Congratulations to the recipient of the 2022 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Office of Faculty Engagement is proud to congratulate Dr. Randall Croom, Associate Professor of Management and Assistant Director of the Honors Program, on receiving the 2026 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching, Stetson University’s most prestigious recognition for teaching excellence.
Established in 1974, the McEniry Award honors faculty members who exemplify exceptional classroom teaching, intellectual growth, professional achievement, and meaningful service to students and the university community. (Stetson University)
Dr. Croom is widely recognized for his commitment to student mentorship, experiential learning, and helping students connect theory to practice. Through his work in the School of Business Administration and the Honors Program, he has made a lasting impact on countless students across the Stetson community.
Please join us in celebrating Dr. Croom on this well-deserved honor and thanking him for his continued dedication to teaching, scholarship, and student success.
Dr. Randall Croom
Associate Professor of Management and Assistant Director of the Honors Program
Congratulations to the recipient of the 2025 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Office of Faculty Engagement is proud to congratulate Dr. John Riggs, Professor of Practice in Marketing and Director of the Centurion Sales Excellence Program, on receiving the 2025 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Established in 1974, the McEniry Award honors faculty members who exemplify the highest standards of teaching excellence, intellectual growth, professional accomplishment, and service to students and the university community. (Stetson University)
Dr. Riggs is widely respected for his dynamic teaching style, mentorship of students pursuing careers in business and professional sales, and commitment to experiential learning. Through his leadership of the Centurion Sales Excellence Program, he has helped prepare students for success through hands-on learning, industry engagement, and professional development opportunities.
His dedication to student achievement and innovative business education has made a lasting impact within the School of Business Administration and across the broader Stetson community. (Stetson University)
Please join us in celebrating Dr. Riggs on this well-deserved honor and thanking him for his continued dedication to teaching, mentorship, and student success.
Dr. John Riggs Professor of Practice in Marketing and Director of the Centurion Sales Excellence Program
Congratulations to the recipient of the 2024 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Office of Faculty Engagement is proud to congratulate Dr. Katya Kudryavtseva, Associate Professor of Art History and Curator of the Vera Bluemner Kouba Collection, on receiving the 2024 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching.
As Stetson University’s most prestigious teaching honor, the McEniry Award recognizes faculty members who demonstrate exceptional classroom instruction, intellectual leadership, professional achievement, and meaningful service to students and the university community. (Stetson University)
Dr. Kudryavtseva is recognized for her engaging and interdisciplinary approach to teaching, her dedication to mentoring students, and her ability to connect art history with broader cultural and historical conversations. Through her work in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design, she has helped cultivate curiosity, creativity, and global understanding among her students.
Her contributions to scholarship, curation, and experiential learning continue to enrich the Stetson academic experience and reflect the university’s teacher-scholar tradition. (Stetson University)
Please join us in congratulating Dr. Kudryavtseva on this outstanding achievement and thanking her for her continued commitment to excellence in teaching and mentorship.
Dr. Katya Kudryavtseva Associate Professor of Art History
Congratulations to the recipient of the 2023 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching
The Office of Faculty Engagement is proud to congratulate Dr. Cynthia Bennington, Professor of Biology, on receiving the 2023 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching, Stetson University’s highest honor for teaching excellence.
Established in 1974, the McEniry Award recognizes faculty members who embody exceptional classroom teaching, intellectual growth, professional achievement, and meaningful service to students and the university community. (Stetson University)
Dr. Bennington is widely admired for her dedication to student mentorship, innovative teaching, and commitment to scientific inquiry. Through her work in the Department of Biology, she has inspired generations of students to pursue research, critical thinking, and academic excellence.
Her impact extends far beyond the classroom through collaborative scholarship, undergraduate research mentorship, and a deep commitment to fostering student success across the Stetson community. (Stetson University)
Please join us in celebrating Dr. Bennington on this well-deserved recognition and thanking her for her continued dedication to teaching, scholarship, and the Stetson community.
Since 1988, the Hand Awards for Distinguished Faculty Achievement are made possible through the continued generosity of trustee emeritus and alumna, the late Dolly Hand and her late husband, Homer Hand. Through their support of excellence in higher education, Stetson University is honored this year to recognize the professional achievements of two outstanding faculty members in two primary areas: in Research, Creative, and Professional Activity, and in Community Impact.
Hand Award for Research, Creative, and Professional Activity
This first Hand Award celebrates outstanding achievement in Research, Creative, and Professional Activity.
Prior to accepting an invitation to join the faculty at Stetson University in 2015, this faculty member served as a National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research post-doctoral Fellow at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Health Services and Outcomes Research. Since May 2024, this faculty member has served as faculty director of Advanced Analytics, and prior, as faculty director of Research Design and Analytics with the Stetson Center for Public Opinion Research.
This scholar is a quantitative psychologist and epidemiologist whose research exemplifies the spirit of the Hand Award through the exceptional quality, impact, and scope. Their recent research focuses on water conservation and coastal resilience, officer-involved shootings, pain perceptions in pancreatitis, cognitive impairment, and innovations in the field of prosthetics. In the last five years alone, this faculty member has amassed an impressive body of research to the tune of approximately 30 publication which have been published in the top journals in the field. In addition to other scholarly contributions, their work has been cited nearly 2,000 times, with over 4, 100 citations over the course of this scholar’s career.
Their intellectual contributions have significantly enhanced the disciplinary field as well as the intellectual landscape of Stetson University.This teacher-scholar is heavily involved in psychometrics research, a field of study in psychology concerned with the theory and technique of measurement. These specialized studies are deeply informative for this scholar’s teaching and have been also useful for several of their service functions at the university.
One nominator wrote, “[This colleague] has an incredible H-index of 29, demonstrating a solid research performance and clear influence and impact within their field. It is worth noting that [their] research expertise has been invaluable to the university directly. [This colleague] has served as the faculty director of Advanced Analytics with [ Stetson’s] Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness, providing invaluable data on issues such as the effectiveness of Student Evaluations of Teaching. [Their] expertise with statistical analysis has been essential in guiding the university toward sound policy.”
Their record of scholarship reflects the very best of Stetson University’s teacher-scholar ideal. Through sustained research excellence, generous mentorship, and a deep commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, this scholar has amplified the reach and reputation of Stetson’s academic mission.
Therefore, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to the field, and passionate dedication to students and the Stetson community, it gives me great pleasure on behalf of the faculty, staff, and students at Stetson University to present the 2026 Hand Award for Research, Creative, and Professional Activity to Associate Professor of Psychology Dr. Robert Askew.
Dr. Robert Askew.
Hand Award for Community Impact
This second Hand Award celebrates outstanding achievement in Community Impact. The award recipient joined Stetson’s faculty corps 30 years ago in 1996, and was recognized in 2023 with Stetson’s highest honor, the William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching. In 2025, this community warrior was named Faculty Partner of the Year, an award that recognizes outstanding collaboration and partnership with the broader community.
This faculty member embodies the spirit of the Hand Award for Community Impact through dedicated, hands-on service that elevates the critical importance of the outdoor classroom. For example, this scientist makes science accessible and fun for the public by organizing Science Saturdays. These family-friendly events invite children and adults to explore science and the environment through engaging activities that leave participants with a life-long love for nature. As such, throughout their longstanding Stetson career, this consummate teacher-scholar not only practices the art of science through prolific field research with students and publication of findings but expertly translates this and other work to strengthen environmental education and sustainability efforts.
An advocate for promoting citizen-science, this faculty member’s tireless work on the construction, leadership, and care for the flourishing Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem is widely recognized by faculty and community members. Individuals of all ages have been actively engaged in this community environmental endeavor. Personal testimonies attest to their impact on the project. This space has become an valued outdoor classroom and enriching community resource, even earning recognition from the Florida Native Plant Society for its educational and environmental importance. One nominator wrote “ Over [their] whole career at Stetson [this individual] has gone above and beyond to enhance and support environmental education and sustainability in our community through[their] work, building and maintaining the Volusia Sandhill Ecosystem as a wonderful interactive and beautiful teaching landscape. “
Therefore, in recognition of her exceptional contributions to bringing learning about the environment to life for University students and the broader community, her tireless dedication to students, and her collaborative spirit that has enriched the Stetson and broader communities, it gives me great pleasure on behalf of the faculty, staff, and students at Stetson University to present the prestigious 2026 Hand Award for Community Impact to Professor of Biology Dr. Cynthia Bennington.
Dr. Cynthia Bennington.
Presented by Dr. Katty Webb, Dean of the Library and Learning Technologieson May 8, 2026 at the 2026 Academic Awards and Recognition Ceremony
