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2002
Announcement of Award Recipient
2006
Award - Call for Nominations
About Marsha L. Landolt
Award Recipients
Statements from Award Recipients
Criteria Used in Evaluating
Nominees |
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In a letter to President McCormick, Dean Marsha Landolt announces the
Distinguished Mentor Award recipient for 2002.
A list of previous recipients is made available
here.
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UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
The Graduate School
G-1 Communications
Box 353770
Seattle, Washington 98195-3770 |
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January 31, 2002
Dr. Richard L. McCormick
President
301 Gerberding Hall
Box 351230
Dear Dick:
It is my pleasure to forward to you the name of Professor Thomas L. Daniel
(Department of Zoology) as the recipient of the 2002 Distinguished Graduate
Mentor Award. We received nearly 300 letters of nomination for 56 members of the
University of Washington faculty.
I appointed an ad hoc committee to review the nominations. Members included
•Professor Judith Howard (Chair, Women Studies and Professor of Sociology, 2001
award recipient),
•Professor David Notkin (Computer Science and Engineering, 2000 award
recipient),
•Professor David Eaton (Professor, Environmental Health)
•Professor Noel Weiss (Professor, Epidemiology, 1999 award recipient)
•Roy Diaz (GPSS representative, Chemistry/Law)
•Johnnella Butler, Elizabeth Feetham, and Jody Nyquist. (Graduate School)
A number of the nominees received multiple letters expressing glowing praise for
their mentors. Four candidates emerged as being uniquely worthy of recognition.
In addition to Professor Daniel, the finalists for the award were Professor John
Berg (Chemical Engineering), Professor Raimonda Modiano (English and Comparative
Literature), and Professor Lynne Werner (Speech and Hearing Sciences).
The call for nominations noted that,
"...the relationship between a graduate student and a faculty advisor is one
that can have a profound, lifelong influence on both parties. At its best, this
mentoring relationship inspires and gives confidence to the student while
providing the faculty member with a valued colleague."
Tom Daniel has been nominated consistently for the Distinguished Mentor Award
and has received “honorable mention” in the past. The letters nominating
Professor Daniel (enclosed) provide eloquent testimony to the exemplary
relationship described above. His current and former students frequently use the
term “inspirational” in referring to Professor Daniel and speak not only of his
abilities as a mentor but as an “ambassador to other departments” and a “premier
morale and community builder.” The letters also speak to his generosity with
advice, funding, and his efforts toward enhancing collegiality in the
department. Here are but a few of the comments contained in the 14 letters of
nomination received:
•“Few people personify the word ‘mentor’ as he does.”
•“That he donated funds from [his MacArthur] award to the department to provide
support for graduate research is a testament to his devotion to graduate
students.”
•“A student will walk into his office, down because an experiment won’t work,
some equations won’t yield a solution, or simply because life in science seems
too much to handle. A conversation ensues, and ten minutes later the student
emerges renewed, curious again and hopeful.”
•“This is the kind of thing one hears all the time around here—that the reason
there is now a student on a particular departmental committee or that there are
free donuts on the fourth floor every Friday is because Tom decided to make it
happen.”
•“He even invited me to his home for Thanksgiving dinner. Bear in mind I didn’t
mention to him that I didn’t have time to go home for the holidays. Rather, he
came by my office and checked to see if I was going home.”
•“While Tom has provided me with all of the foundations for an extremely
successful academic career…he has also been supportive of my explorations into
alternative careers…..he has encouraged us to follow the path that we believe
will make us most happy.”
•“Although his own lab is chronically bursting at the seams, Tom always makes
room for graduate students in need.”
•“Tom has unfailing commitment to his students…just yesterday he opened his
schedule to help one of his students who finished 6 years ago build a “better”
version of her thesis model..”
•“...in awe of this crazy guy’s energy and enthusiasm.”
It is my understanding that you will personally notify Tom that he has been
selected for this honor. After you have done so, I will also speak with him to
convey my personal appreciation for his abiding dedication to excellence in
graduate education.
I am very proud that the Graduate School is able to offer this award in
conjunction with other University-wide honors. It is fitting that a great
research university publicly recognize the intense, one-on-one relationship that
is the hallmark of graduate education.
Sincerely,
Marsha L. Landolt
Dean and Vice Provost
Enclosures
cc: Lee Huntsman, Provost
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