USM Board of Regents Faculty Awards Presented
Adelphi, Md. (April 21, 2017)
-- The
University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents at its meeting today announced
the recipients of the 2017 USM Regents' Faculty Awards. The meeting was held at
the University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP).
The
awards are the highest honor presented by the board to exemplary faculty
members. Presented in four categories, the awards honor excellence in teaching,
public service, mentoring, innovation, and a combined category of research,
scholarship and creative activity.
Each
award carries a $1,000 prize provided by the institutions and the University
System of Maryland Foundation.
Following are the 2017 Regents' Faculty Award recipients, listed by category:
TEACHING
Dr.
Richard Bell, Associate Professor of History with UMCP.
Dr. Bell is highly regarded for his exceptional dedication to teaching, his
engagement with difficult issues from multiple viewpoints, and his focus on
student involvement. His "I-Series"
courses, "Fighting Slavery" and "Pursuits of Happiness: Ordinary Lives in the
American Revolution," give non-major students the tools necessary to
intelligently and thoughtfully process history. His Ph.D. classes are known for
their very high quality. Dr. Bell came to UMCP after receiving his Ph.D. in
History from Harvard University and in the decade since has been honored with seven
teaching awards. His dedication is not only evident in the classroom but also
outside of it. He spent a semester as an "elevate fellow" in UMCP's Teaching
and Learning Transformation Center, where he focused on redesigning a large
course that he teaches.
Dr.
Karen Fallon Associate Professor and Graduate Program
Director in Speech-Language Pathology at
Towson University (TU). An outstanding teacher of both undergraduate and
graduate courses, Dr. Fallon is well regarded by both her students and her
peers. She has averaged a course rating of 4.8 out of 5.0 over the past 6 years
as the department's highest rated teacher. Her students perform exceptionally
well on professional exams, with a full 100% of her master's students passing.
She is a highly sought after mentor for other faculty. As graduate program
director of the Speech-Language Program, she has revised the speech-language
curriculum to align with national accreditation standards, trained her
colleagues on the new and improved curriculum, and established an applied laboratory
that has enhanced student success. She is and has been both a model teacher and
mentor and an important contributor to improved and enhanced teaching
improvement in her department.
Dr.
Stephen Habay, Associate Professor in the Department of
Chemistry at Salisbury University (SU). Dr. Habay has an exceptional teaching
record and a record of involving undergraduates in his research. This is
particularly impressive since his teaching specialty is organic chemistry, a
large required lecture course known equally well for both its difficulty and its
unpopularity. Dr. Habay has consistently received stellar evaluations from
students and the highest possible evaluations on his teaching from his
department. Students in his organic chemistry classes rave about his clarity, his
usage of real world applications, the organization of his lecture notes, about
his use of in-class demonstrations. Many students note how his class was
pivotal in exciting them to further study science. He also has worked with
undergraduate students on research projects and has, in that capacity
co-authored with undergraduates in scientific journals.
Dr.
Donald Snyder, from the Department of Media and
Communication Studies Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore
County (UMBC). In addition to his work as Senior Lecturer in Media Studies, Dr.
Snyder is also a faculty affiliate of the doctoral program in Language,
Literacy, and Culture. Along with his exceptional teaching, he is involved in
curriculum development at both the department and university levels. He has developed
or co-developed seven of the undergraduate courses offered by the department.
He has also done the lion's share of the department's curriculum review. He has
also aided curriculum development at the university-level by serving on the
Innovative Curriculum and Pedagogy Strategy Group as part of the campus
strategic planning initiative. He has accomplished this while maintaining a
heavy teaching load, building a reputation as an innovative and supportive
teacher, and connecting with his students outside the classroom.
MENTORING
Dr.
Katherine Broadwater, Associate Professor and Director of Art
Education at Towson University. Dr. Broadwater has taught various art education
courses and educated and mentored students at Towson University for more than
20 years. Her commitment to her students has always gone well beyond the
classroom: hosting dinners, helping students apply for graduate school or find
meaningful employment, encouraging and working with them to develop their
career interests, and broadening their learning experiences and skills. During
her time at Towson University, Dr. Broadwater has mentored hundreds of students
from diverse cultural backgrounds and intellectual abilities. She has taken
many of them to off-campus conferences or panel discussions in order for them
to gain valuable field experiences and expose them to the rigors of
professional societies. Above all, she has worked to inspire her students to become
engaged and productive citizens in their various stations in life.
Professor
Iona Johnson, a Clinical Associate Professor of Speech-Language
Pathology, also from Towson University. Professor Johnson has demonstrated
long-term dedication and commitment to mentoring both students, faculty, and
clinicians in the field. She has been teaching graduates and undergraduates in
both clinical courses and theory-and promoting advocacy-for more than 15 years.
She has been able to secure external grants to support Towson students traveling
to Washington, D.C. to participate in service learning and to meet members of
Congress to lobby for healthcare rights of patients. Outside of the classroom,
Professor Johnson is an engaged community educator and volunteer, working in
support of stroke patients. As an African-American clinician, her work is especially
valuable as she mentors a diverse and an inclusive population. Professor
Johnson is open, accessible, and welcoming to so many students as an advocate,
role model, teacher, and friend.
Dr.
Neil Spring, associate professor in the Department of
Computer Science and the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies at UMCP. Since
2004, Dr. Spring has demonstrated his commitment to advising and mentoring Computer
Science students. He has an excellent working relationship with both the
undergraduate and graduate students and devotes his energy and time to guiding
their research efforts to ensuring that they present papers at conferences and
publish scholarly papers.
He has also led his department's efforts in
strengthening the honors program. He was instrumental in overhauling the
program some years ago in order to make it both attractive and relevant to a
large number of diverse student populations. Dr. Spring works closely and
meticulously with his students, and approaches student advisement and mentoring
with the hope of achieving great results, quality scholarship, and better
future computer scientists. As a true testament to his impact, his students
have gone on to distinguished careers and positions in academia and industry.
Angela
Vallario, Associate Professor of Law at the University of
Baltimore (UB). For the past 16 years, Professor Vallario has interwoven
rigorous instruction with academic mentoring, transforming students' lives for
the better. She approaches her classes as a means for empowering and helping
her students excel in their legal studies and professional careers. She engages
her students outside of the classroom as well, meeting with students on an
individual basis to closely review and discuss their assignments, explore their
professional interests and goals, and provide them with proper guidance and
advice.
Recently Professor Vallario designed the Special Needs
Estate Planning Program, to provide both a learning opportunity and a
networking opportunity for students. In
addition, she developed another "Bridge-to-Practice" program designed to
connect her students with corporate leaders opening the door to training, internships,
and potential employment upon graduation.
PUBLIC
SERVICE
Dr. Robert Rook, Professor of History and Director of
Interdisciplinary Studies at Towson University. Dr. Rook is a regular
contributor to the Regional Security Education Program (RSEP) of the United
States Navy, a program that places country and regional experts on Navy ships
during their deployment at sea to provide briefings and workshops on political,
cultural, and strategic considerations. With experience living in the Middle
East, regular trips to the region, and daily monitoring of information sources,
Dr. Rook has built an expertise the Navy values. He has also been a strong
advocate for middle school and high school students learning about global
affairs, serving on the Teacher Education Advisory Board and the Maryland
Council on Social Studies. Recently, he has teamed up with others as part of
the Maryland Geographic Alliance to plan and deliver a new set of workshops to
advance understanding of strategic regions.
Dr. Michèle Schlehofer, Associate Professor
and Chair of Psychology at Salisbury University. Dr. Schlehofer has made her
mark as a tireless advocate for social justice in her community and has
involved her students in her community work, cultivating broad awareness and
social advocates for the next generation. Her accomplishments over just the
past three years have been substantial. She serves as a member of the Executive
Board of the Wicomico Partnership for Families and Children. As an advocate for
lesbians, gays, bisexual, and transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and
asexual (LGBTQIA) issues, she serves as president for Parents, Families, and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays, supporting parents, families, and LGBT community
members. She also developed and presented Stand Up to Bullying, providing 50
middle school-aged children with bullying education and bystander intervention
training. Above all, she remains an educator, using these community initiatives
to both educate and inspire her students.
Dr. Renita Seabrook associate professor in the School of
Criminal Justice at University of Baltimore (UB). Dr. Seabrook has a passion
for public service. She has contributed her time, professional expertise, and energy
to create a program for formerly incarcerated women of color. The program that
helps the participants develop the skills they need to transition into life
with their families and communities. This program, Helping Others 2 Win (HO2W)
is an innovative, evidence-based approach that incorporates research,
mentoring, service learning, internships, and mentoring opportunities for
undergraduate and graduate students at UB. Professor Seabrook has sought and
secured substantial grant funding through a variety of sources for this program,
which has now had four cohorts graduate, with 23 women starting the program, 19
completing the first level, and 17 completing additional levels. Dr. Seabrook
received the 2016 Governor's Volunteer Certificate and Senator Mikulski has
recognized her work, calling the program "a miracle."
Dr.
Mario Tamburri, a Research Professor with the University
of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES). Dr. Tamburri has
exhibited a truly exceptional mix of innovative research, rare
entrepreneurship, and deep commitment to applying science for the public good
during his 14 years with UMCES.
He has led two highly successful enterprises. The
first is the Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT), a consortium of research
institutions and agencies devoted to developing, testing, and implementing
advanced technologies in monitoring of the coastal ocean. The second is the
Maritime Environmental Resource Center (MERC), which addresses the
environmental needs of maritime commerce, including reducing emissions of
pollutants and the risks of introduction of evasive species. The success of ACT
and MERC is illustrated by the fact Dr. Tamburri has received the greatest
amount of grant and contract awards within the highly research-intensive UMCES
faculty over the past several years.
RESEARCH,
SCHOLARSHIP AND CREATIVE ACTIVITY
Dr. Bethany Brand of Towson University. Dr. Brand's
current research focuses on the assessment and treatment of trauma-related
disorders, distinguishing feigned from genuine trauma disorders, and evaluating
the accuracy and adequacy of trauma-related content in psychology textbooks. She
teaches clinically related courses to graduate and undergraduate students
including courses about diagnosing psychological disorders, assessing and
treating trauma survivors, and conducting cognitive behavior therapy.
Dr. Brand is actively involved in the publication
of articles related to her field of study, and in the last three years, she has
either authored or co-authored more than 31 research articles and five book
chapters and has two books under contract with Oxford University Press. Dr. Brand's
leadership in her field has led to her receiving the 2016 Outstanding
Scientific Contributions to Psychology award from the Maryland Psychology
Association.
Dr. Jonathan Lazar, Professor of Computer and Information
Sciences, Towson University. Dr. Lazar-whose teaching and research activities
focus on web accessibility for people with disabilities, user-centered design
methods, assistive technology, and public policy-is the founder of the Universal
Usability Laboratory at Towson University.
The lab focuses on human-computer interaction with an emphasis on
persons with disabilities. The first edition of his book, "Research Methods in
Human-Computer Interaction" has been cited in over 750 journal articles and is
required reading for all graduate students in the field of Human Computer
Interactions. He has published 15 articles, eight of which were first-authored,
in high-impact professional journals in the last three years. Dr. Lazar's
research in the accessibility issues of people who are blind or have Down
syndrome received support from the National Science Foundation and the Maryland
Technology Development Corporation.
Dr.
Alan Lyles a professor in the School of Public and International
Affairs and the School of Health and Human Services at UB. Dr. Lyles is a
widely recognized scholar of health policy whose voice is sought by Congress,
cabinet members, and private health care leaders. He is an active member of the
Fulbright Specialist roster. He is also a fellow of the National Academy of
Public Administration.
His professional interests focus on pharmaceutical
economics and health policy, particularly on policies and practices to improve
access to high cost, innovative medicines such as those for hepatitis C. This
year, Dr. Lyles published a volume entitled, Pharmaceutical Public Policy,
which outlines the relationship between government, insurer, and patient as
well as a comparison between American and international healthcare.
Pharmaceutical Public Policy provides the understanding and framework required
for effective organization, financing, and delivery of pharmaceutical products
and services. Leaders in the field have favorably received the book, and it
should figure as a landmark text for future policymakers.
Dr.
Katherine Seley-Radtke professor in the he Department of
Chemistry and Biochemistry at UMBC. Dr. Seley-Radtke is an internationally renowned
contributor to the research literature on drug design through chemical synthesis,
which has significantly advanced medicinal chemistry and improved the quality
of global health. She also focuses on the use of nucleosides and nucleobases as
anti-cancer agents that offer potential impact in treatment for lung, colon,
renal, and breast cancers.
Dr. Seley-Radtke is also a highly prolific
theorist. She has published 22 journal articles and two book chapters. She has
filed for three patents (one of which has been awarded), during the past three
years. Her work has led to six NIH grants, totaling $3 million. She has been
awarded funding from the Maryland Industrial Initiatives Partnership Program to
commercialize the intellectual property she has developed at UMBC. She was named
the 2016 Maryland Chemist of the Year by the American Chemical Society.
Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu
