Awards, Grants & Recognition

Wander Rover: Autonomous AI-Driven Planetary Exploration with Fine-Tuned AI Language Models . Ray Uzwyshyn and Brendon Wheeler. Amazon Think Big Science Research Awards. Advancing the Frontiers of Science Through Transformative Ideas. 2026.

Humanoid AI's in the Research Library: Robots, Research Methods (Humanities in the 21st Century, PDF). (Doc). Schmidt Sciences Humanities AI Capabilities Grant Proposal. UC Riverside. (Deferred, 2026, Available upon Request).

Unlocking the Invisible Mile . Applied Research ROI Infrastructure Analysis. Global Subsurface Connectivity Proposal (Tunnel Factor Analysis). For Elon Musk 'Boring Company Open Competition. AI API, Notebook LM. March 2026.

EducAIte Games : NeurIPS Educational Showcase AI Literacy Proposal, Example AI Literacy STS Curriculum Builder and Demo. NeurIPS San Diego, December 2025.

Transforming and Recycling 3D Printer Material Waste (PLA) into Sustainable Environmental Solution s. Research Proposal Mapping ( Full ). SoCal OASIS IFA, UC Riverside Research and Economic Development. With Dr. Robert McKee, Brendon Wheeler, Alvaro Alvarez, 2025.

A VR (Virtual Reality) Cultural Center for an Unrecognized Indian Tribe. Institute of Museum and Libraries National Leadership Grant ( Proposal Overview ). With Zhiwu Xie, Lapita X, Brendon Wheeler, Alvaro Alvarez, 2025.

Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence for Science, Security and Technology Request for Information . Orbach Science Library, University of California, Riverside Libraries . US Department of Energy . November 2024.

International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). Dynamic Unit Award for Quality Impact of Work. IFLA IT Section . 2024-2025.

Campus Technology 2021 Impact Award for IT Infrastructures and Systems for Texas State University Digital Scholarly Research System ( PDF ). Interview . 2020-2021.

ICEIT2020 International Conference on Education and Information Technology, Award of Excellence for Developing a Digital Scholarship Ecosystem (Presentation) , Paper . St. Anne's College, Oxford University, UK, February 11-13, 2020.

Texas State University Libraries Five Year Outstanding Service Award . For Faithful, Valuable Service Contributions . May, 2019.

Texas State University Libraries Outstanding Team Award 2017 . For Offsite Repository/Archival Research Center ( ARC ) Bibliographic Control/Collections Preparatory Group. May, 2017.

Louis Lindsay Merrick Endowment Fund , Funded Proposals: 2015-2022.(125-266k awarded annually, depending on projects, Examples ).

Leadership and Technology Grants for Libraries National Review Board. Institute for Libraries and Museum Services (IMLS) , Wash., D.C., 2017. Letter of Appreciation .

Association for Continuing Higher Education. Creative Use of Technology Award 2013 (For APUS Online Course Guides Project ).

Campus Technology Innovators Awards, National Review Panel, 2013.

IMS Global Learning Impact Award. 2012 Gold Medal , Best New Emerging Learning Technology Application: APUS Libraries Online Course Guides , ( PDF , PPT , Video , Poster , v2 ).

National University Technology Network Distance Education Innovation Award (2012). For APUS Campus Guides Curriculum project.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Global Libraries Initiatives Review Panel 2009-2011, Global Access to Learning Technology Award

Skylab Information Commons Technology Enhancement 2010 ( Award 167k, 100k Skylab Space Renovation, New Human Resource Allocation)

American Society of Information Science & Technology, Publication of the Year Award, 2009. ASIS&T Special Issue on Visual Search and Retrieval . Article: An Arbitrage Opportunity for Image Search and Retrieva l. June/July, 2009. 35:5. ISSN: 1550-8366.

Emerald Publishing Group: Outstanding Academic Research Paper 2008 "Multimedia Visualization and Interactive Systems: Drawing Board Possibilities and Server Realities". Library High Tech 24:4, Winter, 2007.

State Archives of Florida Leadership Symposium (Tallahassee, June, 2008, SOLINET/PLAN Scholarship)

Florida State Universities Institute For Emerging Academic Leaders (Orlando, June & October, 2007)

Computers In Libraries Scholarship (PLAN, Washington D.C., April, 2007)

American Society of Information Science and Technology Award of Appreciation, November, 2006

Thompson ISI Samuel Lazerow Lecture . (TWU, School of Information Studies Invited Lecture), Fall, 2006

Jay Leyda NYU Dissertation Award for Academic Achievement, 2000.

Department of Cinema Studies Dissertation Fellowship, New York University, 1999.

Graduate Research Fellowships, New York University, 1994-1996.

Full Doctoral Fellowship, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, NYU, 1994-2000.

Video Documentary Production Award, Video Pool, 1992.

University of Manitoba, Dean's Honor List, 1991.

University of Manitoba, Aiken's Scholarship in English Literature (First Place), 1991.

University of Manitoba Alexander Shack Prize in English Literature, Highest Standing, 1990 .