The Bellarmine Awards (The Bellies)

The Bellarmine jug, also known as the greybeard or the bearded-man jug, is a 16th century salt-glazed stoneware vessel with a round belly and a bearded face on the neck opposite the handle. The German-made jug, typically used to store spirits, is usually finished in a mottled golden brown or gray, sometimes with splashes of cobalt blue. While some sources say the jugs were caricatures of St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., this has largely been discounted, as he would have been only 8 years old when the oldest known example was made in 1550.

We use reproductions of the Bellarmine jug for annual awards to faculty and staff, to recognize distinguished achievement in living the core values of the Bellarmine campus community. These beautiful hand-thrown reproductions from Moonstone Pottery are the work of California artist Barbara Flynn.

Descriptions of the Bellarmine Award categories are listed below.

Catholic Identity in the Inclusive Spirit of Thomas Merton Award

From its very beginning, Catholicism at Bellarmine University has sought to be faithful, creative and inquiring. Bellarmine is committed to academic freedom and to the search for truth, wherever that search may lead. We affirm both faith and reason as important and compatible ways of knowing, and we emphasize not only academic excellence, but also ethical awareness in all we do, in order to provide an educational environment that addresses ultimate questions of meaning and value. Our Catholic identity in the inclusive spirit of Thomas Merton is the foundation of our commitment to student fulfillment. This award, therefore, goes to a colleague whose work is emblematic of our Catholic Identity in the inclusive spirit of Thomas Merton.

Community, Collegiality and Civility Award

Good academic citizenship, genuine collegiality in our work with one another, and civility in our discourse, all are vital qualities in the University’s ability to fulfill its mission. They are prerequisites for good teaching, research and service and, as such, they are core values of our community. For consistently demonstrating and elevating the ideals of community, collegiality and civility.

Cura Personalis Award

Cura Personalis -- meaning "Care of the Person" -- is an essential value in the Jesuit education tradition which formed St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., and it describes the ideal relationship between educators and students, and among all those who work together in the university community. Cura Personalis demonstrates care for each person as an individual, and for each individual as a whole person, thereby modeling a key core value of the Bellarmine community.

This award therefore goes to the person who demonstrates individualized attention to the needs of the other, respect for their unique circumstances and concerns, and an appreciation for their particular gifts.

Global Sustainability Award

An informed love of nature, an appreciation for the interconnectedness of all living things, and a sense of responsibility for the future our society is creating, all are among the hallmarks of a Bellarmine education. Environmental challenges transcend national boundaries, and so will solutions to those challenges. The Global Sustainability Award goes to a member of our community whose actions best exemplify an appreciation and love of the interconnectedness and interdependence of all of life and a consideration of future generations in today's decisions; and whose environmental consciousness sets an example that leads our community toward greener, more intelligent and responsible ways of living.

Homines Pro Aliis Award for Service to Others

Homines Pro Aliis, meaning "men and women for others," is an important characteristic of the Jesuit educational tradition that formed St. Robert Bellarmine, S.J., and calls us to seek to achieve the full potential of mind and of heart by leading a life beyond self through service to others. For a clear commitment to distinguished service and to social justice.

Hospitality Award

In its deepest, truest sense, "Hospitality" means welcoming the new, the unknown, and the different. It is a genuine openness to new people and to new ideas.

For exemplifying the bigness of heart that characterizes our community and helps make Bellarmine a University like no other.

Innovation and Creativity Award

Innovation and Creativity are intelligence on the move. Many of us with great knowledge and expertise will witness and understand the same collection of circumstances that surrounds us, and will do so in about the same way -- but sometimes one of us will see and assemble that information differently, creating new possibilities or solutions – novel outcomes that improve things for everyone. Innovation and creativity are vital to the competitive success of any organization, and perhaps especially to the competitive success of an institution of higher learning that envisions future greatness for itself, and particularly for its students.

Internationalization and Inclusion Award

Bellarmine University embraces the richness of diversity, multiculturalism and internationalization so that students, faculty and staff gain global competencies through international study and international experience. To be fully educated, a person must be able to apply a global perspective to analyses of social, economic, political and environmental issues. To fully live, a person must be able to recognize, understand and love similarities and differences among peoples, religions, customs, arts, and cultures of the world.

Pursuit of Excellence Award

At Bellarmine University, we pursue excellence in everything we do and in everything we are. We believe the importance of continuous improvement in our learning environment, our inner lives, our relationships and all of our endeavors. This award goes to the colleague whose work clearly demonstrates this passion for excellence, and whose passion this year has brought excellent results.