Five faculty members from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University were honored for exceptional teaching, scholarship, leadership and service at the recent annual Academic Affairs Awards and Recognition ceremony.
The faculty awards went to:
- Kathryn Droske, visiting assistant professor of French
- Claire Haeg, professor of political science
- Emily Heying, associate professor of nutrition
- Jacob Jantzer, visiting assistant professor of sociology
- Peter Ohmann, associate professor of computer science
Academic Affairs also recognized faculty for retirements, tenure and promotions, as well as for contributions as department chairs and leaders.
Additional background on the award recipients and retirees can be found on the Academic Affairs website.
Sister Mary Grell/Robert Spaeth Teacher of Distinction Award
Recipient: Emily Heying, associate professor of nutrition
Heying demonstrates incredible dedication to her students. She writes, “I am the faculty member whose office students find their way to…not just with questions about coursework, but with questions about life, about their schedules and about whether what they saw on Instagram about seed oils is true or not.”
Her commitment to student success permeates every aspect of her teaching. Heying’s student-centered approach can be seen in her introductory nutrition courses, where a flipped classroom model helps students understand and apply difficult concepts. She used her sabbatical to become licensed as a registered dietitian in order to help her students succeed in their certification.
Heying connects classroom material to real-world questions about food insecurity and justice. One former student sums up the impact such a teacher can have: “Dr. Heying’s influence extends far beyond academics. She genuinely cares about her students’ well-being. She offers guidance through personal and professional challenges. She is not only a teacher and mentor, but also an advocate whose work has a meaningful impact on the CSB and SJU community.”
This faculty award is named for two outstanding teachers. Grell, a noted biologist who was a 1933 graduate of CSB, served students at CSB and SJU for more than 35 years, including as president of CSB from 1963 to 1968. Spaeth served as dean at SJU for nine years, in addition to his service as a professor of liberal studies from 1979 until his death in 1994. Each year since 1995, Grell’s and Spaeth’s commitment to teaching is remembered by honoring a faculty member who brings a special passion and mastery to the classroom and the learning community.
Sister Linda Kulzer Gender Educator Award
Recipient: Jacob Jantzer, visiting assistant professor of sociology
Jantzer’s work has had a truly transformative impact on gender education at CSB and SJU. He teaches core courses in the gender studies program, including the foundational course, GEND 101: Introduction to Gender Studies, as well as multiple sociology and anthropology electives that both sustain the program and recruit students into it. Across department chair commentary, student feedback and letters of recommendation, a consistent theme emerges: Jantzer’s exceptional ability to engage resistance in the classroom and present gender issues in thoughtful, compelling and accessible ways.
Jantzer’s leadership extends far beyond the classroom. He has played an important role in educating the broader campus community by serving on panels addressing timely and challenging issues, including sexual assault, campus culture and men as feminists. He also contributes to faculty development through co-facilitating a gender studies book group and presenting on gender related pedagogy. His efforts consistently reflect his commitment to fostering a more inclusive, just and informed campus.
Jantzer’s scholarship further demonstrates his dedication to gender justice. His research on campus safety and on underrepresented students’ experiences in academic disciplines is timely, impactful and grounded in collaboration across campus constituencies. Importantly, Jantzer integrates students into this work, offering high-impact learning experiences that deepen critical thinking and shape students’ understanding of identity and belonging.
Jantzer’s leadership in gender curriculum development has been essential. As a member of the Gender Studies Steering Committee since 2018, he has been deeply involved in maintaining the program, curriculum revision, assessment development and leading the department through program review.
This award recognizes a member of the CSB and SJU faculty who has contributed to students’ gender education through curricular leadership, courses taught, scholarship and mentoring of students independent of normal classroom teaching. The award is named for Kulzer, CSB’s vice president for academic affairs from 1977 to 1985 and a professor emerita of education who was a pioneer in the colleges’ earliest efforts to integrate gender into the curriculum.
Linda Mealey Faculty/Student Collaborative Research and Creativity Award
Recipient: Peter Ohmann, associate professor of computer science
Ohmann has intertwined his roles as an educator, advisor and researcher, resulting in an impressive array of collaborative projects over the past several years. Working with faculty and students from computer science, nursing and communication, he has had a hand in creating educational tools such as “SynpleTest” to teach coding, “The Women’s Legacy Collective” to teach about the historical contributions of women and “Maestro” to assist students learning to administer medications.
He has served as advisor and committee member to numerous student theses and collaborated with 25 students on various research projects. His commitment to empowering his students – particularly those who are underrepresented in computer science – is impressive. One former student writes, “Giving Dr. Ohmann this award would honor someone who truly lives the values Dr. Mealey believed in. He does not just teach students; he works alongside them. He does not just do research; he uses it to make education better. He does not just open his office door; he opens doors for students who need them most.”
The Linda Mealey Faculty/Student Collaborative Research and Creativity 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 spring 2002, died in November 2002.
Catholic Benedictine Educator Award
Recipient: Kathryn Droske, visiting assistant professor of French
As a French professor, Droske has integrated the Catholic Benedictine tradition into her teaching with unusual creativity, depth and pedagogical care. In FREN 312, she devoted the five weeks of the semester to a sustained exploration of hospitality, weaving together French language and culture, literary study, Scripture, the Rule of Saint Benedict, lectio divina and direct encounters with monastics.
As Droske explains, the French word hôte can mean both “host” and “guest,” inviting students to reflect on “positionality within acts of hospitality and to reciprocity in the relationship between guest and host.” Her course design translated this insight into transformative practice: students read across multiple genres, met with Benedictine monastics, planned and carried out their own acts of hospitality, then reflected on those experiences in oral presentations and creative final papers.
As one student’s final paper expressed, “Hospitality is much more than just offering a meal. It’s creating an atmosphere, sharing experiences and feeling connected.” Through this imaginative and deeply student-centered pedagogy, Droske brought a central Benedictine value vividly to life while advancing students’ learning in French language, literature and culture.
The Catholic Benedictine Educator Award recognizes creative engagement between the Catholic Benedictine tradition and teaching throughout the curriculum. This award affirms a CSB and SJU faculty member whose exemplary teaching successfully integrates the Catholic Benedictine tradition with courses in their academic discipline and/or the Integrations Curriculum.
Jennifer Galovich Service Award
Recipient: Claire Haeg, professor of political science
During her time at CSB and SJU, Haeg has worked tirelessly to advocate for faculty, staff and students. As a part of faculty governance leadership, governance committees, ad hoc committees and departmental service, she has served where needed to make sure that faculty and students had a voice through significant institutional, national and global changes.
Haeg served as chair and vice chair of the Joint Faculty Senate from 2020-22. As the world was struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic in summer 2020, she and her colleagues met daily to figure out how the campus could reopen safely and faculty and students could resume classes. She also served on the search for the interim Saint John’s president. As joint faculty chair, she worked to ensure there was a faculty trustee on the main board and that faculty representatives on the board committees had a vote. She also served on the search committee for the first joint CSB and SJU president.
In 2017, the Joint Faculty Senate asked her to serve on the Shared Governance Task Force whose membership included the CSB and SJU presidents, the provost, board representatives, students and faculty. The task force worked for two years to establish the different and overlapping roles of faculty, administration and trustees in shared governance, aligning the AAUP Statement on Governance of Colleges and Universities with the institutions’ expected practices. In 2023, the JFA elected Haeg to serve on the ad hoc committee to review the Integrations Curriculum. Over two years, Haeg worked with fellow committee members to survey faculty, discuss and evaluate possible revisions to the curriculum and understand the nuances of learning outcomes and goals.
Haeg has also offered invaluable service to her department as department chair and as a co-director of the Washington, D.C., Summer Study Program. She is a fantastic mentor to junior faculty and advisor to students.
This award, presented for the first time in 2020, is named for Jennifer Galovich, who retired in 2019 after serving on the mathematics faculty for 28 years. She served as chair and vice chair of the Joint Faculty Assembly and served on numerous other committees at CSB and SJU. She is best known for her exemplary work as the Faculty Handbook chair.
Additional recognition
Academic advising awards:
The Academic Advisor of the Year Award, established in 1985, is awarded to two faculty and/or professional advisors who have distinctly contributed to the advising program as well as to individual student development and growth throughout the academic year. This year’s recipients include:
Julie Fisk, global business leadership
Steve Welch, accounting and finance
Tenure and promotion to associate professor:
Colin Hannigan, political science
Brittany Merritt Nash, history
Jennifer Peterson, nursing
Tenure:
Heather Amthauer, computer science
Bradley Miller, music
Promotion to professor:
Ellen Block, sociology
Jeff DuBois, Japanese
Emily Heying, nutrition
Jonathan Merritt Nash, history
Emily Berg Paup, strategic communication studies
Tony Yan, global business leadership
Justin Zanchuk, music
Special appointments:
Jason Schlude, Michael Blecker Professorship of Humanities
Special recognition:
Amanda Jantzer, Inclusive Excellence grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Professor alumnus and retirements:
Michael Heroux, computer science
Paul Marsnik, global business leadership
Professor emeriti and retirements:
Theresa Johnson, education
Shane Miller, strategic communication studies
Jim Read, political science
Special rank
Professor emeritus (posthumous):
Warren Bostrom, accounting and finance
In Memorarium:
Frank Plachecki, global business leadership
Special thanks
Department chair, program director term completion:
Bruce Campbell, Hispanic studies
Jeff DuBois, languages and cultures
Emily Esch, honors scholars
Jessica Harkins, English
Emily Heying, nutrition
Derek Larson, environmental studies
Kingshuk Mukherjee, global business leadership
Alicia Peterson, biochemistry
Corey Shouse, Latino/Latin American studies
Shannon Smith, history
Steve Welch, accounting and finance
Elizabeth Wengler, honors scholars
Joint Faculty Senate Chair term completion:
Christi Siver, political science
Inclusive Pedagogy Practitioner Certificate and Badge:
This annual recognition honors faculty who demonstrate a sustained commitment to inclusive, equity-minded teaching each academic year. To receive the certificate and badge, participants attend at least three eligible Center for Teaching and Learning events and complete brief reflections that show how they have applied their learning and supported their ongoing growth as inclusive educators.
Ann Backes, nursing
Eric Belt, exercise science and sport studies
Ellen Block, sociology
Carol Brash, art
Kate Cary, biology
Erin Donohue, psychology
Amanda Janzter, psychology
Derek Moore, nursing
Sucharita Mukherjee, economics
Jonathan Merritt Nash, history
Emily Berg Paup, strategic communication studies
Elisheva Perelman, history
Annette Raigoza, chemistry
Jen Schaefer, biology
Megan Sheehan, sociology
Christine Shikutwa, global business leadership
Christi Siver, political science
Yvette South, English
Erica Stonestreet, philosophy
Vijay Srinivas Tida, computer science
Christina Tourino, English
Kari Shane Davis Zimmerman, theology