The College of Arts and Sciences honored the accomplishments of alumni, faculty and students at
its annual Celebrating Achievement and Success event, held Thursday, May 12, in the Roselle Center for the Arts.
Dean George Watson recognized seven faculty members and six alumni with college awards, and also honored faculty members and students who had previously received 2016 University awards.
College faculty awards
The college honored four individuals and an instructional team of
three faculty members with awards for outstanding advising, teaching,
scholarship and service.
Brenda Shaffer, associate chair and director of undergraduate
studies in the Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies, received the
CAS Excellence in Advising Award for her dedication to academic
mentoring and career guidance. “She has distinguished herself as a
devoted adviser and career advocate for students within her department”
and as a resource for fellow faculty members on advisement matters,
Watson said in presenting the award.
Lindsay Hoffman, associate professor of communication and
political science, was presented the college’s Excellence in Teaching
Award for her innovations in curriculum design, involvement in
interdisciplinary teaching and integration of technology into her
courses. Watson quoted colleagues who praised her creativity and
enthusiasm for teaching and a student who said, “I have observed her
knowledge and passion not only for the subject of political
communication but also for her students.”
Dawn Berk and Bettyann Daley, bothassistant professors of mathematical sciences, and Tammy Rossi,
instructor in mathematical sciences, received a first-of-its-kind team
Excellence in Teaching Award for their work in the Mathematical Sciences
Learning Laboratory (MSLL). A recent initiative in the college, MSLL is
a dedicated “one-stop shop” that provides innovative teaching,
specialized classroom space and tutoring, advising and test-taking
services for students taking basic, foundational mathematics
courses. The goal in creating it was to combat a trend of students
losing interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM) fields after struggling with beginning math courses, and Watson
said MSLL, which began just a year ago, is already seeing results. Berk,
Daley and Rossi are “distinguished by their radical and effective
techniques” in providing individual instruction and building a sense of
community among students and faculty, Watson said.
Paul Brewer, professor of communication and of political
science and international relations, was recognized with the Excellence
in Scholarship Award for his collaborative work that fellow scholars
described as causing a shift in the field of political communication
research. Director of UD’s Center for Political Communication, Brewer
was praised by colleagues for “raising the bar on the quality of
scholarship among social scientists … and raising the public’s
understanding of important issues.”
Joseph Harris, professor of English, received the college’s
2016 Excellence in Service Award for his work in restructuring E110, the
first-year English course that all UD students take. Harris has been
dedicated in strengthening the course and ensuring consistency among its
200 sections serving 4,000 students a year, Watson said. He quoted a
colleague who said, “Joe does not seek answers that will make his life
easier; he looks for approaches that will improve our approach to
educating students.”
University awards
Also at the Celebrating Achievement and Success event, Watson
recognized Mary Dozier, the Unidel Amy E. du Pont Chair in Child
Development in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, who
has been selected as the 2016 Francis Alison Faculty Award recipient,
UD’s highest competitive faculty honor.
Other faculty members and students who previously received University awards were honored at the college event as well.
Those included three faculty members who were presented Excellence in Undergraduate Advising and Mentoring awards
at this month’s Faculty Senate meeting: Karl Booksh, professor of
chemistry and biochemistry; Kenneth Haas, professor of sociology and
criminal justice and of political science and international relations;
and Chrysanthi Leon, associate professor of sociology and criminal
justice.
Also at the Faculty Senate meeting, Christine Cucciarre, associate
professor of English, received an Excellence in Teaching award. CAS
graduate student Joseph P. Smith received an Excellence in Graduate
Student Teaching award for his work as a teaching assistant in the
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.
The CAS celebration also recognized graduating senior Rebecca Jaeger, who previously received this year’s Emalea Pusey Warner Award from the UD Alumni Association as the outstanding woman in the Class of 2016.
Alumni Achievement Awards
Watson presented college Alumni Achievement Awards to:
Paul A. Fioravanti Jr., who earned a bachelor’s degree in
political science at UD in 1992 and a law degree from the University of
Maryland, is a director at the law firm of Prickett, Jones and Elliott
in Wilmington, Delaware. He concentrates his practice on corporate and
commercial litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery, representing
clients in a wide range of matters. Before attending law school, he was a
reporter and editor at KYW Newsradio in Philadelphia. Fioravanti has
been a member of the UD Alumni Association Board since 2012 and serves
on the executive committee and as chair of the awards committee.
Dr. Carol Van Dyke Freer graduated in 1968 with a bachelor’s
degree in chemistry and worked as a photographic engineer and in medical
research before attending medical school at George Washington
University, where she graduated with distinction in 1978. After a long
career in the practice of infectious diseases and medical administration
in a community hospital, she was appointed to her current position as
chief medical officer and associate professor at Penn State Hershey
Medical Center. During her tenure, the hospital has undergone
transformational changes in its approach to patient safety and quality.
Freer also volunteers for numerous health care organizations.
Tyron D. Jones earned his bachelor’s degree in communication
in 1992 and a master of fine arts degree in 1995 from UD’s Professional
Theatre Training Program. A playwright and an award-winning actor in
films and on Broadway, he is the producing artistic director of the
Classical Theatre of Harlem (CTH), where he has led the organization in
expanding its programming and in building artistic bridges between
communities. His play Emancipation: Chronicles of the Nat Turner Rebellion
premiered for the CTH and received numerous awards. Jones was awarded
the University’s Presidential Citation for Outstanding Achievement in
2002.
Andrew M. Stern, who received his bachelor’s degree in
political science and international relations in 1970, is chairman and
chief executive officer of Dallas-based Sunwest Communications. From
1975-77, he served as staff assistant to President Gerald R. Ford at the
White House and then held senior corporate positions before founding
Sunwest in 1982. Active in community affairs, he is chair-elect of the
American Hospital Association’s Committee on Governance and a board
member of Medical City Dallas Hospital. Stern was UD’s 2003 Winter
Commencement speaker and serves on the advisory council of the
University’s Center for Political Communication.
Mark S. Stewart graduated from UD in 1978 in political science
and international relations and received that year’s Alexander J.
Taylor Award as outstanding senior man. He earned his law degree from
the University of Pennsylvania and studied at the London School of
Economics. Stewart is chair of Ballard Spahr, a national law firm with
more than 550 lawyers in 14 offices across the U.S., and is a recognized
leader in efforts to bring greater diversity to the legal profession.
He serves on the boards of several community organizations and is
chairman of Students Run Philly Style, which promotes good health and
life prospects for Philadelphia students.
Joan E. Wainwright earned her bachelor’s degree in
communication at UD in 1982 and later received a master of business
sdministration degree from Temple University. She is president for
channel and customer experience at TE Connectivity, where she leads a
team of nearly 1,000 sales, customer care, pricing and marketing
professionals. She joined TE in 2006 and was named head of the Channel
Business Unit in 2009. At UD, Wainwright serves on the CAS Dean’s
Advisory Council and the advisory council for the Center for Political
Communication and, with her husband, has established the Theodore and
Lillian Wainwright Scholarship in Political Communication.
Article by Ann Manser
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson
May 16, 2016
