Arts and Sciences faculty honored for teaching, research, and service
Members of the university community were honored for excellence in teaching, research, and service at a ceremony hosted by President Robert L. Barchi and the Committee to Advance Our Common Purposes, an initiative of the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, presented the Clement A. Price Human Dignity Awards.
See below all the awards earned by Arts and Sciences.
The Warren I. Susman Awards for Excellence in Teaching is awarded to faculty members in recognition of outstanding service in stimulating and guiding the intellectual development of students at Rutgers University.
Carlos Decena, Departments of Latino and Caribbean Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, was honored in recognition of his transformative teaching and mentoring, and his vision in program building and curriculum design to serve the most diverse student population possible at Rutgers University.
The Rutgers Faculty Scholar-Teacher Award honors faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in research and teaching. The award recognizes those who bring together scholarly and classroom activities.
Ulla Berg, Department of Latino and Caribbean Studies, was honored in recognition of her research on historical and contemporary processes and experiences of migration and mobility within Latin America and between this region and the United States, and the seamless integration of research and teaching that has made an indelible mark on the lives of her students.
Susan Carroll, Department of Political Science, was honored in recognition of her instrumental work in pioneering the study of women and politics three decades ago and in guiding it to become a well-established subfield of the American Political Science Association; and her work inspiring generations of students, and enhancing the reputation of Rutgers University throughout the world.
Robin Leichenko, Department of Geography, was honored in recognition of her transformative research that intersects the fields of economic geography and human dimensions of global environmental change; her incredible talent as a teacher, committed mentor, and curriculum developer in strengthening the academic lives of her students; and her important service as Co-Director of the Rutgers Climate Institute.
The Board of Trustees Research Fellowships for Scholarly Excellence honors faculty members who have recently been promoted with tenure and whose work shows exceptional promise.
Qian Cai, Department of Cell biology and Neuroscience, was honored in recognition of her remarkable and innovative research into how defects in fundamental cell biological processes involved in protein trafficking and degradation contribute to disease pathology; and specifically, her significant insights that are providing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Karen Schindler, Department of Genetics, was honored in recognition of her outstanding and pathbreaking research on the role of Aurora kinases in meiotic spindle assembly in oocytes, and her talents as a geneticist whose research focus is relevant to addressing the biggest clinical challenges in reproductive medicine.
The Presidential Fellowships for Teaching Excellence honors newly tenured faculty members for outstanding teaching and scholarly work.
Andrew Urban, Department of American Studies and History, was honored in recognition of his outstanding and innovative teaching, including his ability to integrate methodologies from the digital and public humanities into his classroom, and his remarkable dedication to mentoring student research.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching
Lynda Dexheimer, Department of English/Writing Program, was honored in recognition of her outstanding leadership in the School of Arts and Sciences Writing Program, including her exceptional curriculum design and mentoring, and her excellence in teaching and creating an inclusive and nurturing learning environment for students.
The Clement A. Price Human Dignity Award recognizes outstanding individuals or groups that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement and commitment to promoting and practicing diversity and inclusion at Rutgers University and/or in partnership with the broader community.
Kamal Khan, director, Office for Diversity and Academic Success in the Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, was recognized for his contributions as director of the ODASIS Program providing academic support to underrepresented students and educationally and economically disadvantaged students interested in careers in the STEM Fields.
These three ODASIS students accompanied Kamal Khan in receiving his award. They are (l. to r.) Juan Cerezo, EOF, SEBS'18, Microbiology; Tochi Unegbu-Ogbonna, SAS'18, Biological Sciences Major, Nutrition Minor; Paul Gallina, SAS '18, Cell Biology And Neuroscience Major, Business Administration Minor. All three students will be attending Temple Lewis Katz School of Medicine with full scholarships for all 4 years.
The Leaders in Faculty Diversity Award honors a select number of faculty who have been leaders in promoting diversity, inclusion, equity, and access at Rutgers, either through their own research and teaching, and/or in other venues.
Richard V. Simmons, director, Confucius Institute of Rutgers University, professor of Chinese, School of Arts and Sciences, was honored for advancing the instruction of Chinese language and culture, initiating partnerships with public schools and promoting cultural exchanges between the United States and China.
