Leadership In Action Call for Nomination Criteria
The Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence is seeking nominations for the 2026 Leadership in Action Award. This award will recognize Purdue faculty and staff who have shown exemplary leadership within their respective areas of expertise. Whether it is through excellence in a particular field or demonstrable commitment to the success and development of other leaders, this award will acknowledge honorees’ accomplishments and professional contributions.
In 2026, there are two categories of awards: faculty (including tenure-track and non-tenure track) and staff (including post-docs). Honorees are selected on the basis of demonstrated leadership with direct impact on their work and community environments. These individuals will be recognized at a campus-wide leadership and mentoring community banquet hosted by the Butler Center on Friday, December 4. Each honoree will receive a monetary prize of $1,000.
To be eligible for the Leadership in Action Award, the individual should demonstrate the following:
- Overarching commitment to launching tomorrow’s leaders by showing ongoing dedication to mentoring others to pursue excellence and fostering an atmosphere of individual and relational thriving
- Favorable representation of the University, both on and off campus
- Impactful motivation, organization, and dedication within their area of professional work
- Ongoing commitment to engagement at the local, state, national and/or global level, including with the Butler Center
- Active service to the campus community as well as national-level academic and/or professional organizations
Nominations must include all of the following to be considered:
- Nomination letter of no more than two pages that cites the nominee’s strengths, years of services and examples of commitment to leadership. Multiple nominators may co-sign the nomination letter
- Two letters of support from individuals other than the nominators will be accepted. Each support letter may be up to two pages in length
- A condensed (two page) CV/resume of the nominee highlighting accomplishments and efforts meeting the award criteria
Nominations for 2026 are now open. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. Monday, October 5. The nomination packet must be uploaded as a single PDF using the following links:
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