Outstanding Graduate Students: Baylor Graduate School Honors Top Students for Teaching, Research and Dissertation

The contributions of graduate students are invaluable to Baylor University. More than 5,000 graduate students research, teach and pursue their own post-graduate degrees in the field of their calling, sowing into the University as they grow through its instruction.  To highlight those students' accomplishments each year, the Baylor University Graduate School bestows Outstanding Graduate Student Awards through a competitive process, made more challenging by the elite skills and service of Baylor graduate students. 

On November 19, the Graduate School honored the Outstanding Graduate Student Award winners for 2024-25, celebrating 14 students from 11 departments whose scholarly work stood out in the Graduate School. 

"Our graduate students are a cornerstone of Baylor University.  Their support of undergraduate teaching and their contributions to research make them highly capable partners in the university’s mission to provide worldwide leadership through academic and research excellence," Michael Young, Ph.D., Vice Provost and Dean of the Baylor University Graduate School, said. "Graduate students work side-by-side with undergraduates in our laboratories, provide guidance and support, and serve as role models of faithful stewardship of God’s artistic and scholarly gifts."

Among this year's honorees is Heather Deal, a two-time Baylor alum who earned her MSW/MDiv and recently completed her Ph.D. in August. Deal's connection to Baylor runs deep; she previously served as a faculty member and Director of Development for the Garland School. Now an assistant professor in the School of Social Work at Binghamton University in New York, Deal exemplifies the impact Baylor graduate students make as they carry their training into influential roles across the country. 

Each year, three major awards are presented by the Graduate School: Outstanding Graduate School Instructors, Outstanding Graduate School Research and Outstanding Dissertation. To capture the diversity of disciplines across the institution, multiple versions of each award are presented for students in the humanities, STEM fields and social sciences. The Outstanding Graduate Instructor Award is presented for each semester, for a total of eight annual winners, while three are selected for the Research and Dissertation Awards. 

Meet the 2024-25 Outstanding Graduate Student Honorees:

Outstanding Graduate School Instructor Honorees for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025

Winners were selected based on recommendations from their supervising faculty, letters from students in the classroom, teaching philosophy statements and a record of participation in professional teaching development. Winners receive a plaque and travel award to attend a conference, or the purchase of the tam & hood portion of their doctoral regalia.

To meet this year’s winners and discover their work, visit the Outstanding Graduate Student Award Winners website or follow the Baylor University Graduate School on Instagram. Learn more about Baylor’s investment in graduate education and Graduate School growth here.