Awards and Honors

The Department of Engineering Education at Virginia Tech proudly recognizes the individuals whose leadership, innovation, service, and achievement continue to shape the future of engineering education.

Our awards and recognition programs celebrate excellence across faculty, alumni, and the broader engineering education community. Through endowed awards, distinguished alumni honors, and annual recognitions, the department highlights those who advance teaching, research, mentorship, and impact in meaningful ways.

These honors reflect the department’s longstanding commitment to excellence and the generous support of alumni, donors, and friends who help sustain our mission.

Faculty Awards

Charles "Butch" and Joan Nunnally Faculty Excellence Award

Established in 2010 through an endowment created by Noel and Kirk Schulz, this award honors longtime Virginia Tech professor Butch Nunnally and recognizes outstanding faculty excellence within the Department of Engineering Education.

Graduate Student Awards

Bevlee Artis Watford Outstanding Dissertation and Doctoral Student Awards

These Watford Awards recognizes exceptional contributions to engineering education, student success, and departmental impact.

Alumni Recognition

Academy of Distinguished Alumni in Engineering Education

Created during the department’s 20th anniversary celebration, the Academy honors doctoral alumni whose careers demonstrate exemplary achievement, leadership, and impact in engineering education and related fields.

Celebrating Excellence

Award recipients and honorees are recognized annually through departmental events, communications, and annual reports. These recognitions celebrate the people whose work strengthens the engineering education community at Virginia Tech and beyond.

The department is grateful for the continued support of alumni, donors, advisory board members, and friends who make these awards and recognitions possible.