At a ceremony and reception held Sept. 21 in Holmes Lounge, members of the Arts & Sciences community gathered to recognize recipients of the annual faculty and staff awards. Each award-winner has demonstrated exceptional service to the university through service, leadership, or teaching. Congratulations to all the awardees!
Staff Leadership Award
This award honors a staff member who demonstrates exceptional initiative and outstanding execution in efforts that help advance the mission of Arts & Sciences. Awardees are particularly adept at understanding the needs of the school and their unit; working with faculty, staff, and leadership to advance efforts that meet these needs; supporting diversity efforts; and fostering a culture of teamwork and inspiring excellence in others.
Sara Ryu, Director of Academic Initiatives & Special Advisor to the Vice Dean
Staff Service Award
This award recognizes a staff member who has been a key player in operations that are critical to their unit and to Arts & Sciences. Awardees’ performance has consistently exceeded expectations, improved operational effectiveness, and established them as a reliable and trusted colleague.
Simone Becque, Marketing and Communications Manager
Debbie Fjerstad, Psychological & Brain Sciences Accounting Assistant
Jason Ray, Arts & Sciences Computing Client Support Team Lead
Rick Schneider, General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Administrative Assistant
Faculty Leadership Award
The Faculty Leadership Award in Arts & Sciences is awarded to an outstanding faculty member in recognition of their exceptional service to the university. The award was established to recognize Arts & Sciences' long history of outstanding faculty leaders who have shaped the university, from developing educational programs and policy to serving on committees and in administration.
Abram Van Engen, Chair and Professor of English
Excellence in Teaching Award
The Excellence in Teaching Award in Arts & Sciences was established to honor and publicly recognize an outstanding faculty member in Arts & Sciences for his or her exceptional teaching. Arts & Sciences has a long history of distinguished educators and innovative teaching that enriches the lives of undergraduate and graduate students, and the establishment of this award is a tribute to this tradition.
Emily Cohen-Shikora, Senior Lecturer in Psychological & Brain Sciences
Miguel Valerio, Assistant Professor of Spanish
David Hadas Teaching Award
The David Hadas Teaching Award in Arts & Sciences was established in his name in 2008 by Pamela W. Hadas to honor and publicly recognize an outstanding tenured faculty member in Arts & Sciences who demonstrates commitment and excellence in teaching first-year undergraduate students.
Joe Jez, the Spencer T. Olin Professor in Biology
First-Year Programs Teaching Award
The First-Year Programs Teaching Award in Arts & Sciences recognizes pedagogical innovation in teaching first-year students through First-Year Program course offerings (including Ampersand Programs, First-Year Seminars, and First-Year Opportunity courses). The award was established to recognize the value of bringing first-year students into the university community through programs that promote and actively engage students in learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Pathfinder Fellows in Environmental Leadership team:
David Fike, the Myron and Sonya Glassberg / Albert and Blanche Greensfelder Distinguished University Professor
Beth Martin, Teaching Professor of Environmental Studies
Stan Braude, Teaching Professor of Biology
Suzanne Loui, Lecturer in Environmental Studies
Dean’s Award for Diversity Advancement
This award will be given annually and recognizes contributions from Arts & Sciences faculty who advance diversity in research, teaching, or service. This award highlights transformative research, teaching, or creative practice that significantly advances and promotes diversity on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, neurological ability, socioeconomic status, age, nationality, or sexual identity. Contributions might include research that has driven a change in the nominee’s field of study, teaching or mentoring that significantly benefits underrepresented groups, or service that improves campus culture in ways that advance diversity and inclusion. (Geoff Ward was unable to attend the ceremony and reception.)
Geoff Ward, Professor of African and African-American Studies
Dean's Early-Career Research Award
This new award recognizes outstanding achievements in research and creative activity by scholars who have recently been awarded tenure. The award winner was selected in consultation with the Arts & Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committee after having reviewed the tenure cases in the current year.
Caityln Collins, Associate Professor of Sociology
Dean's Mid-Career Research Award
The new Dean’s Mid-Career Research Award ecognizes outstanding achievements in research and creative activity by scholars who have recently been promoted to the rank of professor. The award winner was selected in consultation with the Arts & Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committee after having reviewed the promotion cases in the current year.
Lori Markson, Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences
Dean's Strategic Partnership Award
Arts & Sciences only achieve its goals with the help of many people across the university, in other schools and in the central administration. This new award recognizes a university leader outside Arts & Sciences who has been an invaluable partner and colleague to our school.
Ronné Turner, Vice Provost for Admissions & Financial Aid
