Honors & Awards
At Palo Alto University (PAU), we celebrate the exceptional dedication, innovation, and excellence of our esteemed faculty. Through various awards and recognitions, we honor those who have made significant contributions to teaching, research, and service. These accolades not only acknowledge the remarkable achievements of our faculty but also inspire our academic community to strive for the highest standards of excellence.
Each year at the Faculty Distinction Awards we recognize and applaud the extraordinary accomplishments of our faculty members who make a profound impact on our students, Palo Alto University, and the broader intellectual community. Below, is a list of each year's distinguished award recipients.
Faculty Distinction Awards
2023-2024 Award Recipients
PAU Tenure and Promotion
Promotion
Sita Patel, PhD
Rayna Hirst, PhD
Teceta Tormala, PhD
Tenure and Promotion
Chi Li, PhD
Retirement Honors
Lisa Brown, PhD, Professor, Psychology
PAU Pillar Pioneers
Charlotte Beard, PhD, Menstrual Dignity Project
Karen Roller, PhD & Darlene Chen, PhD, Bilingual Certification
Rose Wong, PhD, MSW Program
Provost Award of Excellence in External Grants and Contracts
Bronze (>$250,000)
Mikael Rubin, PhD, $335,000
Rowena Gomez, PhD, $303,205
Excellence in Teaching or Mentoring Award
Elisabet Revilla, PhD
Excellence in Service
Kelly Coker, PhD
Excellence in Research
Matthew Yalch, PhD
Contingent Faculty
Aaron Henderson, PhD
2022-2023 Award Recipients
PAU Tenure and Promotion
Promotion
Jonathan Peretz, PhD
Jamie Kent, PhD
Retirement Honors
Ricardo Muñoz, PhD, Distinguished Professor, Psychology
Provost Above and Beyond Award
Michael Richards, PhD, Gronowski Center Director
Cristen Wathen, PhD, Director of the Center for Educational Excelllence
Shreya Vaishnav, PhD, Acting Director of the Center for Educational Excelllence
William Snow, PhD, 12 years oof service as the Counseling Department Chair
Pillar Pioneers Award
Kelly Coker, PhD & Rowena Gomez, PhD, Assessment Committee Chairs
Teceta Tormala, PhD, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging
Provost Award of Excellence in External Grants and Contracts
Silver (>$500,000)
Kimberly Balsam, PhD, $721,994
Excellence in Teaching Awards
Rayna Hirst, PhD
Shreya Vaishnav, PhD
Excellence in Research Award
Tilman Schulte, PhD
Excellence in Service Award
Amanda Fanniff, PhD
Outstanding Contingent Faculty Awards
Maryasha Katz, PhD
Victoria Liou-Johnson, PhD
External Affairs Special Award
Lisa Brown, PhD
Donna Sheperis, PhD
2021-2022 Award Recipients
PAU Tenure and Promotion
Tenure
William H. Snow, PhD
Eduardo Bunge, PhD
Promotion
Janice Kuo, PhD
Tenure and Promotion
Matthew Yalch, PhD
Cristen Wathen, PhD
Retirement Honors
William Froming, PhD, Professor, Psychology
Pillar Pioneers Award
Margaret Lamar, PhD & Kelly Coker, PhD, CES PhD Program
Eduarado Bunge, PhD, Technology and Mental Health Concentration
Provost Above and Beyond Award
Donna Sheperis, PhD, Faculty Senate Chair
Provost Award of Excellence in External Grants and Contracts
Silver (>$500,000)
Chris Weaver, PhD, $689,894
Joyce Chu, PhD, $656,012
Janice Kuo, PhD, $632,611
Ricardo Munoz, PhD, $559,872
Bronze (>$250,000)
Kimberly Balsam, PhD, $430,000
Amie Haas, PhD, $291,995
Bruce Bonger, PhD, $263,838
Excellence in Teaching or Mentoring Award
Eduardo Bunge, PhD
Excellence in Service
Rowena Gomez, PhD
Excellence in Research
Yan Leykin, PhD
People’s Choice
Amanda Fanniff, PhD