Honors & Awards
In order to recognize the incredible work happening on campus through faculty, staff and students, this page houses opportunities to celebrate individuals and groups for awards and honors related to community engagement. Those faculty, staff and students who have received recognition are featured on this page.
Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement
UNI has earned the Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement.
We are among fewer than 240 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. This honor underscores the university’s longstanding commitment to meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships with its communities. To read more about this honor click here.
Thank you to our champions across campus and community partners who made this reclassification effort a success! This distinction recognizes institutions when engagement is embedded into the fabric of its curriculum and programs. UNI had countless examples to highlight in the application. Once again, congratulations!
Presidents' Engaged Campus Awards
Seed Coalition Presidents' Engaged Campus Award are selected by President Nook. The awards reflect the institute's ability to improve community life and to educate students for civic and social responsibility.
2025/2026 Recipients
Student Civic Leadership
Women in Public Service
Civic Educator
Catherine Helen Palczewski, PhD
Community Partner
Love INC of the Cedar Valley
Community Collaboration
Day of Service
- Engaged Campus Awards
The annual Engaged Campus Awards recognize individuals and groups in Iowa higher education for their work toward the Iowa Campus Compact mission of deepening and strengthening campus civic and community engagement.
The third annual Engaged Campus Awards will feature new categories that reflect the new 2020 Iowa Campus Compact Strategic Plan and to encourage new types of nominations. The general nomination form has also been shortened and simplified and a new Network Choice Award nomination process will also be offered to encourage a broader range of honorees. Get ready to make your nominations!
- Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty
The annual Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early Career Faculty recognizes a faculty member who connects his or her teaching, research and service to community engagement.
The Lynton Award is designated as an award for early career faculty who are pre-tenure at tenure-granting campuses or early career--within the first six years--at campuses with long-term contracts.