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Employee Recognition Awards - Columbus State University

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Academic Affairs

Employee Recognition Awards

Faculty Awards

Chappel Graduate Award

The purpose of the award is to recognize those full-time members of the Columbus State University Graduate Faculty who, in the tradition established by Dr. William "Bill" Chappell, have demonstrated excellence in teaching Columbus State University's graduate students and have contributed outstanding professional service to the Graduate School, the University and the community.

2024 - Dr. Yesem Peker, Professor of Computer Science, Interim Director, Graduate School
2022 - Dr. Rania Hodhod, Associate Professor of Computer Science
2021 - Dr. Mark James, Professor of Organizational Leadership
2020 - Dr. Debbie Gober, Professor of Mathematics Education, UTeach Columbus Co-Director

Creative Endeavors Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding efforts by faculty members of Columbus State University in creative expression in their field. The award is meant to celebrate the value of these activities, particularly for their role in contributing to the student's and faculty's intellectual and creative growth. Though the award will be given without regard to the nominee's teaching or service talents, it implicitly recognizes the role of creative endeavors in the enhancement of a faculty member's teaching and service capabilities. The award also provides the university a way of identifying and rewarding faculty contributions to the creation, extension, or growth of knowledge or skills, or aesthetic products.

2023 - Natalia Temesgen, Associate Professor of Creative Writing
2022 - Dr. Nick Norwood, Professor of English, Director of the Carson McCullers Center
2021 - Natalia Temesgen, Assistant Professor of Creative Writing
2020 - Libby McFalls, Professor of Art and Art Foundations Coordinator

Educator of the Year Award

The Educator of the Year Award is announced during the Scholastic Honors Convocation. This award is special because it is presented by CSU's Student Government Association and is awarded based on student body nominations.

2024 - Dr. Kerri S., Taylor, Associate Professor of Chemistry
2022 - Dr. Jordan Brasher, Assistant Professor of Geography
2021 - Dr. Cameron Williams, Assistant Professor of Sociology
2020 - Dr. Kimberly Gill, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Politics, Philosophy and Public Administration

Excellence in Online Teaching Award

The CSU Excellence in Online Teaching Award recognizes a faculty member's strong commitment to quality online teaching and learning. The criteria for selection include demonstration of teaching, service and scholarly activities designed to advance the quality of online teaching and learning; the use of effective and innovative online teaching practices that result in student engagement, student satisfaction, and effectiveness in achieving desired learning outcomes; and an extraordinary commitment to fostering the academic success of online students through the development of rapport with individual learners in and beyond the virtual classroom. The winner of this award serves as CSU's nominee for the USG Regents' Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching, and receives a certificate and a stipend sponsored by the Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.

2023 - Dr. Joshua Brooks, Associate Professor of Accounting and Finance
2023 - Dr. Marguerite Lawrence, Assistant Professor of Nursing
2022 - Erick D. Richman, M.S. Instructor, Physical Activity & Wellness Program Coordinator
2021 - Dr. Stella Michael-Makri, Quality Matters Instructor and Peer Reviewer
2020 - Dr. Aimee Vael, Professor, Family Nurse Practitioner Coordinator

Faculty Research and Scholarship Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding efforts by faculty members in research and scholarship. The award is meant to celebrate the value of these activities, particularly for their role in contributing to the faculty's intellectual growth. It implicitly recognizes the role of research and scholarship in the enhancement of a faculty member's teaching and service capabilities.

2024 - Dr. Guihong Fan, Professor and Chair of Mathematics
2023 - Dr. Kerri Taylor, Associate Professor of Chemistry
2022 - Dr. Stephanie da Silva, Professor of Psychology
2021 - Dr. Jianhua Yang, Professor of Computer Science
2020 - Dr. Markus Weidler, Assistant Professor of Politics, Philosophy and Public Administration

Faculty Service Award

The purpose of this award is to recognize those members of our faculty who have contributed outstanding professional service to the University and/or community. Service is defined as the contribution of the faculty member's expertise in his or her discipline to worthwhile efforts of the university, community, educational, environmental, business and economic life of the community. This award is presented annually at the Faculty and Staff Recognition and Excellence Awards Ceremony.

2024 - Dr. Kimberly Gill, Associate Professor of Politics, Philosophy and Public Administration
2023 - Dr. Raina Hodhod, Edwin & Florette Rothschild Chair, Associate Professor of Computer Science
2022 - Dr. Lydia Ray, Associate Professor of Computer Science
2021 - Dr. Michelle Folta, Professor of Music
2020 - Dr. Christopher McCollough, Associated Professor of Communications

International Educator of the Year Award

Columbus State University recognizes and rewards faculty and staff members who have made significant contributions to the university's internationalization and to the international learning outcomes of our students. Nominees must be current and active CSU faculty or staff members who have been employed at CSU during the whole of the previous calendar year. This award is presented annually at the Faculty and Staff Recognition and Excellence Awards Ceremony.

2022 - No award recipient this year
2021 - Dr. Carolina Pelaez-Morales, Associate Professor of English
2020 - Dr. Rania Hodhod, Assistant Chair, Associate Professor of Computer Science

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award

The CSU Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Award recognizes a faculty member's engagement in the systematic examination of issues about student learning and instructional conditions which promote the learning, building on previous scholarship. The criteria for selection include documented use of strategies for investigating and evaluating the impact of teaching practice on student learning, anchored in the research literature; engagement in scholarship that is public, peer reviewed and critiqued; the production of scholarly work which contributes new questions and knowledge about teaching and learning; the development of a well articulated teaching philosophy that drives research questions; and documented dissemination of their scholarship results. The winner of this award serves as CSU's nominee for the USG Regents' Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Award, and receives a certificate and a stipend sponsored by the Faculty Center.

2024 - Chandler Padgett, Assistant Professor of Nursing
2023 - Dr. Kalynn Pistorio, Assistant Professor of Special Education
2022 - Dr. Reba Wissner, Assistant Professor of Musicology
2021 - No award recipient this year
2020 - Dr. Diana Riser, Associate Professor of Psychology

Teaching Excellence Award

The CSU Teaching Excellence award recognizes a faculty member's strong commitment to teaching and learning. The criteria for selection include demonstrated use of classroom activities designed to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and/or global and multicultural understanding; use of effective teaching strategies to enhance student learning, such as innovative uses of technology, active learning, learning communities, student portfolios, and assessment; and a strong commitment to fostering academic success through interaction with students outside of the classroom (e.g., advising, mentoring, recruiting, etc.). The winner of this award serves as CSU's nominee for the USG Regents' Teaching Excellence Award, and receives a medallion and a stipend sponsored by the Faculty Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning.

2024 - Dr. Kerri S., Taylor, Associate Professor of Chemistry
2023 - Dr. Brent Cotten, Professor of Accounting & Finance
2022 - Dr. Nehal Shukla, Associate Professor of Mathematics
2021 - Dr. Hanna Lainas, Associate Professor of Counselor Education
2020 - Dr. Rebecca Gerdes-McClain, Director of First Year Composition, Professor of English

Teaching Innovation Award

Columbus State University strives to be a leader in innovative methods for improving student learning and in efforts to improve retention and graduation. This award recognizes and rewards the efforts of faculty members who develop and practice innovative methodologies in pedagogy. This award showcases the creative innovations of the faculty members that facilitate enhanced learning. This award specifically focuses on the uniqueness of the "program actions" that increase student interest and drive achievement. This award recognizes the effort and documentation of outcomes by the faculty member attempting to create a new learning strategy or methodology and celebrates the faculty's willingness to expand boundaries of traditional and established teaching strategies.

2024 - Dr. Rania Hodhod, Edwin & Florette Rothschild Chair, Professor of Computer Science
2023 - Amy “Becca” Jones, Lecturer of Marketing & Management
2022 - Dr. Bryan Banks, Assistant Professor of History
2021 - Dr. Diana Riser, Associate Professor of Psychology
2020 - Dr. Aisha Adams, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Staff Awards

Living Our Values Award

The Living our Values Award recognizes the unsung heroes and heroines working among us. It was first presented in 2017, and honors a person, unit, office or group that exemplifies all six of CSU's core values of Excellence, Engagement, Creativity, Servant Leadership, Inclusion, and Sustainability.

2022 - COVID-19 Response Team, Center for Career Design, University Support Services and Former CSU President Dr. Chris Markwood
2021 - Cougar Faculty and Staff
2020 - Cougar Faculty and Staff (Presented in 2021)

President's Staff Excellence Award

The President's Staff Excellence Award is awarded to a staff employee who demonstrates consistently superior performance in their position and within the University in a way that contributes to advancing and promoting one or more of the University's six core values, Excellence, Creativity, Engagement, Servant Leadership, Sustainability, and Inclusion.

2024 - Nicol Lewis, Chief Information Security Officer, Office of Legal Affairs, Ethics & Compliance
2023 - Ria Stringfellow, Dean’s Office coordinator in the College of the Arts
2022 - Debra Tommey, Admissions and Business Coordinator, Schwob School of Music
2021 - Taylor King, Assistant Director of Admissions
2020 - Danielle Navarette, Data Analyst in Accounting and Finance

Staff Collaboration Award

The Staff Collaboration Award goes to the staff member, or group of staff members, who has worked so well with others within CSU or in our community that their actions promote and reflect the University's six core values of Excellence, Creativity, Engagement, Servant Leadership, Sustainability, and Inclusion.

2024 - UITS Enterprise Software & Development Team: Keith Grier, Anayia Cook, Wesley Barron
2023 - Ashley Schley, Director of Annual Giving and William Keen, Student Development Specialist II - Fraternity and Sorority Life
2022 - Dr. Melissa Young, Director of Advising CSU Advise, Kelly Koch, Associate Director of Advising and Dr. Melissa Dempsey, Interim Senior Director, Student Life and Development and Campus Recreation
2021 - Willie Harris of Military-Connected Student Services and Keith Grier of UITS Enterprise Software
2020 - Dr. Laura Johnson, Program Manager at Oxbow Meadows

Staff Commitment to Service Award

The Staff Commitment to Service Award recognizes an employee who has provided consistently superior service within the University and has gone above and beyond in their actions that contributes to advancing and promoting University's core value of Servant Leadership - "Effective, ethical leadership through empowerment and service".

2024 - Velina Carey, Residence Life Coordinator
2023 - Patty Chappel, Academic Support Assistant, Department of History & Geography
2022 - Antonio Lawson, IT Client Services Coordinator II, UITS
2021 - Christine Shaw, Center for Global Engagement
2020 - Brandon Lindley, Senior Manager of IT Support Services

Staff Engagement Award

The Staff Engagement Award recognizes a staff employee who becomes or is already engaged within the University in a way which contributes to advancing and promoting the University's core value of Engagement - "Active civil participation by students, faculty, and staff in the university experience".

2024 - Sydney Frazier, Academic Support Assistant, Department of Communication
2023 - Annie Carey, Academic Support Assistant, Department of English
2022 - Ashley Herbolich, Environmental Educator Oxbow Meadows
2021 - Katie Evans, Director of Alumni Engagement
2020 - Raquel Aponte, Administrative Proctoring Assistant in the Center for Online Learning

Staff Innovation Award

The Staff Innovation Award goes to the staff member, or group of staff members, who has been creative and/or innovative in serving the CSU community in a way that promotes and reflects our core values of Excellence, Creativity, Engagement, Servant Leadership, Sustainability, and Inclusion.

2024 - Takeia Mosala, Contracts Manager & Policy Coordinator, Office of Legal Affairs, Ethics & Compliance
2023 - Dana Larkin, Assistant Dean of Students and Oula Weaver, Department of Modern and Classical Languages
2022 - Ehab Bedir, Cyber Range Administrator, TSYS Center for Cybersecurity
2021 - CSU Counseling Center
2020 - Stanley Jones, Manager of Business Intelligence and Richard Pike, System Support Specialist

Staff Sustainability Award

The Staff Sustainability Award is given to a staff employee, or group who contributes in a significant way to advancing and promoting the University's core value of sustainability - "Commitment to behaviors that recognize and respect our environmental context".

2024 - SGT. Christopher Bryant, Sergeant, University Police
2022 - Avalandria Dixon, Sustainability Coordinator, Plant Operations
2021 - Eric VanBibber, Acquisitions Paraprofessional in University Libraries
2020 - The Leadership Institute

Employee Recognition Awards Ceremony Program

2024 Ceremony Program (PDF)

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