It wasn't the Oscars or the Golden Globes but, for Eastern Michigan University, "Salute to Excellence Week" was a time to celebrate and shine the annual spotlight on its best and brightest faculty, staff and students.
The awards ceremonies included the Graduate Research Fair Awards; the Human Resources Employee Recognition Awards (for years of service to EMU); Student Gold Medallion Awards; the Celebration of Faculty Excellence Awards, which included the Ronald W. Collins Distinguished Faculty Awards; the College of Education Salute to Excellence and the Undergraduate Symposium.
"Although we will be honoring a few faculty today, this event is really about all of the faculty in this room," said Don Loppnow, EMU's provost and executive vice president, at the 31st Annual Celebration Faculty Excellence Award March 26.
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DISTINGUISHED COMPANY: Disintinguished
Faculty Awards were handed out during the
Faculty Awards Ceremony March 26. Winners
are (above, from left) Deanna Mihaly, Teaching
I; Kyung Hee Kim, Research I; Megan Endres,
Teaching II; Melanie Martin, accepting on behalf
of her husband, John Texter, ResearchII; Richard
Stahler-Stolk, Service to the University; Kathleen
Stacey, Service to the University; and Beili Lui,
Creative Activity.
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Seven Distinguished Faculty Awards — the University's most prestigious for faculty, which were renamed seven years ago to honor the late, former provost Ron Collins — were handed out at the afternoon event. Typically, four awards are given, but Research I and II awards were added to the mix. And, this year, there were two winners in the category of Service to the University.
Deanna Mihaly, assistant professor of foreign languages and bilingual studies, took home the Teaching I honor and Megan Endres, assistant professor of management, won the Teaching II Award. Richard Stahler-Stolk, associate professor of political science, and Kathleen Stacey, professor of communication and theatre arts, each garnered the Service to the University Award. Beili Liu, assistant professor, fine arts, earned the Scholarly/Creative Activity Award.
The winners talked of teaching inspirations, their students and those at EMU who have helped them along the way. Some even shed a few tears.
"If I didn't have such a supportive climate, I'm not sure I would be here today," Endres said of her colleagues in the College of Business.
Liu echoed that tone and credited Tom Venner, head of the department of art, with creating a supportive, open atmosphere that encourages creativity which, in turn, fosters a productive environment.
In the new categories, Kyung Hee Kim, assistant professor of teacher education, took home the Research I Award and John Texter, a professor of engineering technology, won the Research II Award.
Kim gave perhaps the most emotional speech, telling her story of growing up in Korea with no future but work in the sweatshops, until a teacher saw her potential and urged her parents to let her pursue an education. She was the first in her family to receive high school and college degrees.
"I will do my best to pass on the generosity and support I've been shown to the next generation," Kim said as she choked back tears. "I thank the United States and my God for giving me my every opportunity for my success."
Texter was in Shanghai, China, attending a conference, but his wife, Melanie Martin, accepted on his behalf — and brought the house down with a little humor.
"I felt very proud of him and honored that he asked me" to give the acceptance speech, she said. "There are probably more people qualified to give this speech. Then, I thought 'I've been married to the man 24 years and I feel I deserve a medal.' And since no one is rushing forward to pin one on me, this may be as close as I come."
Each winner received a plaque and a $3,500 honorarium.
Office of Academic-Service Learning Fellows, Sabbatical Leave recipients, Provost's New Faculty Research Awards, Faculty Scholarship Recognition Awards and Faculty Artistic Recognition Awards also were announced.
Gold Medallion Awards
The Gold Medallion Awards celebrated its 26th anniversary, with emcees Cathy Walz, health education coordinator of University Health Services, and Kevin Devine director of Student Media, providing a light, fun tone to the proceedings. Since 1982, the Gold Medallion Awards have honored persons or groups who have made significant contributions to the success of programs, activities or services within the Division of Student Affairs.
"I think it (Week of Excellence) shows all that's good about EMU, whether it's faculty, students or staff," said Regent Chair Tom Sidlik, who attended the Gold Medallion Awards.
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MAGNIFICENT MEDALLIONS: Faculty and staff Gold
Medallion winners were honored during a breakfast
ceremony hosted by the Division of Student Affairs.
Awards were presented in 11 categories. |
Awards were presented in 11 categories at this year's breakfast ceremony, which took place March 27. Faculty and staff Gold Medallion honorees were Julia Nims (faculty lecturer), Oscar Alcaine (professional/technical staff), Tim White (food service/maintenance/custodial employee), Meredith Blaine (new employee), Glenna Frank Miller (administrative professional staff), Gregg Costanzo (innovation), Lorraine Hallinen (clerical staff), Yolanda Patterson (outstanding service delivery by an individual), Counseling Services staff (outstanding service delivery by a group or team), Bob Heighes (person or group external to the division) and William Shuh, with RSIG Security (person or group external to the university).
Counseling Services staff, which equates to one therapist per 7,000 students, perhaps received the most admiration for their efforts. The office counseled campus after a number of tragedies, including the murder of EMU student Laura Dickinson, the suicide of EMU student Steve Tasky, and dealing with the emotional aftermath of shootings at Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois universities.
The Department of Public Safety, too, had a trying year, but responded by stepping up efforts to improve campus safety and communication. Heighes, who served as the interim chief until Greg O'Dell took the reigns in February, was humbled by his award.
"I'm deeply touched. It's more your award than it is mine," Heighes said of his fellow police officers.
In addition Faculty/Lecturer Appreciation Awards were handed out to Aaron Liepman, biology; Dawn Percy, marketing; Dennis Patrick, communication and theatre arts; Heather Holmes, chemistry; John McCurdy, history and philosophy; John Mayernik, history and philosophy; Judy Sturgis-Hill, communication and theatre arts; Marion Dokes-Brown, teacher education; Pamela Landau, psychology; Phil Simmons, communication and theatre arts; Sara Memmott, Halle Library; Sarah Fabian, Halle Library; Trey Jacobs, music and dance; and Wallace Bridges, communication and theatre arts.
Decades of Dedication
More than 180 EMU employees were recognized for their years of service (1,220 years of service total) to the University at the "Decades of Dedication" Employee Recognition Awards March 25.
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SOLID SERVICE: Richard Fairfield (above,
right) an EMU professor of art, receives
congratulations from Don Loppnow, EMU's
executive vice president and provost,
during the "Decades of Dedication"
Employee Recognition Awards March 24.
Fairfield was recognized for 45 years of
service to EMU. |
The award honors EMU employees who have provided 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service to EMU. Lawrence Betonti, George Cassar, Robert England, Sally McCracken, Max Plank and Lois Whitehead were recognized for their 40-year contributions. Another five EMU employees received kudos for contributing 35 years of service to the University. But Richard Fairfield, a professor in the art department, topped them all with his 45 years of service to EMU.
"Today, we're here to show our appreciation for the many hard-working people who invest themselves at EMU," said Art Timko, general manager/director of WEMU 89.1 and the event's emcee. "If you haven't guessed, it's you."
"You folks are why we're so excited about the success of our institution," Loppnow said. "You make it happen."
Student Gold Medallion Awards
Student Gold Medallion recipients also were recognized March 25. The Student Gold Medallion Awards program, which began in 1996 as a separate event, honors student leaders who have made significant leadership and community service contributions within the Division of Student Affairs, as well as student organizations and student organization advisers who have made a positive impact on the University.
Those individuals and organizations honored, and their respective categories are:
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GOOD AS GOLD: These Eastern Michigan
University students were recognized as Student
Gold Medallion winners for their service to the
university and surrounding community. The
ceremony took place March 25. |
Michael Haynes (Goodwill Ambassador), Samantha Solis (Leadership by a Student), Quantus Remmer (Mentorship by a Student), Eden McPherson (Student Employee), Jamie VanDongen and Robin Miller (Volunteerism by a Student), Leah Howell (Graduate Student), Elizabeth Johnson (Student Organization Adviser), Nicole Renaud (Service Delivery by a Student), Residence Hall Association (Student Organization affiliated with the Division of Student Affairs), Ethos Week (Student Organization non-affiliated with the Division of Student Affairs), and Jasmine Stock (Advocacy by a Student).
Many of the honored students made heartfelt comments.
"I can't think of a better way to end my five years as a student, except getting my degree," said Haynes. "The things I hope to do in the real world is from things I've done and learned here."
"I'm a transfer student. This was the best decision I ever made in my life," said VanDongen. "I love Eastern. It's in my heart."
Graduate Research Fair
During the Graduate Research Fair award ceremonies March 24, Michelle Hartung was awarded the Ronald W. Collins Medal for Excellence, which honors a graduate student for outstanding research or scholarly contributions to their discipline or department. Rebecca Clark de Castillo won the Gerri Collins Medal, which is awarded to a graduate assistant who has demonstrated extraordinary service contributions to the department, school, office and community.
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A SPECTOMETRY PERSPECTIVE: Jeanette
Adams, a chemist at the Library of
Congress, gives the keynote during this
year's Graduate Research Fair, which took
place March 24. Her speech focused on
mass spectrometry. |
The Graduate Research Fair, now in its 10th year, showcases outstanding research and creative projects by EMU's graduate students. The fair included oral presentations or poster/display sessions of: dissertation research, thesis research, independent study projects, capstone experiences or special projects, examples of art and music, and outcomes from practicum and internship experience.
Approximately 183 students participated with the help of 96 faculty sponsors. There were 112 oral presentation and 42 poster presentations.
Julie McLean and Meenal Mhaskar were the recipients of the Sigma Xi Awards. Casey Lambert and Shyamprasad Samisetti received the Graduate Dean's Award for Research Excellence.
Outstanding Graduate Research Fair Awards went to Sarah Goletz and Christine Waugh-Fleischman (art and humanities); Lauren Earls and Douglas Jones (social sciences/education/business); and Chiharu Hensley and Carolyn Potts were bestowed Brower Scholarships.
Other winners included: Carlos Botero, Music Award; Julie Newland, Theatre Arts Award; Adam Fagin and Sarah Smarch, Writing Awards; and Lorraine Kolasa, Nancy Sly, Patty Weise Mitchell, Christine Waugh-Fleischmann and Sharon Wnetrzak, Art Awards.
Undergraduate Symposium
The Undergraduate Symposium, now in its 28th year, took place March 28 in the Student Center. Approximately 313 students from across all disciplines presented their research and creative projects through 178 oral presentations and 77 poster displays. Their work was supported by 157 faculty sponsors.
To cap it all off
Faculty and tutors who have helped the Holman Learning Center make a difference in the lives of students this past year were honored during the Eighth Annual Faculty and Tutor Appreciation Day, Monday, March 31, 3-5 p.m., Student Center Ballroom.
Faculty, lecturer, tutor and supplemental instruction leader awards were presented. The Holman Learning Center provides supplemental instruction to students; tutors for a variety of subjects; skill-building workshops; testing accommodations; and has a first-year academic support program.
