Faculty Honors Convocation presents awards, honors retirees

April 14, 2010 -- The Faculty Honors Convocation at Arkansas State University-Jonesboro took place Tuesday, April 13, in Centennial Hall, in the Reng Student Services Center/Student Union. A reception for retiring faculty began at 2 p.m., and the recognition of these emeriti faculty, along with the presentation of the Arkansas State University Board of Trustees Faculty Achievement Awards and the Outstanding Academic Advising Award, took place at 2:30 p.m.

Dr. G. Daniel Howard, provost, Academic Affairs and Research, formally recognized the retiring faculty members. Retirees being honored were Mr. Tom Chaffee, professor of Art; Dr. Joel Gambill, chair of the Department of Journalism, Ms. Gayle Pendergrass, professor of Art, Dr. Verlene Ringgenberg, dean of Regional Programs, Dr. Susan Roehrig, associate professor of Physical Therapy, and Dr. Russ Shain, dean of the College of Communications. The deans of the retirees’ colleges also made remarks.

Nominees in the category of scholarship included Dr. James Bednarz, Dr. Erick Paulo Cesar Chang, Dr. Dixie Keyes, Dr. Guitele Rahill, and Dr. Rollin Tusalem. Nominees for service include Dr. Janelle Collins, Dr. Blair Dean, Dr. Daniel Marburger, and Dr. Deborah Persell. Nominees for teaching included Dr. George Jacinto, Dr. Sarath Nonis, and Dr. Allyn Ontko. Nominees for academic advising included Dr. Loretta Brewer, Dr. Joel Gambill, Dr. Sherri Lovelace, and Dr. Thomas Risch.

The Outstanding Academic Advising Award and the ASU Board of Trustees Faculty Achievement Awards for Teaching, Professional Service, and Scholarship, are presented each spring to four faculty members who have demonstrated unusually significant and meritorious achievement in advising, teaching, professional service, and scholarship.



The Outstanding Academic Advising Award recipient was Dr. Joel Gambill, chair, Journalism, College of Communications.  The Outstanding Academic Advising Award is based upon a faculty member’s demonstration of strong interpersonal ability, availability, and a caring, helpful attitude toward advisees, faculty, and staff, as well as a mastery of institutional regulations, policies, and procedures. Dr. Kristin Biondolillo, Psychology, and Dr. Richard Freer, Social Work, presented the award to Dr. Gambill.

Following the presentation of the Outstanding Academic Advisement Award, Provost Dr. G. Daniel Howard presented the Faculty Achievement Awards for teaching, professional service, and scholarship.

The Faculty Achievement Award for Teaching recipient was Dr. Sarath Nonis, Marketing, College of Business. This award for excellence in teaching is based upon unusual effort devoted to ensuring the quality of the students’ classroom learning experience; possession of high scholarly standards for both the rigor and the currency of course content and for the level of student performance with respect for these standards; and measurement of the faculty member’s direct impact on and involvement with students.

The Faculty Achievement Award for Professional Service recipient was Dr. Deborah Persell, Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Professions. This award for excellence in professional service is based upon contributions of exceptional merit and importance to department, college, and university committees, undertakings, projects, programs, student organizations, and services; contributions of exceptional merit and importance to academic and professional organizations as evidenced by offices held, editorships, reports, committee assignments completed, and other organizational responsibilities and roles; and contributions of professional expertise to individuals, groups, organizations and corporations through workshops, services, consulting, in-service training, and other activities.

The Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarship recipient was Dr. Rollin Tusalem, Political Science, College of Humanities and Social Sciences. This award for excellence in scholarship is based upon the publication (or conditional acceptance) of one or more particularly high-quality, original, and scholarly contributions by a nationally recognized, refereed professional/academic journal, juried exhibition, or other professional outlet; additional evidence of scholarly merit, including refereed scholarly activities of lesser stature such as presentations in regional journals or exhibits, or refereed papers read to professional organizations; and the potential significance of these contributions to enhance the effectiveness of the subject content in the classroom.

Photos: From left, retirees Dean Rush Shain, Dr. Susan Roehrig, Provost G. Daniel Howard, and Dr. Joel Gambill. Photo by Cassie Hodge.
Faculty Achievement Award winners for 2010 are, from left, Dr. Deborah Persell and Dr. Rollin Tusalem with Provost G. Daniel Howard. Dr. Sarath Nonis is at far right. Photo by Cassie Hodge.

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