Faculty and Staff Saluted for Distinguished Teaching, Scholarship, and Service at Annual Awards Banquet

Outstanding professors and other members of the Lafayette community were honored yesterday for distinguished teaching, scholarly research, and service to the College at the annual pre-Commencement awards dinner.

President Daniel H. Weiss, Wendy L. Hill, provost and dean of the faculty, and Edward W. Ahart ’69, chair of the Board of Trustees, presented awards and citations.

Hill announced the establishment of a new endowed chair, the David M. ’70 and Linda Roth Professor of Economics. Edward Gamber, professor and head of economics, has been appointed to the position.

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Photos of the Award Winners

Weiss recognized Helen V. Dungan, cataloging librarian; Charles W. Holliday, professor of biology; J. Ronald Martin, professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering; and Arnold A. Offner, Cornelia F. Hugel Professor of History, who are retiring and have been elected to emeritus status. He also recognized Robert L. Chunko, who is retiring as supervisor of grounds; Rochelle Lam, who is retiring as manager of student accounts in business affairs; Lew Minter, who is retiring as director of the art department’s media lab; and Paul H. Zimmerman, who is retiring as associate vice president for business affairs and controller.

Read about the retiring faculty
Read the faculty citations
Read the staff citations

Ahart recognized trustees Richard A. Grossman ’64, Jefferson W. Kirby ’84, and Walter Oechsle ’57, who have been elected to emeritus status. Also leaving the board are Martha A. Heinze ’86, who is concluding a five-year term as alumni trustee, and Pamela Gaary Holran ’88, who is concluding a two-year term as a board associate.

Read about Grossman, Kirby, and Oechsle

Ahart announced that Michael C. Heaney ’86 and Leo A. Helmers ’87 were elected to the board. Each will begin five-year terms July 1.

The evening featured the awarding of prizes in recognition of exceptional teaching, scholarship, and service to Lafayette. The awards are funded through designated gifts to the endowment.

Marquis Distinguished Teaching Awards for distinctive and extraordinary teaching went to William Bissell, associate professor of anthropology and sociology; Bianca Falbo, associate professor of English; Clifford Reiter, professor of mathematics; and Diane Shaw, College archivist and director of special collections. An endowed fund established by Walter A. Scott ’59 and his wife, Kate, provides for four annual awards.

Susan Averett, Dana Professor of Economics, received the Mary Louise Van Artsdalen Prize for outstanding scholarly achievement. The award was established by Dr. Ervin R. Van Artsdalen ’35 in memory of his wife.

David Shulman, professor and head of anthropology and sociology, is the recipient of the James E. Lennertz Prize for Exceptional Teaching and Mentoring. Established by Leslie F. Muhlfelder ’81, the College’s vice president for human resources and general counsel, the award honors James E. Lennertz, associate professor of government and law, for his exceptional teaching, devotion to students, and extraordinary ability to challenge students to realize their full intellectual potential.

Chawne Kimber, associate professor of mathematics, is the recipient of the Delta Upsilon Distinguished Mentoring and Teaching Award. The award was established in 2000 by alumni of the Lafayette chapter of Delta Upsilon fraternity on the 115th anniversary of its founding. It recognizes members of the faculty for distinctive and extraordinary teaching through mentoring, which may include advising, undergraduate research, independent study, or any of the many one-on-one mentoring activities that take place in a student-centered learning environment.

The B. Vincent Viscomi Engineering Prize for Excellence in Mentoring and Teaching was awarded to John Greco, professor of electrical and computer engineering. Viscomi, professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering, taught at the College for 41 years, including 14 as head of civil engineering.

Frank Xia, assistant professor of computer science, received the Carl R. and Ingeborg Beidleman Research Award recognizing excellence in applied research or scholarship. The prize was established by Carl R. Beidleman ’54, professor emeritus of finance at Lehigh University, and his wife, Ingeborg.

Mary Jo Lodge, assistant professor of English, received the James P. Crawford Award. Established by Jonathan Bernon ’84, the prize rewards a faculty member who has demonstrated a high standard of classroom instruction. The award honors the late James P. Crawford, who taught in the Department of Mathematics from 1957 to 2003.

John Shaw, associate professor of psychology, received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for excellence in teaching and outstanding contributions to campus life.

Jamila Bookwala, associate professor of psychology, received the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Award for superior teaching and scholarly contribution to her discipline.

Kira Lawrence, assistant professor of geology and environmental geosciences, and Jennifer Rossmann, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Faculty Lecture Awards in recognition of excellence in teaching and scholarship. Each will deliver a featured lecture during the 2012-13 academic year.

Also recognized were this year’s Jones Faculty Lecturers, Steven Mylon, associate professor of chemistry, and Joseph Shieber, associate professor of philosophy.

Andrea Smith, associate professor of anthropology and sociology, received the Office of Intercultural Development’s Excellence in Diversity Education Award.

John Shaw, associate professor of psychology; David Sunderlin, assistant professor of geology and environmental geosciences; and Robert Weiner, Jones Professor of History, are the recipients of Student Government Superior Teaching Awards. The award was also given posthumously to John McCartney, professor of government and law.

Kristen Quirk, associate director of development, and the Lafayette College admissions and financial aid team received the Cyrus S. Fleck Jr. ’52 Administrator of the Year Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the campus community. Cy Fleck, for whom the award, instituted in 2002, is named, served Lafayette as an administrator for more than four decades, including 32 years as registrar.

Jodie Frey, associate dean and director of recreation services, and John Furlong, visiting director of Pep Band, are the recipients of the Gary A. Evans Administrative Prize, presented to an administrator or staff member who has provided a high level of service to the College, its alumni, or students over a substantial period of time. The award was established by an alumnus in tribute to the extraordinary service of Gary A. Evans ’57 to Lafayette over more than three decades, including positions as director of admissions, vice president for college relations and development, and executive assistant to the president.

The recipients of the Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes sustained, distinguished performance by members of the support staff, plant operations, public safety, and administrative staff, are Thomas DeFazio, coordinator of chemical and environmental engineering labs, and Bruce Ferretti, director of physical planning.

Michael Statham, head coach of women’s soccer, received the Maroon Club Athletic Staff Achievement Award.  The award is given to a full-time athletics department staff member who has demonstrated outstanding service to the College and its athletics program.

Four faculty members and three administrators were honored for 25 years of service to Lafayette: Rosemary Bader, director of administrative services and associate treasurer; Robert Cohn, Berman Professor of Jewish Studies; Dru Germanoski, Van Artsdalen Professor of Geology; Rochelle Lam, manager of student accounts; Charles Nutaitis, associate professor of chemistry; Frank Tavani, head football coach; and Bryan Washington, associate professor of English.

Six faculty members received Joseph Johnson Hardy Memorial Fund Awards. The award was established in 1923 by Harry S. Gay 1882 in memory of Professor Hardy, who taught mathematics and astronomy at Lafayette from 1870 to 1915. The income from this fund is divided annually among the five members of the faculty who have achieved the longest continuous service to Lafayette without regard to rank. Honored were Edward McDonald, professor of foreign languages and literatures, who joined the faculty in 1964; Robert Weiner, Jones Professor of History (1969); Rado Pribic, Williams Professor of Languages (1971); Jerome Heavey, professor of economics (1973); Anthony Novaco, Metzgar Professor of Physics (1973); and Howard Schneiderman, professor of anthropology and sociology (1973).

Rado Pribic, Williams Professor of Languages, received the Daniel L. Golden ’34 Faculty Service Award in recognition of distinguished service to Lafayette through the Alumni Association and alumni activities.

A number of faculty promotions will take effect with the 2012-13 academic year. The following have been promoted to associate professor with tenure: Michael Kelly (economics), Kira Lawrence (geology and environmental geosciences), Mary Jo Lodge (English), Anne Raich (civil and environmental engineering), Jenn Rossmann (mechanical engineering), and Frank Xia (computer science). Markus Dubischar, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures, has been granted tenure. Jamila Bookwala (psychology), Deborah Byrd (English), and James Ferri (chemical and biomolecular engineering) have been promoted to full professor.