Faculty honored at Academic Affairs Awards and Recognition Ceremony

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 5 at the Alumni Lounge, SJU.

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 – Cynthia Malone, professor of English. 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.

Malone has taught at CSB and SJU since 1990. She received her bachelor’s degree from Abilene Christian University in 1980, and master’s and doctorate degrees from Boston University. Malone also serves as the faculty director of the Literary Arts Institute at CSB. Her areas of interest include autobiographies and British novels.

Robert L. Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award – Tom Sibley, professor of mathematics. 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.

Sibley has taught at CSB and SJU since 1984. He previously taught at Beloit (Wis.) College; Cuttington University, Liberia; St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.; and Boston University. He also taught high school in Africa from 1973-75. He received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the North Central Section of the Mathematical Association of America in 2003, and the Linda Mealey Teacher-Scholar Award from CSB and SJU in 2004. 

Linda Mealey Teacher-Scholar Award – Martha Tomhave Blauvelt, professor of history. 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. In recognition of the late Linda Mealey’s contributions to the CSB and SJU community, this award is named in honor of Mealey, who received the award in 2002. The award, which was established as the Teacher-Scholar Award in 2000, was renamed for Mealey in 2004.

Tomhave Blauvelt also received the initial S. Linda Kulzer Gender Educator Award. This new 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.

Tomhave Blauvelt has taught at CSB and SJU since 1981. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota, and her master’s and doctorate degrees from Princeton University. Her 2007 book, The Work of the Heart: Young Women and Emotion, 1780-1830, received the Society for Historians of the Early Republic’s “Best First Book Award.” 

Tom Creed Memorial Award for Effective Electronic Pedagogy – Andrea Shaker, associate professor of art, and Bob Hesse, associate professor of mathematics.  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.

Shaker has taught at CSB and SJU since 1995. She received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 1986, and her master’s in fine arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Hesse has taught at CSB and SJU since 2001. He has a bachelor’s degree from SJU, and a master’s and doctorate from the University of Minnesota.

Recognition was given as follows:

Advising awards: Humanities, Sophia Geng, instructor of Modern and Classical Languages; Social science, Claire Haeg, assistant professor of political science; Natural science, Kris Nairn, assistant professor of mathematics; Cross divisional, Lisa Scott, advisor (international) academic advising;  Fine arts, Greg Walker, professor of music theory and composition.

Tenure and promotion to associate professor: Jon Armajani, theology; Pam Bacon, psychology; Mark Hennigs, theater; Carrie Hoover, nursing; Adam Houghton, theater; Kris Nairn, mathematics; Br. Simon-Hoa Phan, OSB, art; Aric Putnam, communication.

Tenure and promotion to professor: Miguel Diaz, theology.

Promotion to associate professor: Bernadette Elhard, nutrition.

Promotion to professor: Terry Check, communication; Rev. Dale Launderville, OSB, theology; Rev. Michael Patella, OSB, theology; Andrea Shaker, art.

Professor emerita: S. Ann Marie Biermaier, OSB, education; Lynn Moore, education.

Professor emeritus: Joe Friedrich, economics.

Outgoing department chairs: Dave Bennetts, professor of history; S. Ann Marie Biermaier, OSB, professor of education; Gary Brown, associate professor of mathematics; Willene Mangham, professor of theater; Mike Opitz, professor of English; Kathy Twohy, professor of nursing.

Service as acting department chair: Lynn Ziegler, professor of computer science.

Outgoing division head: Annette Atkins, professor of history; Rev. Bob Koopmann, OSB, professor of music.

Outgoing director of Gender and Women’s Studies: Meg Lewis, associate professor of economics and director, Gender and Women’s Studies.

Outgoing Joint Faculty Senate Chair: Katie Johnson, associate professor of communication.

10 years of service: Matt Callahan, adjunct instructor, English; Bruce Campbell, associate professor of Hispanic Studies; Denise Meijer, adjunct instructor, nursing; Ron Pagnucco, associate professor, peace studies; Corey Shouse Tourino, associate professor, Hispanic Studies; Linda Tennison, associate professor of psychology.

15 years of service: Richard Bohr, professor of history and director of Asian Studies program; Patricia Bolanos-Fabres, associate professor, Hispanic Studies; Gordon Brown, associate professor of biology; Jayne Byrne, associate professor of nutrition; Terry Check, associate professor of communication; Kate Graham, associate professor of chemistry; Janet Hope, professor of sociology; Paul Marsnik, associate professor of management; Rev. Luke Mancuso, OSB,  associate professor of English; Sheila Nelson, associate professor of sociology; Vilma Walter, instructor of Hispanic Studies.

20 years of service: Jeanne Cook, professor of communication; Margaret Cook, professor of modern and classical languages; Jennifer Galovich, associate professor of mathematics; John Hasselberg, associate professor of management; Richard Ice, professor of communication; Chikako Keymer, instructor of modern and classical languages; Meg Lewis, associate professor of economics; Madhu Mitra, professor of English; Elena Sanchez-Mora, professor of Hispanic Studies; Rev. Mark Thamert, OSB, associate professor of modern and classical languages; Marcus Webster, professor of biology.

25 years of service: Noreen Herzfeld, professor of computer science, theology; Wendy Klepetar, professor of management; Willene Mangham, associate professor of theater; Anna McKenna, associate professor of chemistry; Scott Richardson, professor of modern and classical languages and Blecker Professorship; Tom Sibley, professor of mathematics; Steve Wagner, professor of philosophy; Kay Wolsborn, professor of political science; Liz Wurdak, professor of biology.

30 years of service: S. Mara Faulkner, OSB, associate professor of English; Clayton Gearhart, professor of physics; James Makepeace, professor of sociology; Ozzie Mayers, professor of English; Chuck Rodell, professor of biology; Dale White, professor of music.

35 years of service: Jim O’Meara, professor of accounting and finance.

40 years of service: Axel Theimer, professor of music.

45 years of service: Jim Smith, associate professor of physical education.

Retirement: S. Ann Marie Biermaier, OSB, professor of education; Rabbi Barry Cytron, director of Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning; Ellen Ellickson, adjunct instructor, nursing; Joe Friedrich, professor of economics; Lynn Moore, professor of education.