Make a Nomination for Distinguished Scholar, Teaching, and Service Awards

From September 2 through October 1, 2013, the American Catholic Historical Association is accepting nominations for its 2014 Distinguished Scholar, Teaching, and Service Awards. All ACHA members are eligible to submit a nomination and may submit their nominations online by following the appropriate links below.

• Distinguished Scholar Award – nomination form
• Distinguished Teaching Award – nomination form
• Distinguished Service Award – nomination form

About the Distinguished Scholar, Teaching, and Service Awards

Since 2011, the ACHA has bestowed three distinguished service awards annually. The awards are given for distinguished service in three areas: teaching, scholarship and contribution to Catholic Studies.

The American Catholic Historical Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Scholarship is bestowed on the scholar who, in the opinion of the committee making the selection, has during a long career made a significant impact on the understanding of Catholic history. The award is not for one book or any single piece of scholarship, but for a sustained series of contributions which have fundamentally animated the research of others besides being significant in their own right.

The American Catholic Historical Associations Award for Service to Catholic Studies acknowledges the exceptional contributions of those who “promote study and research of the history of Catholicism broadly conceived” apart from teaching and publication. The term “service” may include any and all of the following, but are not restricted to them: service to the Association, archival management, museum displays that advance public knowledge of Catholic history, media and other activities that promote the role and place of Catholic studies to a wide audience.

The American Catholic Historical Association presents a Distinguished Teaching Award annually to a college or university professor who has demonstrated a high commitment to teaching beyond the expected requirements of their position and through their influence and skill have promoted Catholic studies from one generation of scholars to another.  Through this award the ACHA recognizes the importance of creative and effective teaching in the growth of Catholic studies.

These awards confer recognition on people who substantially assist the work of Catholic history through publication and in ways other than publication and provide an opportunity to reach out to various constituencies, e.g. archivists, museum curators, teachers with whom the association has regular contact.  These are non-cash awards (at present) and are not named. Future donors to the ACHA may be inspired to donate to an endowment fund for these awards and suggest names to be attached to them.

The president of the Association shall annually impanel an ad hoc committee to surface nominations from the membership. The committee determines the kind of documentation necessary to support a nomination (brief c.v. of nominee, letters of support, etc.)  After due deliberation, the committee shall make the selections and convey these names to the President and Executive Secretary no later than November 1. The Executive Secretary shall notify the awardees and invite them to attend the awards celebration at the annual banquet where the award will be presented.