At a ceremony and reception held Sept. 11 in Holmes Lounge, members of the Arts & Sciences community gathered to recognize recipients of the annual faculty and staff awards. Each recipient made exceptional contributions 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.
Na'Nette Ashford, director of graduate admissions in the Office of Graduate Studies
Outstanding Achievement in Student Services
This award is open to staff across Arts & Sciences. This award recognizes staff members who have provided exceptional service in student-centered work and activities. Awardees exemplify a strong dedication to students and their wellbeing and success.
Brooke Taylor, assistant dean of advising in the College of Arts & Sciences
Andy Wiegert, director of student affairs in the Office of Graduate Studies
Staff Service Award
This award recognizes a staff member who has been a key player in operations critical to their unit and Arts & Sciences. Awardees’ performance has consistently exceeded expectations, improved operational effectiveness, and established them as a reliable and trusted colleague.
Alana Bame, administrative coordinator for the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy
Alex Espeseth, accountant in the College of Arts & Sciences
Tiffany Lang, instructional designer and canvas administrator in Arts & Sciences Computing
Jamie Perkins, technical director and ensembles coordinator in the Department of Music
Barb Winston, administrative coordinator in the Environmental Studies program
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.
Kit Wellman, professor of political science
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.
Abby Jager, senior lecturer in the Department of Statistics and Data Science
Danielle Dutton, professor of English
David Hadas Teaching Award
The David Hadas Teaching Award in Arts & Sciences was established 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.
Jennifer Smith, vice provost for educational initiatives and professor of Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences
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.
Mitchell Kundel, senior lecturer in the Department of Biology, for his First-Year Opportunity course "Molecular Biology of Genetic Disease"
Dean’s Award for Diversity Advancement
This annual award 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.
Douglas Flowe, associate professor of history
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 recipient was selected in consultation with the Arts & Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committee after reviewing tenure cases in the current year.
Rita Parai, associate professor of Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences
Dean's Mid-Career Research Award
The Dean’s Mid-Career Research Award recognizes outstanding achievements in research and creative activity by scholars who have recently been promoted to the rank of professor. The recipient was selected in consultation with the Arts & Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committee after reviewing tenure cases in the current year.
Allan Hazlett, professor of philosophy
Outstanding Teaching Awards
The Dean's Outstanding Teaching Award recognizes exceptional achievements in teaching and creative activity by teaching-track scholars who have recently been promoted. The recipients were selected in consultation with the Arts & Sciences Promotion and Tenure Committee after reviewing promotion cases for the year.
Silas Johnson, senior lecturer in mathematics
Nicole Svobodny, teaching professor of global studies
Emerging Leadership Award
The Emerging Leadership Award is a new award given to a rising faculty leader who has shown tremendous service to the university and Arts & Sciences.
Tim Wencewicz, associate professor of chemistry
Dean's Strategic Partnership Award
Arts & Sciences only achieves 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 of Arts & Sciences who has been an invaluable partner and colleague to our school.
Nicole Moore, senior director of research development