Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships 2014-2015 Description: The Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorships recognize professors whose distinguished scholarship has advanced the confines of knowledge, and whose excellence has also included teaching or service. The professorship provides a fixed allocation of flexible funds ($75K). The professor carries the title of Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor for the duration of her or his career at UW-Madison. The Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship is a collaborative tool to reward and retain top faculty. The Provost Office, through the generosity of the Vilas Trustees, provides $50K toward the $75K total. The dean who makes a nomination pledges $25K and opens a professorship account with a minimal annual contribution of $5K per year. The Provost Office opens a linked account that provides $50K. The funds must be expended within five years. The Vilas Trustees approved 16 Distinguished Professorships for 2014-2015. Per the terms of the Vilas Trust, the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professorship may not be used to supplement salary or to pay summer salary beyond $10K salary per year. All other legitimate flexible research fund uses are allowable. Nomination Procedure: To nominate a professor, the dean should write a brief memo (not to exceed two pages) to Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf. Attach the current CV and any other relevant materials. Send the nomination to Yvonne Quamme at [email protected]. You may submit nominations at any time, especially if warranted by retention concerns; but to guarantee consideration, send it by December 5, 2014. For retention concerns, please contact Michael Bernard-Donals at [email protected]. Address the following issues in your memo: (a) the nominee’s scholarly impact and accomplishments within her or his field of knowledge and on the research mission of the college/school and campus; (b) additional impact and contributions through teaching or service; (c) other aspects relevant to the scholar’s accomplishments or value; (d) retention aspects, if relevant; (e) proposed $25K payment schedule by Dean.