Michael Damron is the 2016 recipient of the LexisNexis Dean's Excellence Award in the College of Sciences. The award recognizes Damron's teaching and mentoring efforts, including placement of postdoctoral fellows, as well as his excellent research contributions. Earlier this year, Damron received a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (NSF CAREER) award.

LexisNexis is a provider of legal, government, business, and high-tech information and other services. "The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding educators from among the untenured junior faculty at the assistant professor level," according to LexisNexis. "Award recipients are selected for extraordinary effectiveness in classroom teaching, educational innovations, inspiration transmitted to students, direct impact and involvement with students, and impact on the postgraduate success of students."

In 2014, Martin Short, was the recipient of the award in the College of Sciences.