University Faculty Award Winners Announced

Published on April 07, 2023

By Elise Russell

In a celebration of excellence at Eastern Kentucky University, more than 30 instructors were honored at the 2023 University Faculty Awards and recognition ceremony on April 4.

The faculty awards cover several categories, including service-focused awards, teaching-focused awards, scholarship-focused awards, first-year courses awards, EngaGE awards for general education, EKU Libraries faculty partnership award and the Allen Ault award for online course excellence. 

Applications for most awards are submitted by mid-January and departments are encouraged to nominate candidates for award categories. Faculty award winners are announced during EKU’s Scholars Week, held each year in April. 

The 2023 University Faculty Awards recipients are as follows:

Service-Focused Awards

  • Faculty Leadership Award – Jackie Jay, professor of history

  • Transformational Service and Learning Award – David Brown, professor of biological sciences 

Teaching-Focused Awards

  • Teaching and Learning Annual Themed Award: Relationship-Rich Education – Gaby Bedetti, professor of English

  • Faculty Innovation in Teaching Awards – Ray Lauk, assistant professor of educational leadership; Lindsay Cormier, professor of biological sciences

  • Inclusive Excellence Faculty Awards – James McGinn, assistant professor of counseling; Jason Miller, associate professor of teacher education

  • Dr. Jerry Pogatshnik Graduate Faculty Award – Scotty Dunlap, professor of safety, security, and emergency management

Scholarship-Focused Awards

  • Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award – Anne Cizmar, professor of political science

  • Scholarly and Creative Achievements Awards – (creative recipient) Ray Lauk, assistant professor of educational leadership; (scholarly recipient) Sara Incera, associate professor of psychology

First-Year Courses Awards

  • Outstanding Foundations of Learning Instructors Awards – Leah Banks, EKU Libraries; Kristy Hampton, EKU Manchester

  • Outstanding College-Specific Student Success Seminar Instructor Awards – Mary Lamar, College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math; Matthew Sabin, Department of Exercise and Sport Science

  • Distinguished First-Year Instructor – Matt Schumacher, Enrollment Management, Office of Advising and Career Services

EngaGE Awards for General Education

  • EngaGE Student Success Award – Maggie Frozena, senior lecturer of English

  • EngaGE Student Retention Award – Catherine Stearn, associate professor of history

  • EngaGE Mentorship Award – Julie Lasslo, associate professor of public health

  • Course Innovation and Transformation Awards – Dominic Ashby, Department of English; Rachel Bishop-Ross, Department of Mathematics and Statistics; James Grogan, Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Clay Howard, EKU Libraries; Casey Humphrey, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy; Jim Johnston, Department of Mathematics and Statistics; Jeff Reed, Applied Human Sciences; Carl Root, School of Justice Studies; Randall Swain, Department of Government; Kristin Whaley, Department of Mathematics and Statistics 

EKU Libraries Faculty Partnership Award – Dominic Ashby, associate professor of English

Allen Ault Award for Online Course Excellence – Camille Skubik-Peplaski and Steven Shisley (OTS 882: Advanced Occupational Science)