Martha Carothers,
professor of art and design, was presented the Excellence in Advising
Award for having "devoted enormous time and effort to ensuring student
success" in her role as her department's advising coordinator for the
past 10 years, Watson said. Colleagues have described Carothers'
advising style as personal, systematic and individualized to support
each student's needs.
Jacqueline Fajardo,
assistant professor of chemistry and biochemistry, received this year's
Excellence in Teaching Award. Her nomination received more than 30
letters of support from her peers, teaching assistants and students, who
described her ability to make complex scientific concepts
understandable even to first-year students while maintaining high
academic standards.
Martin Brueckner, professor
of English and associate director of the Center for Material Culture
Studies, was honored with the Excellence in Scholarship Award in
recognition of his work as a world-renowned expert in the field of early
American cartographic and material culture studies. He has published in prestigious forums, and his first book, The Geographic Revolution in Early America, is considered foundational.
Rebecca Davis,
associate professor of history, received the Excellence in Service
Award for transforming the Department of History's graduate program by
working with other departments and the African American Public Policy
Initiative to increase minority recruitment and retention. Nominators
described Davis as "a true leader who is willing to go the extra mile
for others" in her efforts to address a lack of diversity among graduate
students in the humanities.
University awards
Also
at the Celebrating Achievement and Success event, Watson recognized
Debra Hess Norris, the Unidel Henry Francis du Pont Chair in Fine Arts,
who has been selected
as the 2018 Francis Alison Faculty Award recipient, UD's highest
competitive faculty honor, and Catherine Leimkuhler Grimes, assistant
professor of chemistry and biochemistry, who earlier this year received the Gerard J. Mangone Young Scholars Award.
Other faculty members and students who previously received University awards were honored at the college event as well.
Those included two faculty members and two graduate students who were presented awards at
this month's Faculty Senate meeting: Tania Roth, associate professor of
psychological and brain sciences, received the University's Excellence
in Advising Award, and McKay Jenkins, Cornelius A. Tilghman Professor of
English, received an Excellence in Teaching Award. Doctoral students
Hasan Eruslu, in mathematical sciences, and Onur Tosun, in physics and
astronomy, received the Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award.
Watson also recognized five faculty members who were appointed to named professorships this academic yearArwen Mohun, Cathy Matson and David Shearer, all effective in September, and Paul Quinn and Julian Yates in Apriland Tiffany Gill, recently named the University's inaugural Cochran Scholar.
In addition, graduating senior Zachary Sexton, who previously received this year's Alexander J. Taylor Sr. Award
from the UD Alumni Association as the outstanding man in the Class of
2018, was recognized at the celebration. Sexton will graduate with
bachelor's degrees, both with honors, in public policy and in biomedical
engineering.
Celebrating Achievement and Success
The
College of Arts and Sciences holds its celebration each May to
recognize the accomplishments of faculty and students during the
academic year and to honor prominent and successful alumni.
Watson
closed the program by thanking the college's faculty, staff and
students for what he called "another banner year" of accomplishments.
"You've made this a year in which we can all celebrate our success," he
said.
The event began with a performance by Jacob Moore on bass
and Daniel Townsend on piano. Both are students in the Department of
Music.
A reception followed the celebration, to honor the award recipients and the college's newly promoted faculty members.
Article by Ann Manser; photos by Kevin Quinlan and Andre Smith