The Gold Standard Awards
0
Days Left
to Enter

The Gold Standard Awards celebrate the remarkable alumni, faculty, friends and families whose dedication, service and leadership have made their mark on the University of Missouri. These honorees’ contributions embody the very essence of what it means to be a Tiger — people who exemplify the values of Respect, Responsibility, Discovery and Excellence, whose efforts continue Making Mizzou Stronger. From alumni who have significantly elevated Mizzou's reputation, to outstanding faculty, to those who have gone above and beyond in service to our university and their communities — we honor and celebrate those among us who set the gold standard for what it means to be a Tiger. 

The Gold Standard Awards include:

  1. Distinguished Alumni Award - Established in 1956, this award honors outstanding service by an individual whose sustained efforts and support have added to Mizzou’s excellence and whose contributions have brought distinction to both the honoree and the University of Missouri. 
  2. Distinguished Faculty Award - Established in 1960, this award honors an outstanding member of the Mizzou faculty whose continued achievements have brought distinction to the honoree and the university. It is awarded on the basis of the total accomplishments of the faculty member, with special emphasis on the faculty member’s relationship with students. 
  3. Distinguished Volunteer Award - This award honors a Tiger who has demonstrated a minimum of ten years of continuous and exemplary service, dedication and loyalty to the Mizzou Alumni Association through local chapter, organization or general association involvement.  
  4. Honorary Alumnus Award - This award honors exceptional individuals who, although not Mizzou graduates themselves, have demonstrated a deep and lasting commitment to the university and whose contributions reflect the core values of Mizzou. This award may be presented posthumously to recognize those who have left an enduring legacy. 
  5. Legacy Family Award - This award honors a family who has made an outstanding impact on the University of Missouri over multiple generations of Tigers. The members of this family must have a sustained, demonstrable history of loyalty, support and service to Mizzou, their community and their profession to be considered. 
  6. MizzouMade Business Award - This award honors a member of the MizzouMade Business Network that exemplifies the values of the Mizzou Alumni Association and the University of Missouri. The business must have a Mizzou alumnus in a leadership role, such as CEO, president, managing partner or owner and have been operational for at least five years. 

Please note: multiple recipients may be selected from each of the above categories to build each year's class of honorees. 

Eligibility and Criteria:

Distinguished Alumni Awards

  1. Nominees should be considered on the basis of their professional and career accomplishments (60%); University Volunteer Engagement (30%); and Community Leadership and Non-Profit activities (10%). Nominees will have distinguished themselves in their chosen profession. Prominent contributions in multiple areas of a career and/or service make the candidate truly outstanding. Letters supporting the nominee are limited to three. 
  2. MU alumni who are graduates or former students (completed a minimum of 12 semester hours) are eligible to receive the award.

Distinguished Faculty Awards

  1. Nominees should have distinguished themselves in their field (50%) and should be considered in light of their total assigned academic responsibilities (teaching, research, service to the University) (25%); and in consideration of their special relationship with students (25%). Prominent contributions in multiple areas of a career and/or service make the candidate truly outstanding. Letters supporting the nominee are limited to three.
  2. MU faculty with at least an active half-time appointment on date of the selection are eligible to receive the award.  
  3. In those cases where an MU faculty member is also an MU alumnus/a, the nomination should be considered only for the Faculty Award if they are employed with the minimum half-time appointment.

Distinguished Volunteer Awards

  1. Nominees must be members of the Mizzou Alumni Association and not serving on the association's Board of Directors AND
  2. Nominees must have demonstrated a minimum of 10 years of continuous and exemplary service, dedication and loyalty to the Mizzou Alumni Association and University through chapter, organization or association involvement.  Direct monetary contributions to the University and the nominee's category of membership shall NOT be criteria for selection.
  3. The recipient of the new “Distinguished Volunteer Award” shall also be recognized at the Alumni Leadership Conference the following year.
  4. Individuals who previously received the “Legacy Award” are not eligible for the “Mizzou Alumni Association Volunteer Leadership Award”.

Honorary Alumnus Award

  1. The nominee shall not be a graduate of the University of Missouri.
  2. The nominee shall bring distinction to and have demonstrated the core values of University of Missouri and the Mizzou Alumni Association.
  3. There shall not be a limit on the number of Honorary Alumnus Awards presented each year by the Mizzou Alumni Association.
  4. The Mizzou Alumni Association may grant this award posthumously.

Legacy Family Award

  1. The nominated family must have had multiple generations who have attended and graduated from the University of Missouri.
  2. The nominated family must have demonstrated outstanding loyalty, support, and service to the University of Missouri, the Mizzou Alumni Association, their community and/or their profession to be considered.

MizzouMade Business Award

  1. The business must be a member of the MizzouMade Business Network.
  2. The business must operate in a manner consistent with the Mizzou Alumni Association and the University of Missouri values. The Mizzou Alumni Association reserves the right to reject any nomination and rescind awards for any reason.
  3. The business must have a Mizzou alum in the role of CEO, president, managing partner (or equivalent) or owner(s).
  4. The business must have been operational for a minimum of five years.
  5. There shall be no revenue minimum to receive this award.
  6. Applicants may self-nominate or be nominated by a third party.

 

The following categories of people are not eligible to receive the above awards:

  1. Members of the University of Missouri System Board of Curators.
  2. Members of the Mizzou Alumni Association Board of Directors.
  3. Members of the the Gold Standard Awards Committee.
  4. Elected or appointed officials (federal, state or local) who, by virtue of their position, have the capability of directly or indirectly influencing funding or policies for the University of Missouri.

The University of Missouri reserves the following rights: (1) to independently verify that applicants meet all criteria; (2) reject an applicant for any reason; (3) modify requirements as needed without notification.

 

Instructions for Nominators: Please read and follow instructions

The awardee must attend the Gold Standard Awards ceremony and related activities. A date for the event is still being set and will take place in November 2025.

Be sure to keep a copy of all submitted materials (both printed and electronic) for your future reference. Submit only the original packet material through the online form; there is no need to provide multiple copies of the nomination packet. Please submit only a completed nomination packet. Do not send letters individually, and do not have support letter writers send letters directly to the Mizzou Alumni Association office.

  1. A complete nomination packet will include:
    1. The completed nomination form submitted online. This will include the nominee’s and nominator’s information, which will include email addresses, degrees and best phone number.
    2. A letter from the nominator.
    3. Completed online form including questions highlighting outstanding contributions and facts that you want the Gold Standard Awards Committee to be sure to know.
    4. Additional letters supporting the nomination (number differs dependent on award). Please upload letters in the order you want the committee to read them. Support letters should address the specific criteria for the award the candidate is being nominated for. 
    5. Resumes can be included, but are not required. 
  2. All nominations will be submitted online. There will be no need to submit a physical copy of the nomination packet. If you have questions regarding this, please be sure to contact Kyle Mauzey at 573-882-2451.
  3. Please check with your nominee to be sure they are available on the date of the celebration. In case the nomination is a surprise, it is advisable to check with a spouse and/or an assistant to be sure there are no conflicts with the date.
  4. The nominator will be invited to attend the ceremony. If your nominee is selected as a recipient, the original letters from the nomination packet will be presented to the recipient on the day of the event as a memento of the occasion. Please be sure to advise the support letter writers of this.
  5. Support letters must address the specific award that the candidate is nominated for. Please be sure all support letter writers include their name, address and email address on their letters. 
  6. When the recipients have been selected, they will be notified by phone. Nominators will be called once all recipients have been notified.
  7. Nominations submitted, but not selected, are kept on file to be considered for a total of three years. NOTE: If your nominee is a faculty member and in the carryover pool, please be sure to verify that he or she is not retiring prior to the awards ceremony. If your nomination is in the carryover pool, please be sure to update the nomination packet with new information or letters. Nominations that are not updated will be disqualified for the next year.