EPICC Awards

The Cornell Engineering EPICC Awards were established in 2022 to recognize faculty and staff who exemplify our Core Values. These values are embedded in our culture and have long been embodied by our community members. The EPICC awards provide an opportunity to publicly recognize the people who – often behind the scenes – do meaningful work that inspires others and exemplifies Cornell Engineering at its best.
Faculty and staff awardees pose for a photo with Dean Lynden Archer at the EPICC Awards
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Our Core Values

  1. Excellence

    We aim for excellence in everything we do. We produce distinctive results of exceptional quality by approaching our work with rigor, integrity, and the highest ethical standards.

  2. Purpose

    We strive to make a meaningful impact by leading, supporting, and actively participating in research, education, and outreach that contributes to a healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable world.

  3. Innovation

    We empower teams and individuals to defy expectations by prizing creativity, agility, and responsible risk taking.

  4. Community

    We foster and sustain a diverse, engaged, and caring environment where all members feel like they belong, are heard, and can flourish. We communicate across differences with respect, and we embrace personal and professional growth and development.

  5. Collaboration

    We encourage and reward inclusive teamwork, in the conviction that solving grand challenges requires a range of perspectives and a collective effort greater than the sum of its parts.

About the EPICC Awards

Each year, Cornell Engineering aims to bestow awards to individuals or teams – typically, one to faculty and one to staff – in each of the five value categories. For the Collaboration award, there may be an additional award given specifically for faculty/staff collaboration.

Awards will be announced in a community-wide event for all faculty and staff.

Nomination Form

Nomination Process

  • Eligibility

    • Nominees can come from any category of benefits-eligible faculty or staff.
    • All nominees must have been with Cornell Engineering for at least one year in order to be eligible for a cash prize and/or individual recognition. An individual who has been here for less than one year may be included as part of a team nomination. If that team wins, the individual will receive the award but not receive the cash prize.
    • Winners will be ineligible to win in the same category for three years. They will be eligible to win in other categories.
    • Selection committee members are ineligible to win in any category.
    • The selection committee is comprised of several EPICC award winners from last year.

  • How to Submit

    • We encourage nominations that cross units and faculty/staff categories.
    • Nominations may be made for one category per submission, and up to two categories with the same nomination narrative (you will need to submit separately for each category).
    • Nominators must submit a written statement of no more than 5,000 characters, with specific examples of how the nominee(s):
      • Exemplifies each of the values for which they are being nominated;
      • Positively impacts others in the community by exemplifying this/these value(s);
      • Demonstrates a commitment to inclusion, and belonging; and/or
      • Embodies the skills listed in Cornell’s Skills for Success (for individual contributors) or Leadership Skills for Success (for people leaders) in a manner that represents the value(s) for which they are being nominated.
    • Nominations may be made by individuals or groups. For group nominations, please add additional nominator names and NetIDs to the submission form.
    • Self-nominations are welcome. If you would like to nominate yourself, please provide (in your narrative) the names and NetIDs of two to three individuals who can support your application.
Nomination Form