Hazel Barnes Prize

The Hazel Barnes Prize is the largest and one of the most prestigious individual faculty awards granted by the 勛圖厙 of Colorado Boulder. It was established in 1991 by former 勛圖厙 James Corbridge in honor of Philosophy Professor Emerita Hazel Barnes to recognize the enriching interrelationship between teaching and research. The award includes a $20,000 prize.

Nominees should be nationally recognized tenured faculty members who are not only outstanding teachers but also have distinguished records in research and scholarship over a substantial period of time at CU Boulder. The Hazel Barnes Prize selection committee is comprised of past recipients.

The Nomination Process

The nomination must address the relationship between teaching and research and show the impact the nominee has had on students, faculty, colleagues and the university. A faculty member may be nominated no more than three times during their career at CU Boulder. Principal nominators must be internal to CU Boulder; self-nominations will not be accepted.

Nominations must be submitted, , by February 27, 2026 at noon.

The nomination file must include the following.

  1. A letter of nomination.
  2. Four letters from individuals internal and external to the 勛圖厙 of Colorado Boulder who can evaluate the applicant's contributions. These letters should be no longer than three pages each and should address the interaction between research and teaching.
  3. A curriculum vitae of the nominee, up to 20 pages.
  4. FCQs of the nominee from the last seven years. (Please provide the summary sheet only.)
  5. Student letters (four total) supporting the nominees outstanding teaching record are encouraged to strengthen the nomination. These can include graduate, undergraduate, current or past students.
  6. Reprints of the five most important publications of the nominee, or examples of creative work, artistic endeavors, musical and or theatrical performances, etc. The nominator should highlight the scholarly contributions of the research or creative work.
Additional Info

泭Nomination deadline: Feb. 27, 2026 at noon

Procedural questions? Darren Chavez

泭The 2026 Hazel Barnes Prize recipient will receive an engraved university medal and a monetary prize of $20,000.泭The winner will be announced in April 2026.