James Wilen, Biswanath Mukherjee and Krishnan Nambiar, from left to right, congratulate each other at the Distinguished Teaching and Graduate Mentoring Award Dinner on Feb. 10 at the University Club. Agriculture and resource economics professor Wilen and computer science professor Mukherjee took home 2004 Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Awards. Nambiar, an associate professor of chemistry, won the Distinguished Teaching Award. An audience of top administrators watched Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef present each award winner with a check and a plaque. "Continued excellence in teaching is essential as this campus grows in numbers and in national reputation as a Research institution," Vanderhoef said. The Distinguished Teaching Award, granted annually since 1973, is given to instructors who show command of their subject matter, the ability to stimulate thought, and concern for their students' education. Undergraduates and faculty peers generally nominate recipients. The Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award, in its third year, honors professors who prepare their students for professional success. Graduate students and alumni were responsible for nominations. "We are committed to attracting more high-caliber graduate students to UC Davis," Vanderhoef said. "The Distin-guished Graduate Mentoring Award in particular is part of that process."