Faculty Researcher and Teacher of the Year Awards  

The theme of excellence continued and culminated on Thursday, March 31, at the Teacher/Researcher of the Year Awards, where we recognized incredible achievements and commitment. The Office of the Provost enjoyed celebrating this year's faculty awardees at a ceremony with their Department Chairpersons and Deans.

I am so grateful that we were able to hold the traditional celebration and luncheon, and it felt great to be in person again. We were able to praise and recognize our outstanding faculty for the hard work and the quality they accomplish every day of the year. It was an amazing event, renewing our sense of community and sharing the really stunning scholarly achievements and pedagogical innovations and commitments of our faculty. Please join me in congratulating this year's awardees.

In the area of research, 11 colleagues were recognized as 2022 Faculty Researchers of the Year, acknowledging their accomplishments in the pursuit of new knowledge. This year's college Researchers of the Year were:

• Jessica Cottrell, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Yanzhong Huang, Ph.D. - School of Diplomacy and International Relations
• Rev. Joseph R. Laracy, S.T.D. - Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
• Christine Lhowe, M.F.A. - College of Communication and the Arts
• Joyce Maglione, Ph.D. - College of Nursing
• Maxim Matusevich, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Bryan Meadows, Ph.D. - College of Education and Human Services
• Susan A. Nolan, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Jennifer D. Oliva, J.D. - School of Law
• Kurt Rotthoff, Ph.D. - Stillman School of Business
• Stephen L. Wagner, Ph.D. - School of Health and Medical Sciences

A committee of former awardees selected one faculty member from all the College/School Researcher/s of the Year as the University's Researcher of the Year on the basis of the quality and impact of their research:

Yanzhong Huang, Ph.D. - School of Diplomacy and International Relations

This year's Teachers of the Year from our Colleges and Schools:

• Daniel Brian Nichols, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Elizabeth Brewer Redwine, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Anca Grecu, Ph.D. - Stillman School of Business
• Juergen Heinrichs, Ph.D. - College of Communication and the Arts
• Zinaida Miller, Ph.D. - School of Diplomacy and International Relations
• Katie Smith, Ph.D. - College of Education and Human Services
• Ndjuoh MehChu, J.D. - School of Law
• Margaret Rush Dreker, M.P.A., M.L.S. - University Libraries
• Katherine Hinic, Ph.D. - College of Nursing
• Patrick R. Manning, Ph.D. - Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology
• Tara Wager, M.A. - College of Arts and Sciences

A committee of former awardees selected one faculty member from all the College/School's Teacher of the Year as the University's Teacher of the Year on the basis of instructional effectiveness, student testimonials, and pedagogical innovation:

Daniel Brian Nichols, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences

Also recognized were the adjunct faculty, whose fine work is part of almost every academic program at the University. The nominees are:

• Claudia V. Freire, M.A. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Christine Fowler – Philips, M.P.A. - Stillman School of Business
• Purnake de Silva, Ph.D. - School of Diplomacy and International Relations
• Christine Liparini, Ph.D. - College of Education and Human Services
• The Honorable John Michael Vazquez - School of Law
• Wendy Massaro-Johnson, R.N., M.S.N. - College of Nursing

From among these, a committee selected the following University Adjunct of the Year Awardees were selected for their exceptional teaching and commitment to student success:

• Claudia V. Freire, M.A. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Purnake de Silva, Ph.D. - School of Diplomacy and International Relations
• The Honorable John Michael Vazquez - Seton Hall School of Law

In line with our Strategic Plan, we have this year implemented additional awards to acknowledge excellence in teaching 21st-century skills, including creativity, empathy, critical thinking, digital literacy, information literacy, platform skills, and problem solving. This year’s Excellence in Teaching 21st-Century Skills Nominees are:

• Dongdong Chen, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Grace May, Ph.D. - College of Education and Human Services
• Ann Marie Murphy, Ph.D. - School of Diplomacy and International Relations
• Bryan Price, Ph.D. - Buccino Leadership Institute
• Kimberly Conway, Ph.D. - College of Nursing

We selected three faculty for the Excellence in Teaching 21st-Century Skills Awards:

• Dongdong Chen, Ph.D. - College of Arts and Sciences
• Ann Marie Murphy, Ph.D. - School of Diplomacy and International Relations
• Grace May, Ph.D. - College of Education and Human Services

I would like to thank Associate Provost Peter Shoemaker, Ms. Kaerielle Larsen, and Ms. Amber Edrington for helping to make this celebration happen. Also, a huge thank you to the two expert panels that reviewed this year's nominees.

Categories: Education, Research