Faculty & Staff Awards

Ralph W. Ames Distinguished Research Award

Purpose

The award is to honor a faculty member in the College of Science who has distinguished themself and the College through their productivity in discipline-based research. The award is given once a year.

Eligibility

All College of Science faculty members, including lecturers, are eligible for this award.

The Award

The Award carries with it a $500 honorarium, and the recipient is obligated to present a seminar to the university community.

Timeline

  • During the first week of spring semester, a call for nominations will go out to the chairs of each department with a deadline of the first Monday in February. Each nomination should include a brief paragraph describing the nominee's qualifications.
  • By the fourth Monday of February, the chairs and the associate dean will recommend the nominees to the dean.
  • By the first Monday in March, the dean will announce the recipient of the Ralph W. Ames Distinguished Research Award.
  • During fall semester, the recipient will receive their award and give a presentation about their research to the college.
  • During the Faculty/Staff Meeting during Fall Conference, the dean will introduce the current year's Ralph W. Ames Distinguished Research Award recipient.

Criteria

Among the qualifications to be considered for each nomination:
  • Quality of and numbers of:
    Publications in scientific/technical journals; presentations before professional groups; student research projects supervised
  • Invitations to:
    Speak before professional audiences; collaborate with researchers; serve on editorial and review boards; referee or review research publications or proposals in the discipline
  • Receipt of external funding grants
  • Constistency and longevity of research efforts at Cal Poly Pomona
  • Impact of research on the quality of the instructional program(s) in the college

Recipients

  • 2023-2024: Junjun Liu, Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 2022-2023: Chantal Stieber, Associate Professor of Chemistry & Biochemistry
  • 2021-2022: Jayson Smith, Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 2020-2021: Alan Krinik, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
  • 2019-2020: Erin Questad, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 2018-2019: Amar Raheja, Professor of Computer Science
  • 2017-2018: Jeffrey Marshall, Professor of Geological Sciences
  • 2016-2017: Robert Talmadge, Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 2015-2016: Jennifer Switkes, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
  • 2014-2015: Craig La Munyon, Chair and Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 2013-2014: Ángel A. Valdés, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 2012-2013: Hubertus Von Bremen, Professor of Mathematics and Statistics
  • 2011-2012: Randall J. Swift, Professor of Mathematics
  • 2002-2003: Jonathan A. Nourse, Professor of Geological Sciences
  • 2001-2002: Doug A. Klumpp, Professor of Chemistry
  • 1999-2000: Peter B. Siegel, Professor of Physics
  • 1998-1999: Bijay K. Pal, Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 1997-1998: Harriet Lord, Professor of Mathematics
  • 1996-1997: Don F. Hoyt, Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 1995-1996: Halina Przymusinska, Professor of Computer Science
  • 1993-1994: Lawrence J. Herber, Professor of Geological Sciences
  • 1992-1993: Elisheva Goldstein, Professor of Chemistry
  • 1991-1992: Jill Adler-Moore, Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 1990-1991: Vasu Dev, Professor of Chemistry
  • 1989-1990: Daniel F. Stiffler, Professor of Biological Sciences
  • 1987-1988: Earl I. Pye, Professor of Chemistry
  • 1985-1986: Patrick W. Mobley, Professor of Chemistry
  • 1984-1985: Glenn R. Stewart, Professor of Biological Sciences


    Restoring Fire-Resilient Ecosystems - Associate Professor Erin Questad, 2020 Ames Distinguished Research Award Recipient