The 2024 winners of some of TCU’s prestigious university awards are official. Read on for details on the honorees, who were celebrated at the Welcome & Opening Luncheon.
Ferrari Award
The winner of the 2024 Michael R. Ferrari Award for Distinguished University Service and Leadership is Candice Payne, assistant vice chancellor, budget and financial planning.
“Candice devotes her time, energy and expertise to TCU in a multitude of ways that demonstrate her commitment to the university’s fiscal endeavors and inclusive excellence,” one nominator wrote.
“Not only is Candice a subject matter expert, but she also has a unique ability to navigate challenging situations with a combination of humor, grace and extreme professionalism,” wrote another. “Her approach to handling tough scenarios is a testament to her resilience and leadership skills.”
Payne joined TCU in 2018 and has been instrumental in growing the finance department’s relationship with campus partners. This past year, she went above and beyond her role, working with the TCU community on the inaugural Black Excellence Gala.
The Ferrari Award was established by the TCU Board of Trustees to honor the former chancellor and recognize the extraordinary situational leadership accomplishments above job or position expectations of a faculty or staff member. Finalists are selected by an appointed committee and submitted to the president for the selection of a winner. It carries with it a prize of $5,000 for the winner and $1,000 for each finalist.
Chancellor’s Staff Award
The winner of the 2024 Chancellor’s Staff Award for Outstanding Service is Victoria Chen, executive director, scholarships and financial aid. Chen has worked through a challenging year.
“While the Department of Education has faced fiery backlash for the flawed rollout of the 2024-2025 FAFSA,” wrote a nominator, “Victoria has been able to keep TCU in a position of strength and has worked to minimize the impact to current and prospective students.”
Chen worked to utilize other resources to provide advanced aid notification to families, oversaw the implementation of a virtual chat system to answer student questions online around the clock, and helped launch the internal grant application for TCU Neeley’s differential tuition.
Created in 2003, the Chancellor’s Staff Award recognizes a staff member for exemplary service and contributions to the welfare of the campus community. One finalist is chosen from each division, and each receives $1,000. The winner is chosen by the chancellor and receives a prize of $5,000.
DEI Award
Carrie Liu Currier is this year’s winner of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. Currier is an associate professor and the outgoing chair of the Department of Political Science.
“As a teacher, Dr. Currier’s deep commitment to DEI is evident in the nature of the courses she teaches and in the way she operates her classes,” wrote one of her colleagues. “She structures the coursework around strategies to move students out of their own perspectives to see those of others.”
Currier’s work focuses on women and politics, and earlier this year, she received the Race & Reconciliation Initiative Plume Award for her work in launching the Interdisciplinary Asian Studies Minor in the AddRan College of Liberal Arts.
The DEI Award honors the important work of further transforming the TCU community into one that not only celebrates the university mission but also creates a world-class university built on a heritage of inclusion. Faculty and staff may nominate any individual. Finalists are selected by the DEI Award Committee, which provides recommendations to the president. The winner receives $5,000, and finalists receive $1,000.
More Fall 2024 Awards
The winners of the Chancellor’s Award for Distinguished Achievement, the Wassenich Award for Mentoring in the TCU Community and the Maryrose and Dan Short Award for Teaching Excellence will be announced at upcoming private events.
Read about the finalists on TCU News.
For faculty and staff who missed their gift at the Welcome and Opening Luncheon, you may pick up your gift at the front desk of The Harrison.