Awards – CSB & Joint

See also SJU’s  Awards – St. John’s

• Advising Awards (CSB and SJU)
• Alumnae Awards (CSB)
• Athletic Awards (CSB)
• Diakonia Award (CSB)
• Extraordinary Performance Awards (CSB and SJU Administrative and Support Staff)
• Entrepreneur of the Year (CSB and SJU)
• Fulbright Scholars (CSB and SJU)
• Teaching Awards
  • Sister Mary Grell Teacher of Distinction Award (1995-2019, for CSB faculty)
  • Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award (1995-2019, for SJU faculty)
  • Sister Mary Grell and Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award 
  • Jennifer Galovich Service Award 
  • Catholic Benedictine Educator Award
  • Linda Mealey Faculty/Student Collaborative Research and Creativity Award 
  • Tom Creed Memorial Award 
  • Sister Linda Kulzer Gender Educator Award 
  • Alcuin and Clemens Library Information Literacy Award 
• Honorary Degrees (CSB)
• Literary Awards (CSB): Gable and Berger Prizes
• Lumen Vitae (CSB)
• President’s Medal (CSB)
• Renaissance Award (CSB)
• Student Awards (CSB and SJU)
  • Brandes-McKeown Award 
  • Extraordinary Service Award (SJU only)
  • Rhodes Scholars
  • Student Employee/Team of the Year Award 
• Yoakam Award 

Advising Awards

This award was established in 1985 and recognizes outstanding performance in academic advising. It is usually (though not always) given to one faculty member from each division (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Studies) as well as one cross-divisional award given to another faculty advisor or to a professional advisor whose primary responsibility is the academic advisement of students. Advisors who have won this award within the past three years are not eligible.

Diakonia Award (CSB)

Established in 1985, the Diakonia Award is given to anyone who has exemplified themselves by way of the Benedictine values and have advanced the College of Saint Benedict through their service, time, and effort. 

Teaching Awards

Sister Mary Grell/Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Teacher of Distinction Award

This award was established in 2020 from the merging of Sister Mary Grell Award (see below) and Robert Spaeth Award (see below). 

2024: Robert Campbell III, Mathematics & Director of FYX (First Year Experience) 
2023: Erica Stonestreet, Philosophy
2022: Corrie Grosse, Enviromental Studies
2021: Ana Conboy, Languages and Cultures
2020: Ken Jones, History, p. 20-21

Sister Mary Grell Teacher of Distinction Award, 1995-2019 (for CSB Faculty)

This award was established in 1995 and awarded to a CSB faculty member, who, from 2000-2019, customarily delivered the opening convocation address at CSB at the start of the fall semester.  In 2020, this award was merged with the Robert L. Spaeth Award (see above) and all CSB and SJU faculty became eligible. 

Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award, 1995-2019 (for SJU Faculty)

This award was established in 1995 and awarded to an SJU faculty member who, from 2000-2019, customarily delivered the opening convocation address at SJU at the start of the fall semester. In 2020, this award was merged with the Sister Mary Grell Award (see above) and all CSB and SJU faculty became eligible.

2019: Corey Shouse, Hispanic Studies
2018: Sophia Geng, Languages and Cultures
2017: Kristin Colberg, Theology
2016: Scott Richardson, Languages and Cultures
2015 : Benjamin Faber, Psychology
2014: Kate Graham, Chemistry
2013: Karen Erickson, Modern and Classical Languages
2012: Stephen Wagner, Philosophy
2011: J. Scott Johnson, Political Science
2010: Bruce Campbell, Hispanic Studies
2009: Tom Sibley, Mathematics
2008: Mark Thamert, OSB, Modern and Classical Languages
2007: Rene McGraw, OSB, Philosophy and Peace Studies
2006: Rodger Narloch, Psychology
2005: Richard Ice, Communication
2004: Charles Wright, Philosophy
2003: Michael Livingston, Psychology
2002: Joseph Farry, Political Science
2001: Daniel Rush Finn, Economics and Theology
2000: Luke Mancuso, OSB, English
1999: James Poff, Biology
1998: Norm Ford, Biology
1997: Jeff Anderson, Peace Studies
1996: Kristen Vonnegut, Communication
1995: Anthony Cunningham, Philosophy

Jennifer Galovich Service Award

This award, named in honor of Jennifer Galovich, was established in 2020 and recognizes outstanding faculty service to CSB and SJU. 

Catholic Benedictine Educator Award

The Catholic Benedictine Educator Award, established in 2022, is sponsored by the Benedictine Institute of Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict Koch Chair in Catholic Thought and Culture encourages CSB and SJU faculty (part and full time) to creatively engage and foster understanding of Benedictine or other expressions of the Catholic intellectual tradition when teaching their academic discipline. Faculty members whose academic discipline lies outside of theology are eligible for this award. The strongest nominees will find ways to engage both the Catholic intellectual and Benedictine traditions.”

2024: J. Scott Johnson, Political Science
2023: Julie Lynch, Communication
2022: Ana Conboy, Languages & Cultures

Linda Mealey Faculty/Student Collaborative Research and Creativity Award

This is a faculty-student collaborative research and creativity award.  Eastablished in 2000 as the Teacher/Scholar Award, it may be given to a faculty member on both campuses.  In 2004, following the untimely death of Dr.  Linda Mealey, Professor of Psychology and 2002 recipient of the award, it was re-named the Linda Mealey Teacher/Scholar Award in her honor.  In 2021 the award was renamed the Linda Mealey  Faculty/Student Collaborative Research and Creativity Award.

Tom Creed Memorial Award

This award was given for effective electronic pedagogy.  Established in 2000, it was first awarded in 2001, and was named in honor of Dr.  Tom Creed, deceased professor of Psychology and founder and first director of the Learning Enhancement Service.  See also  Tom Creed Award announcement. 

Sister Linda Kulzer Gender Educator Award

In 2008, a Gender Education and Development Award was established, which was then renamed in honor of Sister Linda Kulzer, OSB, as the Sister Linda Kulzer Gender Educator Award.  This award recognizes a member of the CSB and SJU faculty whose work has been especially important to gender education development. S. Linda, CSB’s Vice President for Academic Affairs from 1977-85 and a professor emerita of education, was a pioneer in the colleges’ earliest efforts to integrate gender into the curriculum.  More information on this award is available in AC 07.71.F01 Box 1 in the CSB Archives.

Prior to its establishment as an Academic Affairs award in 2008, the Gender and Women’s Studies’ Gender Learning Community presented Gender Education awards in 2005, 2006 and 2007.  These were awarded to:

2007: Lisa Ohm, faculty; Mary Geller and Br. Neal Laloo, OSB, staff; Ashleigh Leitch, student
2006: Jean Keller, faculty; Stephanie Weisgram, OSB, staff; Danielle Delwiche and Gillian Korpi, students
2005: Ozzie Mayers, faculty; Sherry Smolik Day, staff; Johanna Hatch, student 

Alcuin and Clemens Library Information Literacy Award

This award was established in the 2011-2012 school year and discontinued in 2019.   It was awarded to a faculty member who has notably contributed to promoting information literacy throughout the academic year.  Any member of the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University faculty was eligible.

Honorary Degrees (CSB)

Literary Awards (CSB)

Sister Mariella Gable Prize, established in 2000

See also Past Winners.  (Note: A biography of S. Mariella Gable was written by S. Nancy Hynes as an introduction to Gable’s Literature of Spiritual Values and Catholic Fiction.)

• 2021:  Mai Der Vang
• 2020:  Marie Mockett
• 2019:  Sally Wen Mao, Oculus
• 2018: Jamel Brinkley, A Lucky Man
• 2017: Edwidge Danticat, The Art of Death: Writing the Final Story  
• 2016:   Susan Stewart, Cinder: New and Selected Poems 
• 2015:  Eula Biss, On Immunity: An Inoculation  
• 2014:  Claudia Rankine, Citizen: An American Lyric
• 2013:  Ru Freeman, On Sal Mal Lane 
• 2012:  Deborah Baker, The Convert: A Tale of Exile and Extremism 
• 2011:  Binyavanga Wainaina, One Day I Will Write About This Place
• 2010:  Tiphanie Yanique, How to Escape From a Leper Colony: A Novella and Stories
• 2009:  Ellen Bryant Voigt, The Art of Syntax: Rhythm of Thought, Rhythm of Song
• 2008:  Linda Gregg, All Of It Singing
• 2007:  Tracy K. Smith, Duende
• 2006:  Nuruddin Farah, Trilogy: Variations on the Theme of an African Dictatorship
• 2005:  Jane Kenyon, Collected Poems of Jane Kenyon
• 2004:  Clint McCown, The Weatherman
• 2003:  Joe Coomer, One Vacant Chair
• 2002:  Judith Kitchen, The House on Eccles Road
• 2001:  Victoria Redel, Loverboy

Louis A. and Mary Wagner Berger Memorial Prize for Excellence in Creative Writing

The Wagner-Berger Memorial Prize is awarded annually for the best original work of fiction by any full-time College of Saint Benedict Student.  Established in 1987 by Patricia and Leonard Porcello, the purpose of the scholarship is to encourage excellence in the writing of fiction. The winning works are published in Studio One. 

• 2024: Taylor Samuelson, Itching
• 2023: Jules Miyazaki, Is it Nothing? 
• 2022: Capri Potter, A Point of No Return (p. 38)
• 2021: Taja Longley, Baby’s Breath
• 2020: Anna Spreck, The Brown Apartment Building 
• 2019: Amber Cigelske, Something in the Dark Swallows 
• 2018: Ryan McCanna,  Quiet Johnny
• 2017: Yariset Rodriguez,  Detained 
• 2016: Leanne Otto,  Moonlight Sonata 
• 2015: Marissa Deml, Later
• 2014: Victoria Borchardt, White Shoulders
• 2013: Tierney Chlan, Through Windows
• 2012: Kia M. Lor, Lub Ntuj Tshiab “Under a New Sky” 
• 2011: Kelsey Daly, Perfect Cadence
• 2010: Megan Mills-Rittmann, Ruins 
• 2009: Melissa Hendrickx, Culinary Therapy 
• 2008: Elyse Rethlake, A Solovakian Fifty
• 2007: Rachel Peterson, The Calm Before
• 2006:  no winner
• 2005: Rachel Williams, All That Will Fall Down
• 2004: Rachel Williams, Lake Superior
• 2003: Kelly Cheeley, Fingers Like Her Mother’s
• 2002: Emily Holt, One Minute 
• 2001: Kelly Unger, Escape
• 2000: Keri Phillips, Misplaced Persons
• 1999: Katherine Petersen, River Witness
• 1998: Yuko Taniguchi, Yume: Heart-Breaking Down
• 1997: Elizabeth DeBroux, Fine
• 1996: M. Colleen Willenbring, Jerusalem
• 1995: Joy J. Frisch, No Strings Attached
• 1994: Colleen Willenbring, Faking
• 1993: Sandy Longhorn, Recovery
• 1992: Jean Burns, Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
• 1991: Terri McCargar, The Devil, the Church, and the Closet Door
• 1990: Rima Montoya, A Day in April, 1918 
• 1989:  Cindy Mackedanz, Practice For A Lifetime
• 1988: Jacqueline Edlund, Anna’s Father

Lumen Vitae Award (CSB)

President’s Medal (CSB)

The President’s Medal, established in 1989, is awarded to those members of the CSB community who have demonstrated extraordinary loyalty, dedication and service to the college and its mission of liberal arts education in the Benedictine tradition. Recipients receive a symbolic representation of the President’s Medal that exhibits the seal of the college.