Awards ceremony set to recognize exemplary members of faculty, staff
Members of the Western Carolina University faculty and staff will be recognized for outstanding teaching, scholarship and service at 3:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, during the annual Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards program.
The ceremony in the Grandroom of A.K. Hinds University Center will include a welcome and remarks by Alison Morrison-Shetlar, WCU’s interim chancellor. The presentation of awards will be conducted by Morrison-Shetlar and Carol Burton, the university’s acting provost. Other speakers will include Damon Sink, chair of the Faculty Senate, and Natalie Broom, chair of the Staff Senate.
Four WCU faculty members are in the running for the 2019 Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, which was won last year by psychology professor Windy Gordon (standing).
The awards portion of the event will begin with recognition of WCU’s recipient of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching. John Whitmire, associate professor of philosophy, was announced recently as one of 17 winners of that honor across the UNC system. WCU’s other nominees for the Board of Governors Award included Georgia Hambrecht, professor of communication sciences and disorders, and Jen Schiff, associate professor of political science and public affairs.
Finalists for the primary teaching honor presented by WCU, the Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award, include Whitmire along with Erin Adams, associate professor of interior design; Alvin Malesky, professor of psychology; and Amy Murphy-Nugen, assistant professor of social work.
Other honors to be presented are the Star Staff Award, Bright Idea Staff Award, Judy H. Dowell Outstanding Support Staff Award, Paul A. Reid Distinguished Service Awards for administrative staff and faculty, University Scholar Award, Excellence in Teaching Liberal Studies Award, Innovative Scholarship Award, Excellence in Community Engagement Award, Student-Nominated Faculty of the Year Award, Support Program of Excellence Award and Irene W. Welch Customer Service and Process Improvement Award.
