April 13, 2008
Awards given to faculty, staff at Purdue's Honors Convocation
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue faculty and staff received a number of awards Sunday (April 13) during the university's annual Honors Convocation in Elliott Hall of Music.Six campus-wide teaching awards were bestowed, each academic area presented an award for excellence in teaching, and eight other awards related to academic endeavors were announced.
Murphy Awards
Six exceptional teachers were honored with 2008 Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Awards in Memory of Charles B. Murphy.
The Murphy is given annually in recognition of outstanding teaching in all phases of undergraduate instruction at the West Lafayette campus. The university's highest undergraduate teaching honor, the Murphy is accompanied by a $10,000 cash award and induction into Purdue's Teaching Academy, which provides leadership for the improvement of undergraduate, graduate and outreach teaching.
The 2008 winners are:
- Ximena Arriaga, associate professor of psychological sciences.
- Robert "Pete" Bill, professor of veterinary pharmacology.
- Becky Brown, associate professor of linguistics.
- Patricia Coyle-Rogers, associate professor of nursing.
- Linda Naimi, assistant professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership and Supervision.
- Christine Wilson, associate professor of agricultural economics.
Excellence in teaching awards
College of Agriculture - Clint C.S. Chapple, professor of biochemistry, Richard L. Kohls Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.
College of Consumer and Family Sciences - Volker K. Thomas, associate professor of marriage and family therapy, Mary L. Matthews Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching.
College of Education - Sarah J. Templin, clinical instructor of educational studies, Outstanding Teacher Award.
College of Engineering - Dimitrios Peroulis, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, A.A. Potter Best of Engineering Teaching Award.
School of Health Sciences - Neil J. Zimmerman, associate professor of industrial hygiene, Robert R. Landolt Award for Excellence in Teaching.
College of Liberal Arts - Nancy F. Gabin, associate professor of history, Excellence in Education Award.
School of Management - Clifford D. Fisher, clinical associate professor of management, Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher Award.
School of Nursing - Michael E. Criswell, clinical assistant professor of nursing, LaNelle E. Geddes Excellence in Teaching Award.
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences - Kimberly S. Plake, assistant professor of pharmacy practice, Dr. Aziz Outstanding Teaching Award.
College of Science - Peter J. Hollenbeck, professor of biological sciences, Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.
College of Technology - Richard M. French, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, James G. Dwyer Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching.
School of Veterinary Medicine - Larry G. Adams, associate professor of veterinary clinical sciences, Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award.
Recipients of awards for excellence in teaching received commemorative plaques and cash awards from their college or school.
Other awards
- Herbert Newby McCoy Award - Richard J. Kuhn, professor of biological sciences; and Scott A. McLuckey, professor of chemistry. Each received a $4,000 award, and each of their departments received a $7,000 stipend to support their research.
The McCoy Award, established in 1964 through a bequest from Dr. Ethel Terry McCoy in memory of her husband, is a top research award at Purdue. It is presented annually to the student or faculty member "in the science departments of Purdue making the greatest contribution of the year to science."
Kuhn was recognized for his independent contributions to molecular and structural understanding of the viral process, which has produced fundamental new insights into both flavivirus and alphavirus structure, assembly and replication.
McLuckey was recognized for his development of ion/ion reactions that greatly simplify and extend the use of mass spectrometry in proteomics.
- Provost's Award for Outstanding Faculty Mentors - Brant R. Burleson, professor of communication; and Andrew M. Weiner, professor of electrical and computer engineering. Each received a $2,500 award.
- Helen B. Schleman Gold Medallion Award - Renee A. Thomas, director, Black Cultural Center. The award is presented annually to a woman faculty or staff member who has made significant contributions to the university and its students. Thomas was recognized for promoting a campus climate that ensures the inclusion of diverse students, faculty and staff. Thomas received the medallion and a $1,500 award.
- Class of 1922 Outstanding Innovation in Helping Students Learn Award - This award was shared by three faculty members in electrical and computer engineering: Cordelia M. Brown, visiting assistant professor; Yung-Hsiang Lu, assistant professor; David G. Meyer, professor.
They were recognized for their innovative project "Development and Deployment of the Directed Problem Solving (DPS) Course Format."
They divided a $4,000 cash prize and a $2,000 allotment to their academic expense accounts for official use.
- Purdue Academic Advising Association's Outstanding Advisor Award - LeeAnn Williams, College of Agriculture. She received a plaque and a monetary gift.
- Purdue Academic Advising Association's Outstanding New Professional Award - Melissa Pederson, Undergraduate Studies Program. She received a plaque and a gift certificate.
- Award for Excellence in Distance Learning: Best Credit-Granting Program - Paige A. Allen, distance learning instructional technician, School of Veterinary Medicine administration, for "VCS 145 – Principles of Anesthesia for Veterinary Technicians I." She received a $1,000 cash award.
- Award for Excellence in Distance Learning: Best Noncredit Program - Patrick E. Connolly, associate professor of computer graphics technology; Nathan W. Hartman, assistant professor, computer graphics technology; for "Discovery Park: Product Lifecycle Management Certificate Program." Each received a $500 cash award.
The awards for Excellence in Distance Learning recognize professional accomplishment and innovative approaches to "teaching-at-a-distance." They spotlight initiatives in distance learning that are under way throughout the Purdue system.
Writer: Dan Howell, (765) 494-2028, dhowell@purdue.edu
Source: Jim Vruggink, director of special projects, (765) 494-2086, jvruggink@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
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