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New Provost Awards Recognize Outstanding Faculty
Students, Staff and Faculty Also Receive Honors at Student Leadership Recognition Ceremony
By Richard Wilkinson and John H. Tucker
Father O'Connell and John Convey with Provost Award recipients Monsignor Robert Sokolowski, Monsignor John Wippel, Ellen Mahoney, Lourdes Alvarez, and Joseph Hidler. | In the spring season of academic recognition, special honors were conferred on six faculty members in May, with the presentation of a new series of awards created by Provost John Convey to reward distinguished teaching and research.
The Provost Awards, which will be given annually, were presented at the May 4 spring faculty luncheon in the Edward J. Pryzbyla University Center. The honors for excellence in teaching, research and lifetime achievement were bestowed along with cash awards of $10,000 or $2,500 per awardee.
Catholic University’s administration wanted to recognize the accomplishments of the university’s faculty, to show appreciation to them and to give them some reward for doing a fantastic job, says Provost John J. Convey, who together with vice provosts Christopher Wheatley and George Garvey selected the awardees. “All the nominees were very worthy and in most cases it was hard to choose the winners,” he added.
CUA faculty and deans nominated 31 professors (who are listed below) for the following Provost Awards:
• Two awards for excellence in teaching during 2005
• Two awards for excellence in research and scholarship during 2005
• An award for lifetime excellence in both teaching and research, which this year was presented to two professors
Before introducing the award nominees and announcing the awardees, Convey recognized 10 CUA professors who will soon be retiring or who recently retired:
• Leroy D. Clark, professor of law
• Rev. Raymond F. Collins, professor of theology and religious studies
• William F. Fox Jr., professor of law
• Dean Hoge, professor of sociology
• Rev. Robert Kennedy, associate professor of canon law
• Rev. Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B., professor of theology and religious studies
• John H. Noble Jr., professor of social work
• Robert Ricks, professor of music
• Nancy Taylor, associate professor of education
• Harvey Zuckman, professor of law
Convey called each of the retirees individually to the front of the room, describing that person’s accomplishments as he or she stood before the assembled crowd of faculty members and administrators who filled the Pryzbyla Center’s Great Room. The provost then honored the 31 nominees for the Provost Awards in the same way. To read a complete text of Convey’s comments about the retirees and award nominees, click here.
The inaugural Provost Award recipients are as follows:
The Provost Award for Excellence in Teaching during 2005,
an award which bestows $2,500 in prize money upon each recipient
Andrew Abela, assistant professor of business and economics, and Ellen Mahoney, clinical assistant professor of nursing.
Abela joined CUA’s faculty in 2002 and quickly established his reputation as an outstanding teacher. His nominator for the award, Professor Ernest Zampelli, writes that “Dr. Abela makes it a point to incorporate Catholic moral and social teachings whenever appropriate, something that is very much appreciated by the students. In my university experience, I have had occasion to see hundreds of student evaluations and to listen to student comments regarding faculty teaching. It is no exaggeration when I say that I have never witnessed any single faculty member’s teaching skills so widely and intensely praised.”
Mahoney, who joined the faculty in 1991, has gained an outstanding reputation as a teacher; her students consistently rate her as the best educator they have ever encountered. She receives the same praise from the Brothers of Charity whom she teaches in Belgium; there she has been the principal instructor in a program to train the brothers in the principles of psychiatric care. In part, her high ratings from students and colleagues are reflective of her use of multiple methods of teaching both in the classroom and in clinical settings. Mahoney is a certified addictions nurse and nurse specialist in adult psychiatric and mental health nursing. The Maryland Board of Nursing has recognized her expertise as a teacher and a clinician by appointing her as its psychiatric nurse consultant.
The Provost Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship during 2005,
an award that bestows $2,500 in prize money upon each recipient
Lourdes Alvarez, assistant professor of modern languages and literatures, and Joseph Hidler, associate professor of biomedical engineering.
Alvarez focuses her scholarship on cultural, literary and religious relationships among Christians, Muslims and Jews in medieval and early-modern Iberia. She had an outstanding research year in 2005, substantially completing two book manuscripts. One presents the work of a 13th-century Andalusian mystic poet — a first translation of the poet’s work. The second book concerns the rise of mystical poetry in Islamic Spain and North Africa. Alvarez is a master of medieval Arabic and medieval vernacular Romance languages as well as being a serious scholar of history and comparative religion. Her area of study has also led to media appearances as a commentator on the history of Christian, Muslim and Jewish relations.
Hidler’s research interests include the study of neuromuscular pathologies associated with stroke and spinal cord injury, and the development of robotic devices designed to facilitate motor recovery. The School of Engineering awarded him the Charles H. Kaman Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003, and the American Spinal Injury Association honored his presentation about his research in spinal cord injury as a “best presentation” at the association’s 2004 meeting. He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Paralyzed Veterans Association and is an associate editor of the journal Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering. During 2005, Hidler had four articles published and had four additional articles in progress. His work has attracted more than $4.5 million in support from the Whitaker Foundation, U.S. Army, National Institutes of Health and Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. He works in association with colleagues at the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
The Provost Award for Lifetime Excellence in Scholarship, Research and Teaching,
which bestows $10,000 in prize money upon each recipient
Monsignor Robert Sokolowski and Monsignor John Wippel, professors of philosophy.
Monsignor Sokolowski joined the faculty in 1963 and currently holds the Elizabeth Breckenridge Caldwell Professorship in Philosophy. Internationally known for his scholarly work in phenomenology, his writing is noted for its clear style that is articulate and precise without being needlessly technical. Years ago one reviewer called him “the most creative phenomenologist working in America today.” Monsignor Sokolowski’s book Introduction to Phenomenology is a standard text in the field and has been translated into several languages. In addition to his numerous writings in philosophy, he has written two important and heralded books in theology. He is an outstanding teacher, as well. A nominator for the Provost Award writes that Monsignor Sokolowski’s courses are superbly organized and are marked by a penetrating wit. A member of the Polish Academy of Science and a longtime consultant to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the monsignor has received many honors and awards including the Aquinas Medal, the Maritain Medal and a Lifetime Service Award given by the Alumni Association of CUA’s Theological College.
Monsignor Wippel joined the faculty in 1960 and currently holds the Theodore Basselin Professorship in Philosophy. He is an internationally recognized metaphysician and authority on St. Thomas Aquinas and his works. A nominator for the Provost Award writes that Monsignor Wippel’s magisterial book, The Metaphysical Thought of Thomas Aquinas: From Finite Being to Uncreated Being, will long remain the seminal work in the field. Monsignor Wippel is the author of 11 books or scholarly monographs and more than 70 articles, book chapters and encyclopedia essays — an output limited by his service for eight years as the university’s academic vice president and provost. His many awards include the Aquinas Medal from the Catholic Philosophical Association. In 2003 he was named a fellow of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas. Monsignor Wippel also is an excellent teacher. His two-semester course in metaphysics — required of all philosophy majors and all the Basselin Fellows — is legendary and receives outstanding evaluations from students.
In announcing the lifetime achievement award recipients, the provost explained that two awardees were named instead of one because there were so many deserving candidates and because this was the first year for the lifetime award. “Another consideration was that it would have been very difficult to choose between Monsignor Sokolowski and Monsignor Wippel, since both were equally deserving of the inaugural award,” Convey explained afterward.
The nominees for the above faculty awards are as follows:
For Excellence in Teaching during 2005:
• Andrew V. Abela, Department of Business and Economics
• John G. Figura, Department of Art
• Michael Gorman, School of Philosophy
• John A. Judge, School of Engineering
• John A. Kromkowski, Department of Politics
• Ellen T. Mahoney, School of Nursing
• Hanna H. Marks, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
• George J. Martin, School of Architecture and Planning
• J. Michael Mullins, Department of Biology
• Agnes Nagy-Rado, Department of Education
• Leonora Neville, Department of History
• Elizabeth D. Smith, National Catholic School of Social Service
For Excellence in Research and Scholarship during 2005:
• Lourdes Alvarez, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
• Gregory A. Brewer, Department of Chemistry
• Michaela Farber, National Catholic School of Social Service
• Joseph M. Hidler, School of Engineering
• James Howard Jr., Department of Psychology
• Timothy B. Noone, School of Philosophy
• Lu Sun, School of Engineering
• Pamela L. Tuma, Department of Biology
For Lifetime Excellence in Teaching and in Research and Scholarship:
• Uta-Renate Blumenthal, Department of History
• Lucy Cohen, Department of Anthropology
• Clifford S. Fishman, Columbus School of Law
• Sister Mary Jean Flaherty, S.C., School of Nursing
• Dean R. Hoge, Department of Sociology
• Pedro B. Macedo, Department of Physics
• J. Michael Mullins, Department of Biology
• Claes G. Ryn, Department of Politics
• Monsignor Robert S. Sokolowski, School of Philosophy
• Joan B. Urban, Department of Politics
• Monsignor John F. Wippel, School of Philosophy
• James E. Youniss, Department of Psychology
The nominees for the latter lifetime excellence award will automatically be nominated for the award in each future year for as long as they teach at Catholic University, according to Convey.
To view a PowerPoint presentation with the photos of the nominees, click here.
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Students Also Excel
The academic year’s closing festivities also included the Student Leadership Recognition Ceremony, held April 27 in the Pryzbyla Center Great Room. The program celebrated distinguished students and CUA faculty and staff members who have contributed uniquely to the university’s learning environment. Honorees are selected annually by a committee of university faculty and staff, and awards are conferred by the university, Undergraduate Student Government, Graduate Student Association, student media organizations and offices of housing and residential services and career services.
Father O'Connell with John Paul Mitchell, winner of
the 2006 President's Award. |
Among this year’s award winners are John Paul Mitchell, a philosophy major from Milwaukee who at Commencement will receive the President’s Award — the top award presented each year to the senior who has demonstrated prominent leadership and outstanding scholarship and has exemplified the highest ideals of Christianity.
“CUA has given me so much, academically, spiritually and socially,” says Mitchell. “Receiving this award is certainly a humbling experience.”
This year’s James E. Dornan Memorial Teacher of the Year Award went to two CUA faculty members for their outstanding classroom teaching ability, academic advising and publications. The winners were James O’Leary, associate professor of politics, and Jane Pesci-Townsend, voice instructor for the Benjamin T. Rome School of Music.
Following is a complete list of awardees. For descriptions of each award, visit http://universitycenter.cua.edu/leader/slrc.cfm.
• Roy Bode Memorial Award, Matthew Janeczko
• Martha Comiskey Memorial Award, Jennifer Benz
• Mary J. Flynn Memorial Award, Kelli McErlean
• Marian Award, Erin Crawford
• President's Award, John Paul Mitchell
• Student Activities Award, Dana Connolly
• Student Activities Award, Kara Eriksen
• Student Activities Award, Rachel Yates
• Student Activities Award, Ryan Hehman
• Student Activities Award, Joseph Herning
• Student Activities Award, Lauren Long
• Student Activities Award, James Kane
• Student Activities Award, Matthew Robenhymer
• Student Activities Award, Omowumi Rotimi
• Student Activities Award, Kimberly Pulick
• Mary Elinor Smith Community Service Award, Tracy O'Dowd
• Father Stratemeier Award, Matthew Spierenburg
• Sam Williams Memorial Award, Lord Edwin Carreon
• Dornan Teacher of the Year Award, James O'Leary
• Dornan Teacher of the Year Award, Jane Pesci-Townsend
• Kerr Adviser of the Year Award, William Jonas
• Frank Kuntz Award, Kevin Long
• Right Reverend Denis J. O'Connell Award, Jonathan Hartrey
• Organization of the Year Award, The Crux Literary Magazine
• Gerard J. Rehel Memorial Award, Daniel Favarulo
• Gerard J. Rehel Memorial Award, Victoria Engelstad
• Peggy Shaker Award, Brian Jefferes
• Staff Member of the Year Award, Linwood Dailey
• Walton Administrator of the Year Award, Susan Pervi
• Steven P. Millies Award, Andrew Lichtenwalner
• Vincent P. Walter Jr. Community Service Award, Dorlisa Minnick
• Excellence in Residential Leadership, Casey Leary
• Regis Boyle Award, Matthew Carnavos
• The Thomas E. Stone, Jr. Honor of Distinction, Rachel Dudek
• Undergraduate Student Employee of the Year, Kathryn Clemmer
• Graduate Student Employee of the Year, Saleem Penny
—J.H.T. |
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Last Revised 12-May-06 01:12 PM.
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