University Research Excellence Awards

Since 1997, the University Co-op Hamilton Book Author Awards have recognized the outstanding scholarship and creativity of University of Texas at Austin faculty and staff members. Part of the Hamilton Book Awards program are three research awards that recognize outstanding achievement: Research Excellence Career Award, acknowledging a faculty member or staff researcher who has maintained superior research programs over many years; the Creative Endeavor Award, that recognizes extraordinary creative achievement, and the Research Paper Excellence Award, presented to a faculty or staff researcher who is the principal or sole author of a peer-reviewed scholarly paper reporting original research. The past recipients of the three research awards are listed below.

  • 2022-23: Debra Umberson, Professor, Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts
  • 2021-22: Kristen Harris, Professor, Department of Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2019-20: Alan Bovik, Cockrell Family Regents Endowed Chair Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering; Professor, Institute for Neuroscience, College of Natural Science
  • 2018-19: Jonathan L. Sessler, Professor and R.P. Doherty, Jr. – Welch Regents Chair, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2017-18: John DiGiovanni, Coulter R. Sublett chair in Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy; Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Dell Medical School
  • 2016-17: Mary Wheeler, Ernest and Virginia Cockrell Chair in Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, director of the Center for Subsurface Modeling (CSM) in the Institute for Computational and Engineering Sciences (ICES), Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics
  • 2015-16: Thomas J.R. Hughes, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Cockrell School of Engineering
  • 2014-15: Andrew B. Whinston, Department of Information, Risk and Operations Management, McCombs School of Business
  • 2013-14: Luis Caffarelli, Department of Mathematics, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2012-13: Sharon Vaughn, Department of Special Education, College of Education
  • 2011-12: Steven Weinberg, Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2010-11: Patrick Olivelle, Department of Asian Studies, College of Liberal Arts
  • 2009-10: Toyin Falola, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts
  • 2008-09: J. Tinsley Oden, Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences
  • 2007-08: Ian W. Dalziel, Institute for Geophysics and Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences
  • 2006-07: Nicholas A. Peppas, Department of Chemical Engineering, Cockrell School of Engineering
  • 2005-06: Alan H. Cowley, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2004-05: David L. Lambert, Department of Astronomy, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2003-04: James C. Browne, Department of Computer Science, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2002-03: William Roger Louis, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts
  • 2001-02: William W. Cooper, Department of Management Science  and Information Systems, McCombs School of Business
  • 2000-01: Allen J. Bard, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College of Natural Sciences
  • 1999-2000: Bernth Lindfors, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
  • 1998-99: Roderick Hart, Department of Communication Studies, Moody College of Communication, and J.M. White, Department of Chemistry, College of Natural Sciences
  • 1997-98: Thomas Cable, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts, and John Roueche, Department of Educational Administration, College of Education
  • 1996-97: Wilson Geisler, Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, and Harry Swinney, Department of Physics, College of Natural Sciences
  • 2022-23: Kate Catterall, Associate Professor, School of Design and Creative Technologies, College of Fine Arts, for her film Drawing the Ring of Steel. The one-day theatrical event in Belfast commemorated the 30-year ethno-nationalist conflict known as the Troubles in Northern Ireland, specifically focusing on the 2.2-mile security cordon of 12-foot-tall steel, concrete and barbed wire barricades that encircled Belfast.
  • 2021-22: Raj Patel, Research Professor, LBJ School of Public Affairs, for his film The Ants And The Grasshopper. Filmed over 10 years, this documentary project weaves together themes of race, gender, internationalism, and power. In its making, the project attempted to decolonize the documentary form, with narration, filming destinations and editing choices driven by the main Malawian character. Combining research and creative choice in product and process, the film has broken new ground, as evinced by its wide success.
  • 2019-20: Charles O. Anderson, Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts; the John L Warfield Center for African and African American Studies, and the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies, College of Liberal Arts, for extraordinary creative achievement and scholarship in 2019, which includes his work as Artistic Director of DANCE THEATRE X, and his acclaimed (Re) current Unrest, his work as adjudicator at the Korea National International Dance Competition.
  • 2018-19: KJ Sanchez, Associate Professor at the Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts, for her three world premieres at three different renown venues: (dis)placed at the Guthrie Theatre, Grandma’s Empanadas at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati King at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, as well as her directorial role in Quixote Nuevo, and the world premiere of Knyum
  • 2017-18: Peter LaSalle, Susan Taylor McDaniel Regents Professor in Creative Writing #2 Professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts, for his book "Sleeping Mask: Fictions"
  • 2016-17: Nancy Schiesari, Department of Radio-Television-Film, Moody College of Communication, for her war-time documentary "Canine Soldiers"
  • 2015-16: Susan E. Mickey, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts; and Dean H. Young, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
  • 2014-15: Elizabeth McCracken, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts, for "Thunderstruck & Other Stories"
  • 2013-14: Benjamin Ibarra-Sevilla, School of Architecture, for "Mixtec Stonecutting Artistry: 16th Century Ribbed Vaults in Mixteca, Mexico" and Kirk E. Lynn, Department of Theatre and Dance, for his acclaimed plays, both with his theatre collective the Rude Mechanicals and as a solo writer, produced across America and abroad
  • 2012-13: Andrew Shea, Department of Radio-TV-Film, Moody College of Communication, for "Portrait of Wally"
  • 2011-12: Andrew Garrison, Department of Radio-TV-Film, Moody College of Communication
  • 2010-11: Steven Dietz, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts
  • 2009-10: Teresa Hubbard, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts
  • 2008-09: Michelle Habeck, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts
  • 2007-08: Michael Smith, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts
  • 2006-07: Troy Brauntuch, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts
  • 2005-06: Jerry Junkin, School of Music, College of Fine Arts
  • 2004-05: Yacov Sharir, Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine Arts
  • 2003-04: John Yancey, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts
  • 2002-03: Anton Nel, School of Music, College of Fine Arts
  • 2001-02: Kevin Puts, School of Music, College of Fine Arts
  • 2000-01: Adam Holzman, School of Music, College of Fine Arts
  • 1999-00: Thana Lauhakaikul, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts
  • 1998-99: Michael Ray Charles, Department of Art and Art History, College of Fine Arts
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