each.
The competition is open to all currently enrolled graduate students recruited into the departments within the Division (BCMB, EEB, and Microbiology) and the Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology. The exceptions are last year’s awardees. These awards are based on achievements at UT; therefore, students early in their graduate study at UT should realistically consider whether their record of accomplishments merits the effort to complete an application.
An application for the award shall consist of the following:
- Current curriculum vitae (including a listing of grants, travel awards, other recognition that has occurred while at UT)
- Statement by the student describing their research and its contribution to their discipline (limit three pages)
- Copy of UT transcript (may be a student issued copy)
- Copies of reprints, including published abstracts of work completed at UT and other evidence of accomplishments, such as summary teaching evaluations, letters of thanks for outside activities, etc.
- Three letters of reference – one from the student’s major professor and the other two from individuals familiar with the student’s work, especially while at UT. (See below for acceptable forms of reference letters.) Names of references should be included with the application.
The judging committee will be asked to evaluate applications based on the following criteria:
- The scope, significance and balance of achievements while at UT inclusive of grants, publications, other awards)
- The potential for future growth as evidenced by accomplishments while a student.