The 11th annual Awards for Academic Excellence ceremony hosted by President Dana Mohler-Faria took place at a dinner held in the Adrian Rondileau Campus Center. A total of 11 faculty members were recognized for outstanding academic achievement.
“This year’s program is particularly poignant for me as it is my last as your president,” Dr. Mohler-Faria said “Your dedication to teaching, innovative research and focus on community service reflects the values of this university as an institution of higher learning that continues to strive for academic excellence.”
The president recognized as a special guest, Norene DiNardo, wife of the late Dr. V. James DiNardo, for whom the university’s Award for Excellence in Teaching is named. Mrs. DiNardo recently turned 100, and was in the audience.
Assisted by Dr. Anna Bradfield, executive director for university initiatives, Dr. Mohler-Faria presented awards to:
- Jordan D. Fiore Award for Social Justice
The Class of 1962 established this award in honor of the late Dr. Jordan D. Fiore, distinguished alumnus and professor emeritus. This award is given annually to a full-time faculty member or librarian to support scholarly research related to social justice.
The 2015 recipient is Dr. Jennifer Manak of the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education and Office of Institutional Diversity
Dr. Manak, who was unable to be present because she is attending the 2015 National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Washington state, proposes, according to the award citation, to examine literacy instruction in two to three primary schools in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in Latin America with a 22 percent illiteracy rate among its population and the highest dropout rate of children leaving school without completing their primary education. Dr. Manak aims to provide opportunities for rich collaboration and interdisciplinary work with her BSU colleagues and additionally plans to coordinate an undergraduate research trip and/or study tour to Nicaragua that focuses on primary and secondary schools and their sociocultural context.
- Lifetime Faculty/Librarian Achievement Award
This annual award is intended to honor distinction in the full range of faculty and librarian professional roles achieved over the span of an individual’s career at Bridgewater State University.
The 2015 recipient is Dr. Nancy Witherell of the Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education.
According to the award citation, Dr. Witherell began her career as a part-time faculty member in 1985 and found a passion for working with college students. In 1993, she earned her doctorate and joined the ranks of full-time faculty at BSU.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Witherell has authored two books, co-authored seven books and published more than 20 articles in local, state, and national publications, primarily in peer-reviewed journals. She served as department chairperson, is currently interim department chair and was a student teaching coordinator. She has been a critical member and leader on a variety of BSU committees including the International Student Teaching Committee, Transfer Transitions team, Community College Compact Task Force, Core Curriculum Committee, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and CARS Advisory Board.
According to the award, Dr. Witherell has made substantial contributions to the development of her profession providing more than 90 presentations at various conferences in the last 22 years, serving as a local consultant for nearby school districts and the state, and working as an International Reading Association/National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education reviewer, auditor and Board of Examiner member.
She has also received national recognition for her leadership in professional organizations such as the Southeast Regional Reading Council, the Massachusetts Association of College and University Reading Educators, the Massachusetts Reading Association and the New England Reading Association. Dr. Witherell has received numerous awards for her service in the discipline, and was recognized by the New England Reading Association with The 2013 NERA Special Literacy Award for Massachusetts.
- Class of 1950 Distinguished Faculty Research Award
The Class of 1950 Distinguished Faculty Research Award was created through an endowment established by the class on the occasion of its 50th reunion. This award is presented annually to a full-time faculty member or librarian and recognizes a single work of scholarship or creative activity published or presented during the previous year.
Dr. Vignon Oussa of the Department of Mathematics is the 2015 recipient of the award.
According to the award citation, Dr. Oussa s recognized for his leadership and contributions to the collaborative work for the article, “Shift-invariant spaces on SI/Z Lie groups” published in the prestigious Journal of Fourier Analysis and Applications in February 2014.
This theoretical article significantly extends the foundational understanding of wavelet analysis, an area of mathematics motivated by practical problems in signal processing and data transmission.
Dr. Oussa contributed his particular areas of expertise in the representation theory of solvable Lie groups. This article has already been cited several times which proves it is a driving force in expanding mathematical understanding and knowledge.
- Dr. V. James DiNardo Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Bridgewater Alumni Association established this award in 1984 in honor of Dr. V. James DiNardo, executive vice president and professor emeritus.
The award is presented to a full-time faculty member whose contributions include mastery of subject matter, enthusiastic teaching style and personal attention to students.
The 2015 recipient is Dr. Martin Grossman of the Department of Management.
The award citation stated the following: After serving the university as assistant professor from 2004-2008 and associate professor from 2008-2013, Dr.Grossman has spent the last two and a half years as a professor of management in the Louis M. Ricciardi College of Business.
Dr. Grossman provides an inviting atmosphere for students to contribute freely to class discussions. As a result, his students are fully engaged in theories of management information systems. In addition to his work inside the classroom, Dr. Grossman has organized multiple study tours, most recently leading a trip to China.
Currently, Dr. Grossman is developing and teaching a course in big data, exposing BSU students to cutting edge technology.
- Presidential Award for Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice
This award honors the efforts of faculty and librarians who have demonstrated a commitment to and effectiveness in addressing diversity, inclusion and social justice through teaching, community service, recruitment and retention efforts, research, creative work, librarianship and other efforts that promote dialogue and equitable treatment of all.
The 2015 recipient is Dr. Michael Kocet of the Department of Counselor Education.
According to the award citation, Dr. Kocet once wrote that, “for me diversity, inclusion and social justice are not just professional obligations or mandates, but rather are representative of core values in both my personal and professional life.” Dr. Kocet has acted as a diversity, equity and justice leader at Bridgewater State University, in his profession and in surrounding communities.
At BSU, Dr. Kocet has created and taught courses informed by equity-oriented content and pedagogies and participated in an impressive array of service opportunities that have contributed to campus efforts to achieve our diversity and social justice strategic priorities.
He is also an accomplished scholar whose work focuses on a range of diversity and social justice issues. Dr. Kocet volunteers his services as a clinician at agencies focused on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender domestic violence prevention and intervention, grief therapy and support for children, and for families experiencing the loss of children through violence.
Nationally, Dr. Kocet has supported diversity, inclusion and social justice as the past president for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Issues in Counseling, a division of the American Counseling Association. In addition, he has played leadership roles in his field, bringing attention to the importance of inclusive spiritual and religious belief systems.
- Presidential Award for Distinguished Adjunct Teaching
This award recognizes the outstanding performance and/or innovation in teaching at either the undergraduate or graduate level. It is presented annually to no more than two Bridgewater State University faculty members who have taught as part-time faculty at the university for at least three of the last six semesters.
Professor Stacy Moskos of the Department of English is the 2015 recipient of this award.
According to the award citation, Professor Moskos has a varied history at BSU, beginning in the early 2000s, as a nontraditional undergraduate student, transitioning to a successful graduate student and now as the managing editor for The Undergraduate Review.
Since 2009, she has served as a part-time faculty member in the Department of English teaching first-year writing and other special topics in First Year Seminar courses. Her teaching strategies are student-centered and interactive with a particular emphasis on promoting and modeling high-level undergraduate research.
Students respond well to her diverse pedagogy as shown by their work presented to the BSU community each December in the Mid-Year Research Symposium. Strong letters of support from her department chair and students consistently report of her “unbridled enthusiasm...passion… [and] concern for the education and progress of her students…”
Professor Moskos continues to inspire others by her recognition that everyone is a teacher and that teachers are learners first and always. Above all, she believes and promotes that learning is not a commodity, but a way of believing in each other.
- Presidential Award for Distinguished Teaching
This award recognizes outstanding performance and/or innovation in teaching at either the undergraduate or graduate level. It is presented annually to no more than two Bridgewater State University faculty members who have taught as full-time faculty at the university for at least two years.
The 2015 recipients are Dr. Kevin Donnelly of the Department of Political Science and Dr. Irina Seceleanu of the Department of Mathematics.
Dr. Donnelly demonstrates exceptional skills in inspiring undergraduate and graduate students to be more tolerant, self-directed, well-informed and engaged citizens through his dynamic classes. He is deeply committed to the craft of teaching and has demonstrated a willingness to share his insights with members of his department and the university community.
Students note his effective use of real-world, practical, case study projects to reinforce class themes. They also mention his skill in creating an environment where discussions about normally divisive and hotly debated topics can be conducted in a calm and respectful manner. Students appreciate his personal support and guidance as internship coordinator and mentor for the Adrian Tinsley Program summer research projects.
Faculty recognize his dedicated work as a faculty associate for the Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Initiative, which inspires other faculty to incorporate service-learning projects into their classrooms.
Dr. Seceleanu possesses a highly successful and engaging teaching style in both lower-and upper-level mathematics courses. Students frequently report that she has a profound ability to communicate mathematics with passion and clarity, which helps even the most math-anxious students learn complex concepts.
Dr. Seceleanu’s deep commitment to her students’ learning is evidenced in her consistently high student ratings and students say her responses are tailored to their individual needs. Students appreciate that she provides additional time in and outside of the classroom to break down difficult problems into “digestible components” and encourages them to expand their knowledge and skills beyond the classroom.
Dr. Seceleanu inspires students to conduct undergraduate research on mathematical problems; subsequently, many students have participated in the prestigious Posters on the Hill Program in Washington, D.C. and at a national mathematics conference.
- Presidential Award for Excellence in Collaboration to Improve Teaching
This award recognizes innovation in the development of teaching programs at either the undergraduate or graduate levels with well-documented need and/or impact. Examples include, but are not limited to, collaborative teaching, faculty/librarian collaboration, program-specific faculty development, curriculum development or revision improvement in the quality of teaching through assessment or other means and new-program initiatives.
The 2015 recipients are Dr. Donald Running, Department of Music and Professor Jamie Kern, Department of Physics
According to the award citation, Dr. Running and Professor Kern embody the spirit of this award in their joint creation of PHYS 108 Physics of Music, an interdisciplinary course that explores the connections between the physics of sound and the nature of what we call music.
Both instructors co-lead each class session with a unique approach that engages BSU students as they learn about the links between physics and music.
Professor Kern represents the mathematical and scientific learning aspects of this course. She leads class discussions and labs based on speed of sound, harmonic series, ratios of divided strings, diffusion of sound, acoustics and other concepts relating to how sound naturally behaves.
Dr. Running provides expertise on music theory and musical genre as they reflect on physics concepts.
- Presidential Fellowship Award
This highly competitive annual award affords a faculty member the opportunity to focus exclusively on research for an entire academic year. In addition to two semesters of course release time, recipients are granted a budget of up to $10,000 to pay for travel expenses, equipment, books or other related materials. Preference is given to faculty members who have an original proposal for research or creative activity, whose scholarly work is poised for significant growth and who have a carefully designed plan for the use of their release time. Upon completion of the fellowship year, the awardee is expected to present a public lecture or presentation to the campus community.
The 2015 recipient is Dr. Joyce Rain Anderson of the Department of English.
According to the award citation, Dr. Anderson proposes to expand her work efforts as lead faculty on the Pine Ridge/Red Cloud Indian School (RCIS) partnership and her ongoing work with other local New England tribes.
The RCIS partnership, launched in 2013, will benefit from Dr. Anderson’s pursuit of the following goals: (1) support faculty development and student exchanges with RCIS as well as making RCIS a site for BSU student teaching; (2) develop a collaborative undergraduate research project between BSU and RCIS high school students; (3) build alliances between local New England tribal people with those in Pine Ridge for ways that would benefit them educationally; (4) develop a permanent BSU indigenous art/story exhibit that could then travel to other universities; (5) enhance the curriculum in the U.S. Ethnic and Indigenous Studies Program by exploring indigenous and decolonial pedagogies with BSU faculty.
This work will not only benefit the RCIS partnership but it will also directly support her current work on a book-length manuscript on rhetorical indigenous bodies. The art/materials rhetoric exhibit will support her writing of other book chapters on representations in museums and relationships between indigenous peoples and educational institutions. (Story and photos by David K. Wilson, ’71, Office of University News)