Beckman Award for Inspiring Teachers

Are you aware of the $25,000 Beckman Awards given annually? The award recognizes higher education faculty members who have inspired their students to make a difference in their communities. Recipients each receive a $25,000 monetary award. Please see the information below and nominate a distinguished colleague.

The Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Trust was established in 2008 under the will of Gail McKnight Beckman (1938-2007). Gail McKnight Beckman created the award in memory of her mother, Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. serves as the Trustee.

Last year's prestigious award recipients were Dr. Carol S. Dweck of Stanford University, Dr. Alan E. Kazdin of Yale University, Dr. Kathleen McDermott of Columbia University, Dr. Claude M. Steele of Columbia University, Dr. James O. Prochaska of the University of Rhode Island, and Judith Resnik, J.D., Yale Law School Arthur Liman Professor of Law.

Dr. Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman was an educator, a renowned author and a pioneer in the field of Psychology. She was one of the first female Psychology professors at Columbia University, and she taught at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Beckman authored nine books and textbooks about child and adolescent Psychology. Dr. Beckman was a champion of gender equality and an advocate for the advancement of women in academia.

A trailblazer in her own right as a legal scholar, Gail McKnight Beckman created the Beckman award to honor current or former academic faculty members who have inspired their students to "create an organization which has demonstrably conferred a benefit on the community at large," or have inspired their students to "establish on a lasting basis a concept, procedure, or movement of comparable benefit to the community at large."

Individuals nominated for the award must be current or former teachers, professors or instructors in any higher education academic field. Preference will be given to educators in the fields of psychology, medicine and law. To be considered, the educator must currently teach or have taught at a United States college, university, junior college, community college or technical school. Award candidates must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent resident aliens.

The Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Awards Advisory Committee is currently accepting nominations for the 2011 award cycle. Nomination forms must be postmarked by October 31, 2011. After reviewing the nomination forms, the Committee will invite the current or former students who were inspired by their educators to complete the application process. After careful deliberation by the Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Award Advisory Committee, award winners will be notified by December 31, 2011.

The 2011 Advisory Committee is comprised of the following members: Joyce Yamaato of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., Dr. Carol Goodheart of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Karen Tidmarsh of Bryn Mawr College, and Dr. Geraldine Downey of Columbia University.

The award recipients will be honored at the second annual Elizabeth Hurlock Beckman Awards Ceremony in Atlanta. Nominators and the current or former students will be invited to attend the ceremony. The organization, concept, procedure or movement whose creation was inspired by the award recipient will be recognized.

For more information and inquiries, please visit the website.