Provost’s Award for Creative Extension Programming by New Faculty

Purpose/Eligibility

To recognize faculty with a current (at least 25 percent) extension assignment who have made exceptional accomplishments in their first four years of service to MU (Year one: Fall 2021, Spring 2022, Summer 2022 through year four: Fall 2024, Spring 2025, Summer 2025) in the field of extension or continuing education. Individuals with service dates prior to Sept. 1, 2021, will be considered to have more than four years of service and are ineligible to receive this award.

Award

The award is in the amount of $1,000, less applicable taxes.

Nomination and Submission

This section outlines who can nominate individuals for this award and what to include in the nomination packet. As you prepare packets, please keep the purpose of the award and any listed criteria in mind. In many cases, there are length guidelines in place for packet components (e.g., include a letter of nomination that is no longer than 2 pages, double-spaced). The overall length of a packet is not of importance to the selection committee – the focus should instead be on providing convincing evidence of the nominee’s accomplishments and contributions. An unsuccessful nomination packet may be updated and resubmitted up to three times within a 5-year period, per award (i.e., Professor Truman the Tiger is not selected in the first year the packet is submitted and can now be resubmitted for the same award two more times within the next 4 years).

Who can Nominate for this Award:

Faculty colleagues, students, departments, schools/colleges, or recognized campus organizations may nominate individuals.

What to Include in the Nomination Packet for this Award: 

  1. Submission Requirements Form
  2. Nomination/Cover Letter (limited to 2 double-spaced pages)
    • Describe the impact of the nominee’s extension and continuing education activity or activities that qualify the candidate for nomination
  3. Supporting letters (limited to three) from clientele served, colleagues, students and peers
  4. Nominee’s curriculum vitae (limited to most recent 5 years)

Submission Process and Deadline:

The annual deadline for this award is January 15 (due the following business day when falls on a weekend or holiday).

Nomination packets for this award must be submitted by the Divisional Dean, who may establish an earlier deadline. The Divisional Dean will submit the nomination packet as a single PDF attachment via email to UMCProvostAwards@missouri.edu. The PDF file should be named as follows:Name the file as follows: YearProvExtnProg_LastFirst (e.g., 2026ProvExtnProg_TigerTruman)

Please contact us at UMCProvostAwards@missouri.edu with any questions.

Past Recipients

2025Mandy Bish, Plant Sciences
2024Alan Spell, Applied Social Sciences
2023Tanner Adkins, East Central Region – Youth
2022Tamra Reall, Urban West Region – ANR
2022Jordan Thomas, Animal Sciences
2021Sarah Wolters, Urban West Region – Youth
2020Sarah Low, Applied Social Sciences
2019No Nominations submitted
2018No Nominations submitted
2017No Nominations submitted
2016Jared Decker, Animal Sciences
2015No award
2014No award
2013G. Lee Miller, Plant Sciences
2012David Schramm, Human Environmental Sciences Extension
2011William “Justin” Sexten, Animal Sciences
2010Robert Weaber, State Extension Beef Genetics Specialist
2009Sarah Hultine, Dent County Community Development Specialist
2008No award given in 2008
2007Stephen Ball, Human Environmental Sciences
2006Kevin Bradley, Agronomy
2005No Nominations Submitted
2004Richard Houseman, Plant Sciences
2002Lewis W. Jett, Plant Sciences
2001Robert L. Kallenbach, Agronomy
2000Timothy J. Safranski, Animal Sciences
1999Sara Gable, Human Development and Family Studies
1998Carol Bozworth, Consumer and Family Economics
1997Lynn Pike, Human Development and Family Studies
1996Susan K. Henson, Textile & Apparel Management
and Mark D. Newcomb, Animal Sciences
1995Karen B. DeBord, Human Development and Family Studies
1994Linda Butterfield Cupp, Extension Teaching
1993James Spain, Animal Sciences
1992No Award
1991Carol Mertensmeyer, 4-H Youth Development
1990Ronald Bates, Animal Sciences
and
Michelle K. Merfeld, Family Economics and Management
1989Mary McPhail Gray, Human Development and Family Studies
1988Jack C. Whittier, Animal Sciences