The Research, Scholarship, and Creative Achievement Award is presented each spring to a tenured member of the ODU faculty who has exhibited consistent excellence in their research efforts. The purpose of the award is to recognize the accomplishments of faculty who achieve national prominence for high-quality research and scholarship.
Eligibility:
ODU Faculty: Full-time, tenured, with at least five years of service.
Legacy EVMS Faculty: Full-time, with five years of qualifying service (tenure not required).
Evaluation Criteria: Reviewers will consider full career achievements but will place primary emphasis on efforts completed during the nominee's time at Old Dominion University and/or EVMS.
The evaluation of nominees will be based primarily upon consistent quality of research, scholarship or creativity, including:
- peer scholar judgments, evidenced by publications of articles in refereed journals, publications of books, and monographs by nationally competitive publishing houses
- reviewed performances
- juried or invited exhibitions
- awards and citations by professional associations
- positive reviews of funded research proposals, scholarship or creative works
- Simple quantitative measures, such as the number of articles published or the dollar value of grants and contracts generated, are not sufficient evidence of research quality
- In addition, consideration will be given to non-professional acclaim for the outcome of research, scholarship, or creative endeavors.
Some years, the Division of Research and Economic Development recognizes two faculty per year to better recognize the latitude of scholarly activity across the university.
Nomination packets should include a CV, a short statement explaining why the researcher should receive the award and outline the significance of the nominee's research, scholarship, or creative contributions, and a jpeg photo of the nominee.
The complete nomination package (electronic version) is due by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 2, 2026.
Please send packages to: research@odu.edu
2026: Justin Haegele, Professor (Human Movement Sciences and Special Education) and Sandeep Kumar, Professor & Chair (Civil and Environmental Engineering)
2025: Murat Kuzlu, Associate Professor (Engineering Technology)
2024: Charles Hyde, University Professor & Eminent Scholar (Physics) and Edward Neukrug, Professor (Counseling & Human Services)
2023: David Burdige, Professor and Eminent Scholar (Ocean & Earth Sciences) and Jean Delayen, Professor (Physics)
2022: Patrick Hatcher, Professor and Batten Endowed Chair in Physical Sciences (Chemistry & Biochemistry) and Ling Li (Information Technology & Decision Sciences)
2021: Professor & Eminent Scholar Alexander Gurevich (Physics) and Professor & Eminent Scholar Michelle Kelley (Psychology).
2020: Khan Iftekharuddin, Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering, Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Education and Director of the Vision Lab in the Batten College of Engineering & Technology
2019: Lawrence Weinstein, Professor and Eminent Scholar in Physics
2018: Richard Heller, Professor and Eminent Scholar in the Frank Reidy Center for Bioelectrics and Dana Heller, Professor and Eminent Scholar in the English Department
2017: Kent Carpenter, professor in Biological Sciences and Katherine Hammond, associate professor of Communication & Theatre Arts and Director of Theatre
2016: Kenneth Mopper, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Li Xu, Information Technology & Decision Sciences
2015: Adolphus Hailstork, Department of Music and Debra Major, Department of Psychology
2014: Ian Balitsky, Quantum Chromodynamics
2013: Stacie Raymer, Communication Disorders & Special Education
2012: Sheri Colberg-Ochs, Human Movement Sciences
2011: Gary Edgerton, Communication and Theatre Arts and Li-Shi Luo, Mathematics and Statistics
2010: Nancy Xu, Chemistry and Biochemistry
2009: Mounir Laroussi, Electrical and Computer Engineering
2009: Lawrence Hatab, Philosophy
2008: Sebastian Kuhn, Physics
2007: Gregory Cutter, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
2006: Rocco Schiavilla, Physics
2005: Chester E. Grosch, Ocean, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences and Dept. of Computer Sciences
2004: Thomas F. Cash, Psychology
2003: Wayne K. Talley, Economics
2002: Ravindra Joshi, Electrical and Computer Engineering
2001: John A. Doukas, Finance
2000: Hani Elsayed-Ali, Electrical and Computer Engineering
1999: Cynthia M. Jones, Biological Sciences
1998: Anatoly V. Radyushkin, Physics
1997: Chuh Mei, Aerospace Engineering
1996: Eileen Hofmann, Oceanography
1995: Robert Gable, Child Study/Special Education
1995: John R. Holsinger, Biological Sciences
1994: Kenneth G. Brown, Chemical Sciences
1993: Daniel M. Dauer, Biological Sciences
1992: Mark D. Havey, Physics
1992: Karl H. Schoenbach, Electrical and Computer Engineering
1991: Daniel N. Sonenshine, Biological Sciences
1990: Harold Marshall, Biological Sciences
1990: Surendra N. Tiwari, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
1989: Govind S. Khandelwal, Physics
1988: Raymond W. Alden, Jr. Biological Sciences
1987: Alf J. Mapp, Jr. English
1986: Earl A. Thornton, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
1985: Lytton Musselman, Biological Sciences
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: May a faculty member receive this award more than once?
A: Recipients of the Faculty Research, Scholarship & Creative Achievement Award are not eligible to receive the same award again until three fiscal years have elapsed since their most recent award.
Q: Does prior service at legacy EVMS count toward the five-year eligibility requirement?
A: Yes. Qualifying full-time faculty service at legacy EVMS will be recognized in determining eligibility for the award. Combined qualifying service at EVMS and/or ODU may be used to meet the five-year requirement. Eligibility will be administratively verified upon review of the nomination.
Q: May a faculty member self-nominate?
A: For the current FY26 cycle, nominations may be submitted by the faculty member, a colleague, department chair, or dean.
Beginning in FY27, nominations must be submitted by a colleague, chair, or dean and must include written endorsement from the department chair or dean. Self-nominations will not be accepted.