At the end of each academic year, the St. Catherine University community celebrates the contributions of faculty and staff with the following awards:
- Staff Excellence Awards: The Staff Excellence Awards honor staff members who have been nominated by their colleagues for their exceptional work and dedication to the University. The winners are chosen from a wide pool of accomplished staff who demonstrate commitment to excellence in all arenas.
- Faculty Teaching and Advising Awards: The Faculty Teaching and Advising Awards honor faculty members who demonstrate the highest quality of teaching and dedication to effective mentoring and academic advising. Chosen from a field of impressive faculty committed to academic excellence, these honorees, nominated by the St. Kate’s community, go above and beyond in their roles as teachers and mentors.
- Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Award for Faculty Excellence: The Bonnie Jean Kelly and Joan Kelly Award for Faculty Excellence honors outstanding accomplishments in teaching and scholarship that bring external visibility to the University, regionally and nationally. The award was established by Joan Kelly, a 1946 graduate and lifelong supporter of St. Kate’s, to honor the memory of her sister, Bonnie Jean.
- The Patricia O’Connor Myser Award for Excellence in Faculty Mentoring: The Patricia O’Connor Myser Award for Faculty Excellence was established in 2015 to honor St. Catherine University faculty who are exceptional mentors to undergraduate students engaged in research and scholarly work.
- Denny Prize for Distinction in Writing: The Denny Prize for Distinction in Writing was established by the Denny family in 1994 in honor of their mother, Eleanor McCahill Denny, to fund an annual series of prizes for distinguished faculty and staff writing. Denny Prize winners are chosen by an external panel of judges, made up of prominent writers, scholars, and thinkers from the Twin Cities region.
- Carol Easley Denny Award: The Carol Easley Denny Award recognizes excellence in teaching, research, and community service. It is named for the late Carol Easley Denny, wife of the late Charles M. Denny, Jr., trustee emeritus and former chair of St. Catherine University’s Board of Trustees. The Denny Award is considered one of St. Catherine University's most prestigious faculty development awards. The award amount is up to $20,000. One to two awards may be given annually; the minimum award is $5,000.
- Sister Amata Miller Catholic Mission in Action Award: The Sister Amata Miller Catholic Mission in Action Award is presented each year to a member of faculty and staff who have demonstrated commitment to St. Kate’s Catholic mission. The award is named in honor of Sister Amata Miller, who carried out that mission as the Endowed Mission Chair for Catholic Identity and director of the Myser Initiative for Catholic Identity from 2006–2016.
- Milestone Recognition Awards: These awards honor faculty and staff members celebrating anniversaries of 25 years or more with the University.
