MU Awards

Ann K. Covington Award for Mentoring

Ann K. Covington is a retired Missouri Supreme Court judge (the first woman to serve on that panel), a retired member of the University of Missouri (MU) Board of Curators, and a graduate of the MU School of Law. She has also served on MU’s Truman Scholarship campus nomination committee for many years, offering sound guidance and counsel to many student applicants. This prestigious award honors faculty and staff who continue her legacy of student mentorship.

Mark Twain Fellowship

Founded in 2014, the Mark Twain Fellowship provides a one-year, $50,000 scholarship to an MU senior or recent alumnus pursuing graduate study outside of North America. To be eligible, the student must have applied to — but not been selected for — a national or global fellowship that involves a campus nomination coordinated by the Fellowships Office, such as the the Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship or Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

Robin G. Walker Award for Mentoring

In collaboration with the Graduate School, the Fellowships Office established the Robin G. Walker Award for Mentoring in 2022 to recognize an MU faculty or staff member who has effectively supported an MU graduate or professional student’s efforts in applying for a globally or nationally competitive award.

Vicky Riback Wilson Award for Outstanding Personal Essay

Each year the Fellowships Office honors students with the Vicky Riback Wilson Award for outstanding personal statements in fellowship applications. Ms. Wilson established the Fellowships Office and influenced our advising philosophy profoundly; she modeled how to effectively mentor students in articulating their strengths in preparing for future endeavors.