The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation honors ten professors each academic year for their dedication to the teaching profession and for their outstanding academic, scientific, and scholarly achievement.  Honorees are awarded certificates naming them "Piper Professors", together with the cash honoraria of $2500.00 each commemorative gold pins.

The purpose of these awards is to give recognition to the teaching profession rather than to research, publication, administration, or other such related activity, although these criteria are also considered by the Selection Committee.

This award is considered to be one of the most prestigious awards bestowed upon faculty in the State of Texas.  Only ten professors receive this award each year among a pool of approximately 10,000 educators.