Robins Awards 
Friday, April 5, 2024 at 7 PM
TSC Ballroom

 

 

Friday, April 5, 2024 Robins Awards Information


The Master Student Researcher of the Year award goes to the master’s student researcher at Utah State University who has shown superior research capability and academic excellence. 

The Doctoral Student Researcher of the Year award goes to the doctoral student researcher at Utah State University who has shown superior research capability and academic excellence. 

The Graduate Student Teacher of the Year award goes to the graduate student teacher at Utah State University who has shown superior research capability and academic excellence. 

The David and Terry Peak Prize Undergraduate Researcher of the Year award honors the individual student who has engaged in significant undergraduate research, scholarship, or creative activity that makes an impact on their field of study. 

The Scholar of the Year award goes to the student at Utah State University who has demonstrated outstanding knowledge and skill in mastering subject matter and has made a singular contribution in research, application, and determination to succeed. 

The Legacy of Utah State award. In fall of two thousand five, Utah State University mourned the death of eight students and one instructor who were killed in a rollover automobile accident while returning from an agricultural trip to Tremonton, Utah. It was a great tragedy for the community and families involved, but the overriding message from the University and community was one of love, support and hope. This award goes to a student that has excelled in university learning, discovery, and engagement.

The Female Athlete of the Year award is presented to the individual female athlete who has demonstrated exceptional qualities of athletic skill, sportsmanship and determination, and brought recognition to the Utah State University athletic program. 

The Male Athlete of the Year award is presented to the individual male athlete who has demonstrated exceptional qualities of athletic skill, sportsmanship and determination, and brought recognition to the Utah State University athletic program. 

The Gerald R. Sherratt award honors a member or group of the University administration or staff whom has shown unsurpassed dedication and service to USU students and often goes unrecognized for their contribution.  

The Talent of the Year award is presented to the individual who demonstrates an outstanding mental endowment or superior capacity in the field of music, art, or theater. 

Achievement of the Year: Achievement of the Year is defined as something accomplished by superior ability, distinctive effort, great courage, or heroic action.

Organization of the Year: is presented to the student organization that demonstrates the excellence of the organization's stated purpose and service to Utah State University.

Val R. Christensen Service Award established in honor of Val R. Christensen's outstanding lifetime contribution to volunteerism, is presented to the student or organization whose volunteer service significantly impacted Utah State University and the community. This student or organization shows the level of commitment to volunteerism exemplified by Val R. Christensen, former Vice President of Student Services at Utah State University.

Bill E. Robins, Geraldine Robins, and Nicholas Robins Memorial awards. These three awards recognize undergraduate students that excel academically, have displayed outstanding leadership and dedication to Utah State, and possess traits that set them apart as a rare individual. Each of these awards take into account the student's contributions over their entire time at Utah State. Students can only be one-time recipients of the award.

Robins Award History

The Robins Awards are the most coveted of all Utah State honors, and the awards night is the year’s most prestigious event. Students and faculty are rewarded for their hard work and dedication to their individual goals, as well as the goals of USU. The awards memorialize William E. Robins, a campus hero who had a rare quality to turn his vision into Utah State’s vision. Bill Robins was a Sigma Nu at Utah State who served as USU’s student body president in 1949. He was also the primary and initial visionary of today’s Taggart Student Center. In 1954, Bill and his wife Geraldine died in a plane crash, leaving behind a one-year old orphan boy Nick. This prompted Bill’s fraternity to set up the Bill E. Robins Memorial fund to raise money that would provide a scholarship for the boy’s education when he was old enough to enroll in the University. Tragically, Nick died at the age of eight from leukemia. Since then USU has continued the Robins Award tradition. Now we honor this family's memory and impact at USU through the Robins Awards.



Robins Awards Live Stream 2022
Robins Awards Live Stream 2021

2020 Changes to Man, Woman and Bill E. Robins Awards

The Robins Awards have been Utah State University’s premier awards program since 1958. Over the years, there have been several iterations and organizers of these awards. Currently, the Division of Student Affairs plans and operates this ceremony with students and staff from the USUSA Traditions Committee and the Student Involvement & Leadership Center. In collaboration with university administration, the following changes were made in 2020 and remain in effect.

The Bill E. Robins Memorial Award has been awarded to the highest achieving student regardless of gender since 1960. The purpose of the award is to recognize students that excel academically, have displayed outstanding leadership and dedication to Utah State, and possess traits that set them apart as a rare individual. In an effort to be more inclusive and accessible, the student nomination and selection process for the Bill E. Robins award is being changed to a single year award, and an individual student is only eligible to receive the award once.

Twelve of the current highest acheiving undergraduate students at USU will be selected as finalists to be recognized for their achievements. From this group three will be selected as the Nicholas Robins Award winner, the Geraldine Robins Award winner and winner of the Bill E. Robins Memorial Award. This streamlining of the Bill E. Robins Award means that the Woman of the Year and Man of the Year awards will be eliminated. The students that would have been nominated for Man of the Year and Woman of the Year will be eligible for the new Bill E. Robins non-gendered awards.

Contact Information

Ashlynn Smith
USUSA Traditions Director
traditions.ususa@usu.edu

Spencer Bitner
spencer.bitner@usu.edu
435.797.3242