Faculty Award Winners
The CTL salutes the following faculty who received awards in 2010 and 2011.
CTL Awards
Elfe Dona, Associate Professor of German Modern Languages and Teacher Education
Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Technology
The award is given to a faculty member who has found creative ways to integrate technology into their teaching. Award recipients serve as Wright State's representative to an International Conference on College Teaching and Learning held each year in Florida. While Dr. Dona has a long history of using technology within her classes, her creative use of innovative teaching strategies such as Digital Storytelling to get her students excited about learning set her apart from other faculty. Dr. Dona, for example, uses technology to create podcasts to get her students interested in attending the summer abroad program to Austria. She also uses online gaming to give her students authentic experiences with languages. Dr. Dona is a role model to many colleagues..
Joseph Cavanaugh, Professor of Economics, Lake Campus
The Center for Teaching and Learning 2010 Award for Outstanding Online Distance Learning Teacher.
This year's recipient of the University's Online Teaching Award is Dr. Joe Cavanaugh. Dr. Cavanaugh is one of our pioneer distance learning faculty here at Wright State University. He began using online learning technologies in 2000 when WebCT was first introduced on campus. He has continued to be an advocate for distance learning, serving on CTL committees, attending CTL workshops, and even conducting studies to indicate new enrollments gained via distance learning offerings. Dr. Cavanaugh is always open to new technologies and techniques. He participated in the CTL's Learning-Centered Teaching course, which utilized iPods to model mobile learning strategies. Dr. Cavanaugh continues to pursue the most effective approaches to teaching in the online environment so his students are engaged and successful.
Geoff Owens, Associate Professor, Sociology and Anthropology
The Center for Teaching and Learning 2010 Award for Faculty Development.
Dr. Geoff Owens is a leader in the use of formative student feedback to improve the quality of his teaching. From his first days at Wright State he has used peer observation and Mid-Term Student Feedback in all of his General Education and Anthropology classes as a means to improve the quality of student learning. In addition, he has shared this approach to faculty development by leading workshops for the Center for Teaching and Learning on the value of formative student feedback as a tool for improving teaching.
Kathy Koenig Receives Innovative Excellence Award
Dr. Kathy Koenig, Department if Physics, is Wright State’s 2011 nominee for the Innovative Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Technology award presented each year at the International Conference on Teaching and Learning. Her success with teaching, learning, and technology in higher education is from the many recognitions she has received in 5 years of teaching at Wright State University and the impact she has had on teaching and learning.
Dr. Koenig was instrumental in getting personal response systems (or clickers) acceptance within the Wright State community. She used the technology in her classroom to provide an inquiry-based learning and just-in-time teaching environment. In addition, she mentored other faculty within the physics department on the use of this technology. Almost half of all physics classes now use clickers each quarter.
Dean Wheatly recognized her expertise, which led to Koenig's presentation at the College of Science and Mathematics: Investing in Undergraduate STEM Student Success Retreat in 2008. This, in turn, led her to being invited to present to the faculty of the Department of Biological Sciences, to conduct two Center for Teaching and Learning workshops on this technology, and to numerous invited presentations at national conferences. Her leadership role at Wright State has been recognized by a Presidential Early Career award.
Her contributions are part of an overall framework for using technology (and other methodologies) in improving student learning. Thus, they form part of a research plan to improve gateway courses, supported via internal Wright State funds and by National Science Foundation.
Another substantial impact she has had within the physics department is though her effort to reform their introductory-physics labs via the use of inquiry-based labs assisted by computer-based equipment.
Other Faculty Who Received Awards in 2010
You will find descriptions and nomination information for the following awards on the Faculty Awards page of the Faculty Handbook.
Trustees’ Award for Faculty Excellence
Amit Sheth, CECS
Robert J. Kegerreis Distinguished Professor of Teaching Award
Jackson Leung, Ph.D., COLA
Brage Golding Distinguished Professor of Research
Mariana Morris, Ph.D., BSOM
Frederick A. White Distinguished Professor of Professional Service
Lawrence Prochaska, Ph.D., COSM
University Professor Award
Cheryl Meyer, Ph.D., SOPP
Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence—Early Career Achievement
Teaching—Haibo Dong, Ph.D., CECS
Teaching—Chad Hammerschmidt, Ph.D., COSM
Teaching—Thomas Rooney, Ph.D., COSM
Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence: Outstanding Lecturer
Mindy Diesslin, COSM
Presidential Award for Faculty Excellence: Outstanding Instructor
Pascale Abadie, COLA
Boonshoft School of Medicine 2009–2010 awards
Excellence in Medical Education Award
Robert Koerker, Ph.D., Pharmacology & Toxicology
Teaching Excellence Award
B. Laurel Elder, Ph.D., Pathology
Paul Koles, M.D., Pathology
Timothy Janz, M.D., Emergency Medicine
Gregory Toussaint, M.D., Pediatrics
Ashley Fernandes, M.D., Ph.D. - Pediatrics and Community Health
Faculty Development Award
Marc Raslich, M.D., Internal medicine and Pediatrics
Faculty Mentor Award
Basic Sciences: Madhavi Kadakia, Ph.D., Biochemistry/Molecular Biology
Clinical Sciences: Ronald Markert, Ph.D., Internal Medicine and Surgery
Volunteer Faculty Awards
Kurt Avery, M.D., Family Medicine
Richard Blunk, M.D., Pediatrics
Andrew Kreppel, M.D., Pediatrics
Anton Vasiliu, M.D., Internal Medicine
Lee Lehman, M.D., Ph.D., Pathology
Caroline Kennebeck, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology
Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports Medicine & Rehab:
Teaching Excellence Awards academic year
Richard T. Laughlin, M.D. – Professor & Chair
Michael J. Prayson, M.D. – Professor & Vice Chair
Teaching Excellence Awards - clinical faculty
Timothy F. Peters, M.D.
Steven M. Kleinhenz, M.D.
Community Teaching Award
Gregory Eberhart: M.D., Department of Pediatrics
Department of Pediatrics Resident Teaching Award
Robert Fink, M.D. and Patrick Sobande -
Ann Burke, MD - Pediatric Academic Societies Educational Scholars Program (graduated)
Department of Psychiatry
Rena Kay, M.D.
Brenda Roman, M.D.
Nancy Smith, D.O.
Randy Welton, M.D.
Alice Hale, M.D.
Susan Mumford, M.S.W.
Julie P. Gentile, M.D.
Christina Weston, M.D.
College of Education and Human Services 2009–2010 awards
Excellence in Teaching Award
Tracey Kramer, M.Ed., Department of Teacher Education
College of Engineering and Computer Science 2009–2010 awards
Excellence in Teaching Award
Kuldip Rattan, Ph.D., Department of Electrical Engineering
College of Nursing and Health 2009–2010 awards
Award for Undergraduate Classroom Teaching Excellence
Carrie Hall, MS, RN
Award for Undergraduate Clinical Teaching Excellence
Beverly Bias, MS, RN
Award for Graduate Classroom Teaching Excellence
Perla Ilagan, Ph.D., RN
Award for Graduate Online Teaching Excellence
Donna Miles Curry, Ph.D., RN
Award for BEACON Program Teaching Excellence
Kathy Keister, Ph.D., RN
Award for RN-to-BSN Program Teaching Excellence
Mary Lynd, Ph.D., RN
Award for Adjunct Teaching Excellence
Phyllis Brown, MS, RN
External awards:
Ohio Association of Advanced Practice Nurses' Education Award
Kristine Scordo, Ph.D., ACNP
Ohio Public Health Association's 2010 Distinguished Health Educator Award
Ann Stalter, Ph.D., RN
College of Science and Mathematics 2009–2010 awards
College of Science and Mathematics Award for Outstanding Teaching
David Dolson, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Chemistry
Raj Soin College of Business
Outstanding Teaching Awards
Dr. Julie Williams, Assistant Professor, School of Professional Psychology
Dr. Daniela Burnworth, Associate Director, Department of Counseling and Wellness Services
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award
Dr. Todd Dewett, Professor, Department of Management
School of Professional Psychology
Teaching Excellent Award
Julie Williams, Ph.D., Associate Professor of SOPP
22nd International Conference on College Teaching and Learning
Kathy Koenig, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Physic
2011 Southwestern Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award Winners
- Pascale Abadie, Ph.D., Lecturer, Modern Languages, French
- Pascale has played an integral role in helping French be the most flourishing language at WSU. Her student evaluations and comments are outstanding. Her chair says she is, "The most thoroughly prepared, enthusiastic and dedicated instructor we have." She has helped make our French Club into an exciting and popular club for students to expand their content knowledge and love of the language.
- Mindy Diesslin, M.D., Lecturer, Mathematics and Statistics
- Mindy is an excellent teacher, who is described by one student as, "Possibly the best professor at WSU." She developed and still teaches the department's first on-line course. Mindy has been strongly focused on efforts "to enhance minority student success." Her work with MTH 145, a course taken by non-majors mostly, has been very important for this department as a way to help more find success in math.
- Haibo Dong, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering
- Dr. Dong is the only department faculty member to have received two AFRL/DAGSI student-faculty fellowship awards. He is the most active junior faculty in supervising senior design projects, one of which won the AFRL Capstone Senior Project Award. His student feedback has been very positive from both the undergraduate and graduate students. He has been very involved with area high school students, even winning a grant for a balsa wood bridge building project.
- Chad Hammerschmidt, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences Department
- Dr. Hammerschmidt has involved his students on four ocean research expeditions. The students' "real-time" blogs during these trips have been well-received by the profession. He is called "a fantastic instructor" who is also very active in course development. His student feedback is very positive and he has also published extensively in top journals.
- Jackson Leung, Ph.D., Professor, Music
- Dr. Jackson is an internationally recognized teacher and performer in piano. His students have won top awards in national competitions. He has elevated the WSU piano studio to the equivalent of a top science lab. His department chair says he is "an extraordinary teacher." In competition for piano majors, which includes graduate students, his undergraduate students have been very successful for years.
- Thomas Rooney, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biological Science
- Dr. Rooney has developed a number of new courses, such as one on Amazon Ecology, which takes students on a 2-week expedition. He has received his college's award for Teaching Excellence, which has included a large-enrollment general education course for non-majors. His student feedback is very positive and he has enthusiastically taken on a very diverse teaching load ranging from freshman non-majors to graduate students in the department.
WAC and General Education Excellence in Teaching Awards
Kuldip Rattan, Ph.D.
Amber Crawford, M.A.
Byron Crews
Catherine Crowley
James Guthrie, Ph.D.
Jessica Graue, M.A.
Jimmy Chesire
Mary Coyle, M.A.
Aaron Wolpert, M.A.
Bruce LaForse, Ph.D.
Donald Carlson
Mark Verman, Ph.D.
Rebecca Edwards
Samuel Funderburk
Tamara Leigh Hawes
Peter Doherty, Ph.D.
Frank Eguaroje, Ph.D
Christopher Oldstone-Moore, Ph.D.
Timothy Thoresen, Ph.D.
Aubrey Maples-Saus
Karen Lahm
Melissa Schen, Ph.D.
Robert Gordon, Ph.D.
Ioana Pavel, Ph.D.
Lisa Wellinghoff
Ray Otto
Dane Daniel (Lake), Ph.D.
Dave Hochstein (Lake), Ph.D.
George Dunster
Erin Holland (Student)
Daryl Evans (Student)