College Honors Outstanding Teaching, Research, and Service

Photos by Clay Wegrzynowicz; view the full set of images in Flickr

Outstanding professors and other 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 Robert Sell ’84, chair of the Board of Trustees, presented awards and citations.

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

• Professor Ida Sinkevic (art) will be Arthur J. ’55 and Barbara S. Rothkopf Professor of Art History
• Assistant Professor Khadijah Mitchell (biology) will be Peter C.S. d’Aubermont Scholar of Health and Life Sciences
• Assistant Professor Lindsay Soh (chemical and biomolecular engineering) has been reappointed as Kate and Walter A. Scott ’59 Scholar in Engineering. She has been promoted to associate professor.

Byerly recognized retiring members of the faculty who have been elected to emeritus status. They are Diane Cole Ahl, Arthur J. ’55 and Barbara S. Rothkopf Professor of Art History; George Rosa, professor of foreign languages and literatures; Diane Windham Shaw, director of Special Collections and College Archives, and Leonard Van Gulick, Matthew Baird Professor of Mechanical Engineering.

Byerly also recognized members of the administration who have retired or will retire this year:

• Rosemary Bader, director of business services (Division of Finance and Administration)
• Diana Buchok, operations manager (Department of Public Safety)
• Patricia Cerankowski, human resources administrator and tuition coordinator (Office of Human Resources)
• Thomas DeFazio, coordinator of chemical and environmental labs (Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering)
• John Leone, senior associate director of major gifts (Office of Development)

The following members of the faculty and administration were honored for 25 years of service to Lafayette:

• Jim Dailey, head coach of men’s and women’s swimming and diving (Department of Athletics)
• Terri Deily, assistant to the vice president (Division of Communications)
• Sidney Donnell, professor of foreign languages and literatures
• Janemarie Duh, identity management systems architect (Information Technology Services)
• John Kincaid, Robert B. and Helen S. Meyner Professor of Government and Public Service and director of the Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government
• David Kovachs, assistant supervisor of grounds (Facilities Operations)
• Ida Sinkevic, professor of art and chair of Russian and East European studies

Sell recognized trustees James Fisher ’77, Elisabeth Hughes MacDonald ’81, Donald Morel ’79, and Kent Rockwell ’66, who are retiring from the board and will be elected to emeritus status. He also recognized David Reif ’68, who is concluding a five-year term as alumni trustee.

He announced that Sebastian “Benny” Crapanzano ’97, Tenjua Majumdar Dehne ’93, Peter Ruggiero P’20, and Lauren Steinitz ’08 will be elected to the board.

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 Assistant Professor Christopher Anderson (chemical and biomolecular engineering), Associate Professor Ingrid Furniss (art), Associate Professor Fluney Hutchinson (economics), Associate Professor Michael Nees (psychology), and Associate Professor Wendy Wilson-Fall (Africana Studies).

The Marquis Distinguished Teaching Awards were established in 1996 by Kate and Walter A. Scott ’59 P’94 GP’22 to annually recognize four members of faculty for their exceptional teaching.

Professor David Brandes (civil and environmental engineering) 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.

Ed Kerns, Eugene H. Clapp II ’36 Professor of Art, is the recipient of the James E. Lennertz Prize for Exceptional Teaching and Mentoring. Established by Leslie Muhlfelder ’81, the College’s vice president for human resources and general counsel, the award honors Lennertz for exceptional teaching, devotion to students, and extraordinary ability to challenge students to realize their full intellectual potential.

Librarian Ana Ramirez Luhrs 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 faculty of the Department of Biology was honored with 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 Professor Art Kney (civil and environmental engineering). Kney is director of the Landis Center for Community Engagement. 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.

Associate Professor Bianca Falbo (English) received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for excellence in teaching and outstanding contributions to campus life.

Associate Professor Daniel Quirós (foreign languages and literatures) 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.

Professor Jenn Stroud Rossmann (mechanical engineering) received the Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Award for superior teaching and scholarly contributions to a discipline.

Associate Professor Michael Feola (government and law) and Assistant Professor Lindsey Soh (chemical and biomolecular 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 2019-20 academic year.

The Distinguished Leadership in Community-Based Teaching and Research was given to John Kincaid, Robert B. and Helen S. Meyner Professor of Government and Public Service and director of the Meyner Center for the Study of State and Local Government.

The Faculty Award for Excellence in Community Engagement Pedagogy went to Assistant Professor Trent Gaugler (mathematics) and Jim Toia, director of the Community-Based Teaching program.

Assistant Professors Randi Gill-Sadler (English) and Alexander Brown (mechanical engineering) are the recipients of Student Government Superior Teaching Awards.

Members of the Steering Committee and Technology Support Team for the Middle States Accreditation Review 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.

Recipients included Steering Committee chairs Jamila Bookwala, dean of curriculum and research and professor of psychology; Patricia Donahue, professor of English; and Markus Dubischar, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures and chair of the classical civilization program. Also the following:

• Jason Alley, director of instructional technology, Information Technology Services
• Susan Averett, Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics
• Greta Bergstresser, technology training coordinator, Information Technology Services
• Chelsea Cefalu, coordinator of community partnerships, Landis Center for Community Engagement
• Roger Clow, assistant vice president for communications
• Michael Heaney, trustee
• Holly Landos, director of budget and analysis, Division of Finance and Administration
• Brenda Morris, class dean and fellowship adviser, Office of Advising and Co-Curricular Programs
• Elaine Reynolds, associate professor of biology and chair of aging studies
• Abu Rizvi, provost
• Carol Rowlands, assistant vice president for enrollment management
• Alma Scott-Buczak ’74, associate vice president, Office of Human Resources
• Joshua Smith, associate professor of mechanical engineering and chair of B.S. engineering/A.B. international studies
• Amber Zuber, director of leadership and service programs, Landis Center for Community Engagement
• Louis Zulli, associate professor of mathematics

Adam Stauffer, assistant vice president for development, 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.

Julie Mule, associate director of residence life, and Jill Snyder, associate director, facilities finance, 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.

Recipients of the Distinguished Service Award, recognizing sustained, distinguished performance by members of the support staff, plant operations, public safety, and administrative staff, are Jamie Baltz, operations manager (financial aid), John Drummond, laboratory coordinator (biology); Laura McKee, secretary (philosophy and religious studies); Nicolette Stavrovsky, secretary (engineering), and Steve Tashner, grounds (Facilities Operations).  Baltz and Drummond received their awards this evening. McKee, Stavrovksy, and Tashner will be acknowledged at events later in the year.

Steve Plunkett, director of strength and conditioning, 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.

Seo-Hyun Park, associate professor of government and law, received the Daniel L. Golden ’34 Faculty Service Award in recognition of distinguished service to Lafayette through the Alumni Association and alumni activities.

Five faculty members received Joseph Johnson Hardy Memorial Fund Awards. The award was established in 1923 by Harry S. Gay 1882 in memory of Professor Joseph Hardy, who taught mathematics and astronomy 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)
• Susan Basow, Charles A. Dana Professor of Psychology (1977)
• Larry Stockton, professor of music (1977)

A number of faculty promotions will take effect with the 2019-20 academic year.

Lisa Gabel (psychology), David Nice (physics), Christopher Phillips (English), Elaine Reynolds (biology) and Jennifer Talarico (psychology) have been promoted to full professor. The following have been promoted to associate professor with tenure: Christopher Anderson (chemical and biomolecular engineering) and Lindsay Soh (chemical and biomolecular engineering). Also, Associate Professor Christopher Lee (history) has been granted tenure.