In a celebration of excellence at Eastern Kentucky University, several instructors were honored at the 2024 University Faculty Awards and Recognition Ceremony on April 9 in the Keen Johnson Building. The evening’s festivities also included the Sabbatical Showcase and Faculty Club Open House.
The faculty awards cover several categories, including teaching-focused awards, scholarship-focused awards, first-year courses awards, and the EKU Libraries partnership award. New to this year’s ceremony, EKU’s Graduate Profile team recognized faculty and staff who have demonstrated a commitment to the intentional implementation of employability skills within classes and university efforts for students.
Applications for most awards are submitted in mid-January and departments are encouraged to nominate candidates for award categories.
The 2024 University Faculty Awards recipients are as follows:
Faculty Leadership Award
Nedim Slijepcevic, Assistant Professor, Instructional Design
Teaching-Focused Awards
2023-24 Teaching and Learning Annual Themed Award: Workforce & Employability Skills, Teaching & Learning for Future Careers – Niki Hill, Assistant Professor, American Sign Language & Interpreter Education; Heather Fox, Associate Professor, and Charlotte Rich, Professor, English
Faculty Innovation in Teaching Awards – Vigs Chandra, Professor, Computer Science & Information Technology; Erin Presley, Associate Professor, English
Inclusive Excellence Faculty Award – Emily Zuccaro, Associate Professor & Graduate Program Coordinator, Teaching, Learning, & Educational Leadership
Transformative Teaching Award – Laura Barthel, Assistant Professor, Accounting Dr. Jerry Pogatshnik Graduate Faculty Award – Cy Mott, Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Scholarship-Focused Awards
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award – Jill Parrott, Professor, English
Transformative Scholarly and Creative Achievements Awards – George Ashley, MSW Field Director and Associate Professor, Social Work
First-Year Courses Awards
Outstanding Foundations of Learning Instructors Awards – Cassie Bradley, Program Manager, Faculty Center for Teaching & Learning and Coordinator, Credit for Prior Learning; Bethany Warner, Director, Office of Advising & Career Services
Outstanding College-Specific Student Success Seminar Instructor Awards – Sabrina Moore, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics; Darlene Stocker, Associate Director, Office of Advising & Career Services
Distinguished First-Year Instructor – Ashton Chaffins, Advisor, NOVA Program
Integrating Employability Skills (Faculty) – Casey Humphrey, Associate Professor and Academic Fieldwork Coordinator, Occupational Science/Therapy; Brian Simpkins, Assistant Professor, Homeland Security
Commitment to Employability Skills (Staff) – Bethany Warner, Director, Office of Advising & Career Services; Darlene Stocker, Associate Director, Office of Advising & Career Services
EKU Libraries Partnership Award
Catherine Stearn, Associate Professor, History
Starr Wentzel, Director, First Year Courses
Faculty award winners are announced during EKU’s Scholars Showcase, held each year in April.
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