At the conclusion of last week’s University Research Day, several faculty awards were given in addition to the awards for top poster and oral presentation. While the Faculty Research Awards are separate from the Research Day awards, they are related to the University’s endeavor to support and recognize top research within the community.

Among the three faculty recognized was J. Joel Alicea, assistant professor of law and director of the Project on Constitutional Originalism and the Catholic Intellectual Tradition (CIT), who was this year’s recipient of the Young Faculty Scholars Award. The Young Faculty Scholar’s Award is given to a member of the faculty for demonstrated achievement during the first four years of appointment at the rank of Assistant Professor and promise of potentially significant scholarship. Alicea joined the Law School faculty in 2020 and in his short time has already had three law review articles published or accepted for publication in some of the nation's top journals. As Provost Aaron Dominguez shared in his presentation of the award, “In only two years, Professor Alicea has already established himself as an innovative and important voice in the community of constitutional theory.”

Alicea shared, "I'm very honored to receive the Young Faculty Scholar's Award and am grateful to Dean Payne, Professor Drinan, and all my colleagues for their support. Dean Payne has shown a special commitment to research and scholarship, and I thank him for his constant encouragement in word and deed."

You can view a recording of the award ceremony here.