College Honors Outstanding Teaching, Research, and Service

Members of the Lafayette community were honored for distinguished teaching, scholarly research, and service to the College at the annual pre-Commencement awards dinner Friday night.

President Alison Byerly, Provost Abu Rizvi, and Edward Ahart ’69, chair of the Board of Trustees, presented awards and citations.

Rizvi announced that three faculty members have been appointed to endowed chairs effective with the next academic year:

• Mary Armstrong, professor of women’s and gender studies and English, will be Charles A. Dana Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies and English
• John Meier, professor of mathematics, will be David M. ’70 and Linda Roth Professor of Mathematics
• David Shulman, professor of anthropology and sociology, will be David M. ’70 and Linda Roth Professor of Sociology.

Crawford Award winner Mary Armstrong, head of the women’s and gender studies program, with President Alison Byerly and Provost Abu Rizvi

Rizvi also announced that Lindsay Soh, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been named to a two-year term as the first Kate and Walter A. Scott ’59 Scholar in Engineering.

Byerly recognized retiring members of the faculty who have been or will be elected to emeritus status. They are Donald Chambers, Walter E. Hanson/KMPG Peat Marwick Professor of Business and Finance; Alan Childs, professor of psychology; Curlee Holton, David M. ’70 and Linda Roth Professor of Art; Neil McElroy, dean of libraries; and Frank Tavani, instructor of athletics and physical education, who served as head football coach for 17 years.

She also recognized members of the administration who have retired this year: Brenda Bomgardner, instructional technology systems specialist; Eileen Causa, merchandising coordinator in the College Store; Brenda Jocsak, media relations associate; Alice Koskey, accounting administrator in the Controller’s Office; Patsyann Long, administrator in the Provost’s Office; and David Thomas, associate registrar.

Seven faculty members and two administrators were honored for 25 years of service to Lafayette:

• Matthew Bayly, director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer
• Donald Chambers, Walter E. Hanson/KPMG Peat Marwick Professor of Business and Finance
• Laurie Chisesi, senior associate director of financial aid
• Olga Anna Duhl, Oliver Edwin Williams Professor of Languages
• Gladstone Hutchinson, associate professor of economics
• Margarete Lamb-Faffelberger, professor of foreign languages and literatures
• John Meier, professor of mathematics
• Michael O’Neill, associate professor of theater
• Helena Silverstein, professor of government and law

Ahart recognized trustees George Jenkins ’74 and Bruce Maggin ’65, who are retiring from the board and will be elected to emeritus status. He announced that Anthony Fernandez ’81 will be elected to the board for a five-year term.

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 went to Brett Hendrickson, assistant professor of religious studies; Rebekah Pite, associate professor of history; Mary Roth ’83, Simon Cameron Long Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering­; and Megan Rothenberger ’02, associate professor of biology. An endowed fund established by Walter A. Scott ’59 and his wife, Kate, provides for four annual awards.

Deborah Rosen, David M. ’70 and Linda Roth Professor of History, and Kira Lawrence, associate professor of geology and environmental geosciences, 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.

Michael Kelly, associate professor of economics, 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 Lennertz for his exceptional teaching, devotion to students, and extraordinary ability to challenge students to realize their full intellectual potential.

Lawrence Malinconico, associate professor of geology and environmental geosciences, is the recipient of the Delta Upsilon Distinguished Mentoring and Teaching Award.  Established in 2000 by alumni of the Lafayette chapter of Delta Upsilon fraternity, the award recognizes distinctive and extraordinary teaching through mentoring.

The women’s and gender studies program received the James P. Crawford Award for demonstrating a high standard of classroom instruction. Established by Jonathan Bernon ’84, the award honors the late James Crawford, who taught in the Department of Mathematics from 1957 to 2003.

The B. Vincent Viscomi Engineering Prize for Excellence in Mentoring and Teaching was awarded to Steven Nesbit, professor of mechanical engineering. Viscomi, Simon Cameron Long Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering, taught at the College for 41 years, including 14 as head of civil engineering.

Chawne Kimber, professor of mathematics, received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for excellence in teaching and outstanding contributions to campus life.

Benjamin Cohen, assistant professor of engineering studies, 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 and his wife, Ingeborg.

Shulman received the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Award for superior teaching and scholarly contributions to a discipline.

Justin Hines, assistant professor of chemistry; Tim Laquintano, assistant professor of English; and Seo-Hyun Park, assistant professor of government and law, 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 2017-18 academic year.

The Faculty Award for Excellence in Community Engagement Pedagogy went to Andrea Smith, professor of anthropology and sociology.

The Faculty Award for Distinguished Leadership in Community-Based Teaching and Research was given to Malinconico and Christopher Ruebeck, associate professor of economics.

Megan Fernandes, assistant professor of English, received the John T. McCartney Excellence in Diversity Education Award.

Rachel Goshgarian, assistant professor of history, and Joseph Woo, assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, are the recipients of Student Government Superior Teaching Awards.

Paul McLoughlin, dean of students, 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.

Stephanie Hayes ’94, executive director of campaign and development operations, is the recipient 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.

Cindy Oaks Linville ’80 received the Daniel H. Weiss Award for Leadership and Vision. Established by Michael LeWitt ’70 and Lynne LeWitt P’13, the award is presented annually to a Lafayette-related individual or group of individuals who have demonstrated leadership and vision.

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 Jeffrey Dorsey, grounds, Facilities Operations; Donna Kneule, director of design services; Tami Kurzeja, technical services specialist in Skillman Library; and John Leone, associate director of major gifts. Leone and Kneule received their awards this evening. Dorsey and Kurzeja will be acknowledged at events later in the year.

Matt Bayly, director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer, 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.

Jennifer Kelly, director of the arts and associate professor of music, received the Daniel L. Golden ’34 Faculty Service Award in recognition of distinguished service to Lafayette through the Alumni Association and alumni activities.

Seven 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 members of the faculty who have achieved the longest continuous service to Lafayette without regard to rank. Honored were:

• Robert Weiner, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor of History, who joined the faculty in 1969
• Howard Schneiderman, professor of anthropology and sociology (1973)
• Ilan Peleg, Charles A. Dana Professor of Government and Law (1974)
• Diane Cole Ahl, Arthur J. ’55 and Barbara S. Rothkopf Professor of Art History (1977)
• Donald L. Miller, John Henry MacCracken Professor of History (1977)
• Larry Stockton, professor of music (1977)
• Susan Basow, Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology (1977)

A number of faculty promotions will take effect with the 2017-18 academic year. Paul Barclay (history), Lawrence, and Jennifer Rossmann (mechanical engineering) have been promoted to full professor. The following have been promoted to associate professor with tenure: Cohen, Hendrickson, Hines, Laquintano, Meghan Masto ’03 (philosophy), Park, Nandini Sikand (film and media studies), and Neha Vora (anthropology and sociology).