Annual Faculty Excellence Awards
Each year, Saint Mary’s College of California recognizes tenure-track faculty members for their excellence in several key areas, including early career achievement, teaching excellence, service excellence, outstanding scholarship, advising and mentorship excellence, and inclusive excellence, justice, and liberation.
The College's academic community and leadership come together each year for the Scholars Reception, a festive event held at the Soda Center that honors Faculty Excellence Award recipients in a spirit of celebration and camaraderie. In addition, new recipients of the Provost's Faculty Research Grant—which supports essential research across the College—are announced.
2026 Faculty Excellence Award Winners
- Elena Songster, Psychology | Advising and Mentorship Award
- Rogelio Lopez Garcia, Dance | Inclusive Excellence, Justice and Liberation Award
- James McCauley, Psychology | Early Career Scholarship & Service Award
- Karen Ruff, Chemistry & Biochemistry | Teaching Excellence Award
- Vidya Chandrasekaran, Biology | Faculty Service Award
- Michael Marchetti, Biology | Outstanding Scholar Award
In addition, the Saint Mary's College annual Professor of the Year Award honors an outstanding tenured member of the Saint Mary’s College faculty. The Professor of the Year award is designed to recognize distinguished achievement in teaching and/or scholarship by a faculty member of the College. Read more about SMC's Professor of the Year Award.
Provost’s Faculty Research Grant Recipients
- Sunayani Bhattacharya | For Your Ears Only: Radio Technology and the Making of Modern Indian Conversation with Irish Radio
- Helga Lenart-Cheng | Telling Family Histories in the Age of DNA: An Archival Study of te PBS show, Finding Your Roots
- Zhara Sajedinia | Designing Trustworthy and Equitable Human-AI Interaction through Bias Transparency and Uncertainty-Aware Methods
- Freeborn Rwere | Impact of Human ALDH2 Variants on Acetaldehyde Metabolism and Aldehyde Toxicity
Provost’s Faculty Innovative Pedagogy Grant Recipient
- Jonathan Montoya | Innovative STEM Instructions Using micro:bit
Previous Recipients of the Saint Mary’s College Professor of the Year Award:
- Barbara McGraw (2025-26)
- Gretchen Lemke-Santangelo (2024-25)
- Jose Feito (2023-24)
- Brenda Hillman (2022-23)
- Ted Tsukahara (2021-22)
- Rosemary Graham (2020-21)
- Ken Brown (2019-20)
- Joan Peterson (2018-19)
- Denise Witzig (2017-18)
- Steven Cortright (2016-17)
- Carla Bossard (2015-16)
- David Bowen (2014-15)
- Myrna Santiago (2013-14)
- Rebecca Proehl (2012-13)
- Barry Eckhouse (2011-12)
- Stephen Sloane (2010-11)
- Sandra Grayson (2009-10)
- Roy Wensley (2008-09)
- Ronald Olowin (2007-08)
- Lawrence Cory (2006-07)
- Nancy Struthers (2005-06)
- Brother John O’Neill (2004-05)
- Steve Woolpert (2003-04)
Scenes from the Scholars Reception
Dozens of Saint Mary's faculty, staff, and supporters attended the 2025 Scholars Reception to honor and pay tribute to their colleagues.
