Yesterday, students and faculty gathered in the York Room to congratulate Sarah Carberry, assistant professor of chemistry and the 2016 recipient of the Fred and Florence Thomases Faculty Award. Carberry gave a brief presentation on her recent scholarship.
“The Thomases Award is given annually to a professor who exhibits outstanding scholarship and contributions to the Ramapo community,” Clare Naporano, assistant director of academic affairs, said.
According to Naporano, the award has been in existence since 1977 and its list of recipients include Michael Bitz, assistant professor, and Scott Frees, associate professor, in 2015, as well as Yvette Kisor, associate professor of literature, in 2014. All recipients must fulfill an arduous criteria, which asks that recipients demonstrate “excellence in teaching,” “excellence in scholarship,” an “outstanding contribution to the College/community” and “outstanding fulfillment of professional responsibility.”
Carberry, this year’s recipient, was chosen after an in-depth process. First, the school’s dean discusses a nomination with faculty and students and passes it along to the selection committee. Then, a selection committee, made up of the prior year’s recipients, is asked to forward its nominations to the provost, Beth Barnett. After she reviews the nominations, the provost offers her suggestion to the President.
Carberry, who received her Ph.D. at Syracuse University, began working for the College in 2009 and has been heavily involved with both scholarly and community-related work, publishing work in the Greener Education for Chemists database, also known as GEMs, and contributing a chapter to “Pedagogy not Policing: Positive Approaches to Academic Integrity at the University.” She also served as the chemistry convener at Ramapo and as the chemistry tutor coordinator.
“The award is important because it recognizes exemplary performance by a faculty member and outstanding contributions to the mission and goals of the College,” Naporano said. “It is a prestigious honor for any instructor here at Ramapo.”