The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor award is the highest honor faculty can bestow on a colleague. This award was first presented in 1957-58 and has been presented annually ever since. The award was known as the Distinguished Professor award until 1981 when it was re-named in honor of the late Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert O. Lawton. At that time past recipients also were designated Lawton Distinguished Professors.
Video interviews with a number of Lawton Distinguished Professors recounting their first hand memories of Bob Lawton along with a detailed history of the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Award at FSU may be found on his biography page.
Selection Criteria
The Robert O. Lawton distinguished professor is chosen from the ranks of those teaching at Florida State University. The screening committee will make its recommendations on the basis or major contributions to teaching, research, or creative endeavors which have been made by the faculty member during his/her career at Florida State University. To be eligible for this award, the faculty member must be a tenured professor, have been at the University at least 14 years and, above all, have achieved true distinction in his/her discipline or profession. Although scholarly distinction is the primary qualification, evidence of quality teaching, including the directing of graduate research and service to the University and the academic community at large should be emphasized.
Selection Timeline
January | The President constitutes the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Selection Committee. The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Selection Committee shall be composed of seven members: four previous recipients of the Lawton Award and three faculty-at-large. The committee shall be composed of the two most recent Lawton recipients and two additional recipients appointed by the President. The three faculty-at-large members shall be appointed by the President from a panel of six nominations submitted by the Faculty Senate Steering Committee. The most recent Lawton recipient shall be appointed by the President as the Chair of the Committee. The terms of appointments for all committee members are one year. |
February | Nominations must be received by late February. The exact date and submission instructions will be sent to all faculty each year. Each member of the faculty shall be eligible to submit nominations to the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Selection Committee. Nominations should come from individuals, not departments, schools or colleges, or other administrative units. Nominations from previous years will be reconsidered only if supporting materials and updated. |
March/April | The Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor Committee will meet in March and April to review submitted nominations and make a recommendation to the President. |
Year 2020-Present | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
2021-22 | Maxine Montgomery | English |
2021-22 | Jorge Piekarewicz | Physics |
Gary Taylor | English | |
2020-21 | Sharon Nicholson | Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science |
Year 2010-2019 | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
2019-20 | Timothy Cross | National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Chemistry & Biochemistry |
2018-19 | Pamela L. Perrewé | Business Administration |
2017-18 | Jeffrey Chanton | Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science |
2016-17 | Joseph B. Schlenoff | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
2015-16 | Max Gunzburger | Scientific Computing |
2014-15 | Mark A. Riley | Physics |
2013-14 | Shridhar K. Sathe * | Nutrition, Food & Exercise Sciences |
2012-13 | Naresh S. Dalal | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
2011-12 | Jawole Willa Jo Zollar | Dance |
2010-11 | Thomas E. Joiner | Psychology |
Year 2000-2009 | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
2009-10 | Richard K. Wagner | Psychology |
2008-09 | Stanley E. Gontarski | English |
2007-08 | Walter R. Tschinkel | Biological Science |
2006-07 | Alan G. Marshall | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
2005-06 | Jayne Standley | Music |
2003-04 | David Kirby | English |
2002-03 | Kirby W. Kemper | Physics |
2001-02 | Nancy H. Marcus* | Oceanography |
2000-01 | Christopher K. W. Tam | Mathematics |
Year 1990-1999 | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
1999-00 | James J. O'Brien* | Meteorology & Oceanography |
1998-99 | Myles Hollander | Statistics |
1997-98 | DeWitt Sumners | Mathematics |
1996-97 | Joseph Travis | Biological Science |
1995-96 | Janet G. Burroway | English |
1994-95 | Kurt G. Hofer* | Biological Science |
1993-94 | Jayaram Sethuraman | Statistics |
1992-93 | James C. Smith | Psychology |
E. Imre Friedmann* | Biological Science | |
1991-92 | Nancy Smith Fichter | Dance |
1990-91 | Donald Robson | Physics |
Year 1980-1989 | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
1989-90 | Richard L. Greaves* | History |
1988-89 | Clifford K. Madsen | Music |
1987-88 | Werner Herz* | Chemistry |
1986-87 | Daniel Simberloff | Biological Science |
1985-86 | T.N. Krishnamurti* | Meteorology |
Frank Proschan* | Statistics | |
1984-85 | Leo Mandelkern* | Chemistry |
1983-84 | J. Herbert Taylor* | Biological Science |
1982-83 | Robert M. Gagne* | Ed Research, Dev, & Foundations |
1981-82 | Robert Gilmer* | Mathematics |
1980-81 | Harry M. Walborsky* | Chemistry |
Year 1970-1979 | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
1979-80 | George M. Harper* | English |
1978-79 | Seymour L. Hess* | Meteorology |
1977-78 | Richard L. Rubenstein* | Religion |
1976-77 | Elena Nikolaidi* | Music |
1975-76 | Richard Gordon Fallon* | Theatre |
1974-75 | Daniel Ralph Kenshalo* | Psychology |
1973-74 | I. Richard Savage* | Statistics |
1972-73 | Kellogg Wesley Hunt* | English |
1971-72 | Lloyd Mumbauer Beidler* | Biological Science |
1970-71 | Ralph Allan Bradley* | Statistics |
Year 1960-1969 | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
1969-70 | Earl Frieden* | Chemistry |
1968-69 | Eugene D. Nichols* | Mathematics Education |
1967-68 | Gregory R. Choppin* | Chemistry |
1966-67 | Raymond K. Sheline* | Chemistry |
1965-66 | Betty Monaghan Watts* | Food and Nutrition |
1964-65 | Carlisle Floyd, Jr.* | Music |
1963-64 | Dorothy Lois Breen Hoffman* | Modern Languages |
1962-63 | Michael Kasha* | Chemistry |
1961-62 | Wiley Lee Housewright* | Music |
1960-61 | Ernest Max Grunwald* | Chemistry |
Year 1957-1959 | Recipient | Field |
---|---|---|
1959-60 | Anna Forbes Liddell* | Philosophy |
1958-59 | Marian Doris Irish* | Government |
1957-58 | William Hudson Rogers* | English |
* Deceased faculty member