Faculty celebrated at Honors Ceremony and Reception

The Office of the Provost hosted its annual Faculty Honors Ceremony and Reception on Tuesday (May 7) to honor those who contribute to the excellence of Purdue University and its people.

Among those celebrated were Chris Greene, a theoretical physicist and the Albert Overhauser Distinguished Professor of Physics and Astronomy, who was named Purdue’s Morrill Award winner. The Morrill Award is the highest honor that Purdue confers on a faculty member and recognizes faculty who best exhibit excellence in teaching, research and engagement.

Tara Grillos, an associate professor of political science in the College of Liberal Arts, received Purdue’s Trailblazer Award. The Trailblazer Award is presented to outstanding midcareer faculty in the College of Education, College of Liberal Arts, College of Health and Human Sciences, and the Purdue University Libraries whose recent research, scholarship or creative work has made a significant impact in the disciplines of humanities, social sciences and information sciences. 

Also recognized were Purdue’s eight special teaching award winners — the instructors who go above and beyond to provide exceptional educational experiences and who received the Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award, the Exceptional Early Career Teaching Award and the Excellence in Instruction Award for Lecturers.

Charles B. Murphy Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award

• Kendra Erk, associate professor of materials engineering
• Dino Felluga, professor of English
• Stephanie Gardner, associate professor of biological sciences
• Amy Sheehan, professor of pharmacy practiceJennifer Smith, clinical associate professor of special education

Exceptional Early Career Teaching Award

• Betsy Parkinson, assistant professor of chemistry and medicinal chemistry and molecular pharmacology
• Lindsey Payne, director of service-learning and assistant professor of practice in environmental and ecological engineering 

Excellence in Instruction Award for Lecturers

• Linda Haynes, senior lecturer of English and associate director of introductory composition

Three faculty received Research Awards — Kathryn Cramer Brownell (Lu Ann Aday Award), Anand Raghunathan (Arden L. Bement Jr. Award) and Matthew Huber (Herbert Newby McCoy Award) — and three earned Engagement Awards: Jennifer Bay (Faculty Engagement Fellow Award), Casey Mull (Faculty Engagement Scholar Award) and Ellen Schellhase (Service-Learning Award).

Some 48 faculty were acknowledged for receiving prestigious external awards between March 2023 and March 2024, as recognized by the U.S. National Research Council. The Provost’s Office also celebrated Purdue’s newly promoted faculty colleagues, approved in April by the Board of Trustees.