Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award 

Overview

The Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award is given each year to recognize and encourage excellence in student mentoring beyond standard classroom interaction. An example of a definition of mentoring is, "building a purposeful and personal relationship in which a more experienced person (mentor) provides guidance, feedback, and wisdom to facilitate the growth and development of a less experienced person (mentee)."

Each dean will appoint a committee comprised of students, faculty, and administration to select an outstanding faculty mentor from the college. From the college nominees, the Faculty Evaluation Committee will select an Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year. The award recipient will be recognized at the annual University Faculty Awards Event in March and will receive $1,500.

2026 Winner

Todd Griffith

Todd Griffith

Jon M. Hunstman School of Business | Economics & Finance

Todd Griffith is an Associate Professor of Finance, where his primary focus is mentoring undergraduates through personalized advising, experiential learning, and career exploration. Since 2020, he has also served as Graduate Director of the Financial Economics Program. Drawing on professional experience in banking, insurance, and investment banking, Griffith works closely with students to help them translate classroom learning into informed life and career decisions. He leads career exploration experiences and student travel, coaches students in national and international competitions, and directs programs that connect undergraduates with industry professionals and alumni networks. He also actively mentors students through undergraduate research, guiding them in data analysis, empirical methods, and academic writing.

Congratulations to the 2026 Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Nominees!

View Previous Award Recipients

Criteria

The nominee must be serving in a benefitted faculty position.

Criteria for selection of nominees may include:

  • Mentoring and guiding students as they progress toward academic and career goals
  • Work with students that involves professional, community, and/or global engagement
  • Active involvement in student clubs, organizations, and honors/scholarship groups
  • Student leadership development
  • Impact on student support in their retention, belonging, and/or thriving in their academic and personal lives

Past recipients of the award will not be considered.

Nomination Materials

Submission deadline: January 23, 2026

The following required nomination materials must be prepared in 12 pt. font and not exceed 20 pages:

  • A one to two page statement from the candidate summarizing their objectives as a mentor of undergraduate students, how these objectives are met, and examples of recent outcomes of this mentorship
  • Letters from current/former mentees describing the impact of mentoring (it would be beneficial if these letters came from alumni as well as current enrollees)
  • Letters from colleagues attesting to the candidate's impact on mentees
  • Additional evidence, quantitative and/or qualitative, relevant to the award criteria
  • A one to two page letter from the department head explaining the candidate's role and impact as a mentor and how this compares to department/college norms

Additional required materials (not provided to the Faculty Evaluation Committee):

  • A short biography (two paragraphs maximum)
  • A candid photo: landscape-orientation photo (1920X1080 minimum size) of nominee engaged in activity related to their nomination (teaching, working with students, doing research in the office, lab or field, etc.)
  • A professional portrait at least 1000 pixels high resolution, titled FirstName_LastName.jpg
  • A description why this individual received the College nomination (statement of 60-100 words or less from the Dean or selection committee chair).

Nominate Now

For more information on the Undergraduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award, please contact:

Michele Hillard
Executive Assistant to the Provost
Phone: (435) 797-1167
Email: michele.hillard@usu.edu