Faculty honored at Academic Affairs Awards and Recognition Ceremony

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May 11, 2012

Ed McIntee, Stephen Wagner, and Gary Prevost

Ed McIntee, Stephen Wagner, Gary Prevost

Shane Miller and S. Linda Kulzer

Shane Miller, S. Linda Kulzer

Michelle Li-Kuehne, Jody Bernt, and Bret Benesh

Michelle Li-Kuehne, Jody Berndt, Bret Benesh

Faculty and staff members from the College of Saint Benedict, St. Joseph, and Saint John's University, Collegeville, were honored at the Academic Affairs Awards and Recognition Ceremony May 8 at the Gorecki Dining and Conference Center, CSB.

In addition to recognition for years of service, promotions, contributions as department chairs and leaders, the following awards were presented:

S. Mary Grell Teacher of Distinction Award
Edward McIntee, associate professor of chemistry

S. Mary, a noted biologist, served students at CSB and SJU for more than 35 years with intelligence, dedication and affection. The difference S. Mary made in her lifetime of teaching at CSB is celebrated through the recognition each year of a faculty member who represents the best teaching and learning at CSB and SJU. S. Mary served as president of CSB from 1963-68. This award has been presented yearly since 1995.

McIntee, who has taught at CSB and SJU since 2001, has co-authored 29 publications, has 19 abstracts and has presented at nearly 50 conferences. He has moderated 37 undergraduate students in research in his years at CSB and SJU. He is also a prolific grant writer, authoring or co-authoring over $1.2 million in funded grants. McIntee has worked with other organic chemistry faculty in the development and adoption of new pedagogical techniques to help students not only to learn organic chemistry, but to learn how to learn this complex field.    

Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award
Stephen Wagner, professor of philosophy

This award is named in honor of Spaeth, who served as dean at SJU for nine years in addition to service as a professor of liberal studies from 1979 until his death in 1994. Each year, Spaeth's commitment to excellent teaching is remembered by honoring a faculty member who brings a special passion and mastery to the classroom and the learning community. This award has been presented yearly since 1995.

Wagner, who has taught at CSB and SJU since 1984, is noted for his ability to create an environment where students are comfortable sharing their thoughts and ideas. Several nominators wrote that Wagner responds with joy and interest to every student contribution in class. He encourages his students to think critically, throughout their lives, about their views and choices. Wagner has focused his scholarship on a book-length manuscript which presents a new understanding of the philosophy of René Descartes, which Wagner has been revising and deepening. 

Linda Mealey Teacher-Scholar Award
Gary Prevost, professor of political science

The Linda Mealey Teacher-Scholar Award is given annually to a faculty member who exemplifies demonstrated excellence in scholarship as well as teaching, conducts student/faculty collaborative research or creative work and excels in the mentoring of students. The award, which was established as the Teacher-Scholar Award in 2000, was renamed for Mealey in 2004. Mealey, who had received the award in the spring of 2002, passed away in November 2002.  

Prevost's considerable involvement in undergraduate research with students has been focused on two programs - Honor's Theses and the Harvard National Model United Nations. He has regularly served on Honor's Thesis committees, and approximately 20 students have successfully completed this year-long project under his mentorship. More than 600 students at CSB and SJU have been involved in the Harvard Model U.N. program since 1982. Prevost, who has taught at CSB and SJU since 1977, is a well-known Latin American specialist, and has published 13 books and more than 50 journal articles and book chapters in both English and Spanish.

S. Linda Kulzer Gender Educator Award
Shane Miller, associate professor of communication

This award recognizes a member of the CSB and SJU faculty whose work has been especially important to gender education development. S. Linda, CSB's Vice President for Academic Affairs from 1977-85 and a professor emerita of education, was a pioneer in the colleges' earliest efforts to integrate gender into the curriculum.

Miller, who has taught at CSB and SJU since 2007, serves on the advisory board for the Institute of Women's Leadership, and as a faculty member, has been invaluable in providing quality input into the programs offered by the institute. He has led multiple book groups for gender studies, sponsored by the institute. Miller was recently elected to the Board of Governors for the American Men's Studies Association.

Tom Creed Award for Effective Electronic Pedagogy
Bret Benesh, assistant professor of mathematics;
Jody Berndt, adjunct instructor of nursing;
Michelle Li-Kuehne, assistant professor of accounting and finance

This award is given for effective electronic pedagogy and is named in honor of Tom Creed, the late professor of psychology at CSB and SJU and founder and first director of the Learning Enhancement Service. Three educators have been selected to share the award this year.

Benesh makes extensive use of technology to support learning in his mathematics classes. Two major tools he uses are screencast (a computer video and audio recording) and clickers (a classroom response system). The workflow of his classes have students reading a section of the textbook before class and watching associated screencasts, followed by a short quiz  on Moodle to test their understanding of the material.

Berndt has quickly established herself as the "technology wizard" within the nursing department. She has led efforts to create a technologically-rich learning environment for nursing students. Berndt uses multiple types of technology in her classroom, including Camtasia, screencast, audience response systems (including clickers and cell phones), Skype, Prezi, Mindjet, Moodle, Vitalslms, electronic documentation systems, iPods and social media.

Li-Kuehne's Moodle sites teem with information. She also provides weekly WebEx sessions for her students for extra study sessions or homework tutoring during the evening and weekends. Sessions are recorded, and links are placed in Moodle so sessions can be replayed at a different date. Li-Kuehne also uses several assessment tools to evaluate the effectiveness on student learning with these technology tools.

Additional Recognition and Years of Service Awards:

Academic advising awards:  Nina Kollars, adjunct instructor of first-year seminar; Matt Lindstrom, professor of political science.

Tenure: Lisa Lindgren, associate professor of global business leadership; Shane Miller, associate professor of communication.

Tenure and promotion to associate professor: Julie Davis, history; Jean Didier, global business leadership; Emily Esch, philosophy; Matthew Harkins, English; T. Nicholas Jones, chemistry; Robert Kachelski, psychology; Barbara May, biology; Rachel Melis, art; Laura Sinville, psychology; Julie Strelow, nursing.

Promotion to professor: Katie Johnson, communication.

Professor alumna: S. Christine Manderfeld, OSB, education.

Professor alumnus: David Huber, chemistry.

Professor emerita: Janet Hope, sociology; Willene Mangham, theater.

Professor emeritus: Nathaniel Dubin, modern and classical languages; Charles Rambeck, economics; Charles Rodell, biology; Willem Ibes, music.

Service as program director, department chair and acting department chair: Anthony Cunningham, professor of philosophy; Jennifer Galovich, associate professor of mathematics; Rick Saucier, associate professor of global business leadership; Wendy Sterba, professor of modern and classical languages; Kathy Twohy, professor of nursing/Learning Enhancement Service director; Richard White, associate professor of chemistry/director of Undergraduate Research and Honors program; Elizabeth Wurdak, professor of biology; Lynn Ziegler, professor of computer science.  

Outgoing Joint Faculty Senate Chair: Anna McKenna, associate professor of chemistry.  

10 years of service: Kelly Berg, associate professor of communication; James Crumley, associate professor of physics; Nelsy Echavez-Solano, associate professor of Hispanic Studies; Bernadette Elhard, associate professor of nutrition; Patrick Flynn, adjunct instructor of first-year seminar; Claire Haeg,  associate professor of political science; Christina Hennessy, associate professor of Hispanic Studies; Linda Shepherd, associate professor of nutrition. 

15 years of service: S. Mary Jane Berger, OSB, adjunct assistant professor of first-year seminar; Manuel Campos, professor of biology; Katie Johnson, professor of communication; Louis Johnston, associate professor of economics; Michael Reagan, professor of biology; Lynn Schnettler, adjunct instructor of education;  Charles Wright, associate professor of philosophy.

20 years of service: Jeffrey Anderson, associate professor of peace studies; J. Scott Johnson, professor of political science; Camilla Krone, professor of modern and classical languages; Vincent Smiles, professor of theology.

25 years of service: Karen Erickson, professor of modern and classical languages; S. Ephrem Hollermann, OSB, associate professor of theology; Jan Holtz professor of psychology; Dean Langley, professor of physics; Kathleen Ohman, professor of nursing.

30 years of service: Patricia Kent, instructor of music; Thomas Kirkman, associate professor of physics; Jean Ochu, associate professor of accounting and finance; Amy Olson, professor of nutrition.

35 years of service: Daniel Finn, professor of economics and theology and Clemens Chair in Economics and the Liberal Arts; Kim Kasling, professor of music; John Merkle, professor of theology and Phillips Chair in Jewish Studies; Gary Prevost, professor of political science; Edmund Sass, professor of education; Kathy Twohy, professor of nursing.

40 years of service: Michael Opitz, professor of English.

45 years of service: Charles Villette, assistant professor of modern and classical languages.

Retirement: Nathaniel Dubin, professor of modern and classical languages; Janet Hope, professor of sociology; David Huber, assistant professor of chemistry; Willem Ibes, professor of music;  S. Christine Manderfeld, OSB, instructor of education; Willene Mangham, associate professor of theater; Charles Rambeck, professor of economics; Charles Rodell, professor of biology.