Category: Faculty Awards

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Faculty Awards Willa Dean Lowery Grant

Willa Dean Lowery Awards 2021

We congratulate our winners of the 2021 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Kristine Dye, Assistant Professor of Biology

Elucidate the Mechanisms of Cellular Transformation and Tumorigenesis by MCPyVST Necessary for the Development of MCC

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but aggressive skin cancer with a mortality rate three times greater than melanoma. In 2008, it was discovered that MCC is caused by the integration of the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) genome into the host genome, and subsequent constitutive expression of viral oncoproteins, such as the small tumor antigen (ST). Previous research of mine has shown that MCPyV ST binds to the cellular protein AMOT, a regulator of the cell cycle. The goal of this current project with senior research students is to elucidate the mechanisms by which MCPyV ST perturbs the functions of AMOT resulting in tumorigenesis. Such experiments will provide the MCC field with influential advancements necessary for the design of novel, efficacious, therapeutics to treat MCC. Of importance, the most influential health care workers have an appreciation and the ability to conceptualize basic research that contributes to our current understanding of disease and individualized, efficacious treatment options. Therefore, the engagement of senior research students in an authentic virology and cancer research project will provide these students with the comprehensive training, confidence, and experience that will undoubtedly influence their future careers in health care and progress my development as a teacher-scholar at Stetson University.

Holley Lynch, Assistant Professor of Physics

Tracking Cellular Motion During Early Embryo Development

The proper assembly of new tissues and organs throughout development depends on large-scale tissue motions. Current approaches to understand the mechanics of these developmental processes in many species are limited to analysis of fixed samples or almost non-existent. In this project, we will establish protocols for live cell imaging in Ambystoma mexicanum embryonic tissue explants and Vanessa cardui butterfly embryos. These time-lapse image sequences will be used to determine the cellular coordination within developing tissues and to investigate the extent cellular behaviors are conserved across species. This will further my development as a teacher-scholar at Stetson University by enhancing my research program. In addition, protocols established in this project will be used to expose Biophysics (PHYS 251) students to fluorescent microscopy and its use in interdisciplinary research. The proposed image processing workstation will advance computationally intense tasks, like deconvolution from long term and live imaging experiments using the inverted fluorescent microscope acquired from the National Science Foundation Major Research Instrumentation grant ($266,091, 2019), on which I am a principal investigator.

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Faculty Awards Hand Awards

2021 Hand Awards for Distinguished Faculty Achievement

Congratulations to the following recipients of the 2021 Hand Awards for Distinguished Faculty Achievement.

The Hand Award for Distinguished Faculty Achievements are made possible through the continued generosity of trustee emeritus and alumna Dolly Hand and her husband, Homer Hand. Through their support of excellence in higher education, we are honored to recognize outstanding faculty. The awards have been presented to faculty since 1988, with recipients whose names many in the audience will recognize as faculty who have been transformative to this institution—Michael Rickman, Karen Kaivola, and Leonard Nance to name a few

This year, we recognize the professional achievements of two outstanding faculty members in two primary areas: Research, Creative, and Professional Activity and Community Impact. Historically, there have been Hand awards that recognized the stellar work of faculty who have been at Stetson for a short period of time, and then go on to do great things at Stetson. Some examples include then-Assistant Professors Terri

Witek, Stephen Robinson, Sue Ryan, and Isabel Botero, who all received the Hand recognition just a few years after they joined the University. Both recipients of this prestigious recognition are junior faculty members. In sum, during their short tenure at Stetson University, they have made significant contributions to their fields, to Stetson’s vibrancy and vitality, to our academic culture, and to the world beyond this campus.

The first 2021 Hand award honors a faculty member who was invited to join the faculty at Stetson University five years ago and who has already helped to bring $1.6 million in funding to our campus. In addition to an impressive publication record, she has experienced exceptional success in obtaining grant funding, and demonstrated an amazing ability to forge strong collaborative efforts with faculty from a diverse array of academic departments at Stetson, including Biology, Environmental Science, Health Sciences, Chemistry, Philosophy, and Physics in the quest of academic excellence. Her publications and successful grant applications showcase her success in integrating cutting edge molecular techniques and scientific equipment with high impact teaching practices and novel pedagogical approaches to the great benefit of Stetson students. One nominator wrote, “She is interested in inspiring all students through exposure to research.” One of her photographs was selected for the cover of the journal Development. In the STEM disciplines, this selection is recognized as a distinction. One nominator wrote, “Her work involved photographing cilia of cells and she has produced photographs of cells that are quite beautiful.”

For her professional commitment, and in recognition and celebration of her substantial scholarly contributions, it gives me great pleasure on behalf of the faculty and staff at Stetson University to present the first of two 2021 Hand Awards for Research, Creative, and Professional Activity to Assistant Professor Lynn Kee.

$1M NSF Award Spells STEM Advancement - Stetson Today

Lynn Kee, Assistant Professor of Biology

This year’s second 2021 Hand award honors a faculty member who has accomplished an extraordinarily impactful breadth and scope of timely work within the short three years of her tenure at Stetson University. Invited in 2018 to join the faculty as Brown Teacher-Scholar Fellow in Sustainable Food Systems, she rapidly became a key force in the development of Stetson’s Sustainable Foods Systems program, and broad to this academic endeavor the lenses of equity and inclusion especially aimed at uncovering issues of race, class and gender in the U.S. food system. Working with other Stetson faculty and students, she has co-developed multiple programs in the broader community, forging strong connections with local elementary schools, boys and girls clubs, the Artisan Alley Market, local farmers, and the Tomoka Correctional Facility. As a Stetson teacher-scholar, she has experienced successful grantsmanship to support her craft of educational outreach as a grant recipient of the Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform and the recent collaborative Andrew Mellon Foundation grant. Her many peer-reviewed publications are strong evidence that others find her work on the intersection of equity, education and food production of great significance. For her professional commitment, and in recognition and celebration of her substantial contributions to Stetson and the communities of central Florida, it gives me great pleasure on behalf of the faculty and staff at Stetson University to present the second 2021 Hand Award for Community Impact to Assistant Professor Sarah Cramer.

Sarah Cramer - Faculty Profiles

Sarah Cramer, Visiting Assistant Professor in Sustainable Food Systems

Presented by Dr. Rosalie Richards, Associate Provost for Faculty Development on May 6, 2021 at the 2021 Academic Awards and Recognition Ceremony

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Faculty Awards McEniry Awards

2021 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching

Congratulations to the recipient of the 2021 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching

Established in 1974, the McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching is considered to be Stetson University’s most prestigious award based on the highest attainment of teaching excellence as personified by the former Dean of the University, William Hugh McEniry. Exceptional teaching in the classroom is at the heartbeat of this award, along with intellectual growth, professional competency, academic activities outside of the classroom, and impactful service to students and the University as a whole.

Needless to say, this year’s McEniry selection committee had an incredibly challenging job with Stetson being a community full of highly deserving teacher-scholars. That said, this year’s awardee stood out as an exceptionally impactful educator at Stetson and also within her field. There is a clear record demonstrating that she is phenomenal teacher and a dedicated leader in her field. And she had thoughtfully written nominations demonstrating her deep commitment to high-quality teaching at Stetson and beyond.

A nomination by a fellow faculty member notes: “[This professor] is in her nineteenth year as a member of the Stetson faculty…and clearly, [she] is one of Stetson finest scholar-teachers. While her stature as a publishing scholar is highly meritorious, her skills and accomplishments as a teacher are no less remarkable. She is highly organized, mature, innovative, engaged, and passionate.”

This professor is described as a master teacher who cares most about student learning, and she considers part of her teaching role preparation of students for professional success.

A student nomination states: “[This professor] goes the extra mile in every aspect, teaching and beyond. She teaches some of the most challenging courses at Stetson and in the computer science field. While the coursework is rigorous and intellectually demanding, she provides ways to grasp the difficult concepts in ways that suit all learning styles. As an advisor, she’s not only concerned about short-term academic success, but also long-term professional development and your best interests. Additionally, she never fails to encourage and inspire. I switched my major to computer science after a semester and felt very out of place at first. Having [this professor] as a mentor was a really important part of staying encouraged; she connected me with other women in the field and introduced me to conferences and other opportunities.”

This year’s recipient is a professor of computer science who recently received the Florida Council Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Outstanding Engineering Educator Award, a testament to her commitment to teaching excellence and the quality of education that she provides students, as well as her outstanding contribution to the electro-technology profession. I am delighted and honored to announce this year’s award winner! Please join me in wishing a heartfelt congratulations to the recipient of the 2021 William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching… Dr. Hala ElAarag!!

Rajni Shankar-Brown
Stetson Professor Receives Outstanding Engineering Educator Award - Stetson Today

Dr. Hala ElArag, Professor of Computer Science

McEniry Award Winner Hala ElAarag, PhD, Teaches Students “to Be the Best They Can Be” – Stetson Today

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Faculty Awards Sabbatical

2021-2022 Sabbatical Awards

Congratulations to the recipient of the 2021-2022 Sabbatical Awards:

Eric Kurlander, William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of History,“Before the ‘Final Solution’: A Global History of the Nazi ‘Jewish Question’” 

Maria Rickling, Associate Professor of Accounting, Chair of M.E. Rinker, Sr. Institute of Tax and Accountancy, “A Research Proposal: A Unique Point of View to Innovating the Accounting Curriculum” 

Leila Roach, Associate Professor of Counselor Education, Chair of Counselor Education, “Exploring and Expanding Mental Health Services in Bhutan” 

Peter Smucker, Assistant Professor of Music Theory, Director of Music Theory, “Values, Currencies and Economies of Video Game Music” 

Nancy Vosburg, Professor of World Languages and Cultures, “Antonia Huerta’s Cybercrime Fiction; Ushering in a New Subgenre in Spanish Literature” 

Robert Askew, Assistan Professor of Psychology, “Imparting Clinical Meaning to Pain Intensity Ratings” 

Grace Kaletski-Maisel, Assistant Professor, Learning & Information Literacy Librarian, “Trajectories of Information in Literacy Learning” 

Dejan Magoc, Professor of Health Science, “Promoting Active Living Through Behavior Change” 

Michael McFarland, Associate Professor of Communication and Media Studies, “Discourse Strategies in Sudden Change Rhetoric: Argument and Invention in Evangelical Preaching” 

Emily Mieras, Chair of History; Associate Professor of History and American Studies, “Progressive People” in “Elysian Lands: History, Memory, and the Making of Community Identity in the American South 1870-1970” 

Ramachandran Subramanian, Professor of Leadership, “Developing Teaching Cases in Corporate Governance” 

John York, Professor of Chemistry, “Utilizing Molecular Dynamics (MD) and Quantum Mechanical/Molecular Mechanical (QM/MM) Methods for the Study of Metal-Ligand Bonds in Proteins” 

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Faculty Advisor of the Year

Faculty Advisor Of The Year Goes ‘Above And Beyond’ For Students

For Mercedes Tichenor, PhD, good advising starts with “building relationships.”

“That’s what I try to do with my students, whether I’m advising them for courses or advising them about career plans or even personal matters and issues,” said Tichenor, associate chair and professor of Education. “I think building that trust in that relationship is the first thing.”

Tichenor’s approach earned her the honor of being named Faculty Advisor of the Year for 2020-21, which was announced during Convocation at the start of the Fall 2021 semester. Now in its eighth year, the honor is presented by the Advising Office in Academic Success.

Joanne Morales Bembinster, associate director of Academic Advising, shared some of the comments from students’ nominations of Tichenor.

“Dr. Tichenor has gone above and beyond through her role as an advisor to many students in the Education Department,” said student Gretchen Nerber. “She not only is knowledgeable about courses and scheduling, she genuinely cares about the students and their futures. She is willing to have conversations that are critical in a student’s academic career that will guide them in the future years, all while giving support and kindness when needed.”

“My faculty advisor is always there when I need her,” said student Kelly Chapman. “She believes in me and shows her support often. Starting college was difficult, but she made me feel right at home.”

Supporting Students At Stetson

Chris Colwell, PhD, talks about the faculty advisor of the year
Chris Colwell, PhD

Chris Colwell, PhD, chair of the Education Department, praised Tichenor for her unwavering commitment to support students.

“It is not an exaggeration to say that she knows each and every one of her students and supports them in every aspect of their educational journey here at Stetson,” he said.

Tichenor also serves as director of Student Teaching in Stetson’s Education Department. She works in area schools with Stetson seniors who are interning in classrooms.

“One of the first things we tell them is get to know your kids. Stand by the door and greet them when they come in. Talk to them about things that interest them. It’s easier to manage groups of students when you have respect for each other,” she said.

“Can you teach advising? I think we as teacher educators can certainly model it for our students,” Tichenor continued. “We are training our students to not just teach academics but to teach the whole child. This includes social and emotional learning. So advising aside, I think as teacher educators we need to model all of that.”

Faculty Advisor Of The Year Announcement

Tichenor recalled watching Convocation at home on her computer in mid-August. She listened as Provost Noel Painter, PhD, began announcing the recipient of the Faculty Advisor of the Year award.

Provost Noel Painter speaks about the faculty advisor of the year
Noel Painter, PhD

“This year’s Faculty Advisor of the Year has consistently and thoughtfully realized the Stetson commitment to creating caring and individualized relationships, and providing thoughtful guidance, offering time, resources, mentorship and career advice to students in her program,” Painter said. “Words taken from the nominations describe her as compassionate, genuine, respectful, supportive and kind.”

At home, Tichenor thought, “Oh, wow, those are some really nice things people are saying.’ ” And then, Painter announced her name as this year’s recipient.

portrait
John Tichenor, PhD

“It really was a surprise,” she recalled. “I was happy and excited, of course, that my name came up.”

Tichenor received another surprise, too. Her husband John Tichenor, PhD, chair and associate professor of management, had been named the 2018-19 advisor of the year. After his wife’s name was announced, he presented the three-dimensional glass award to her in their own home. Stacy Collins, interim executive director of Career and Academic Success, had conspired with John Tichenor to get the award in his hands for the big moment.

“It’s a very nice honor and I’m delighted to have been chosen,” Tichenor said.

— Rick de Yampert

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Faculty Awards International Awards Sabbatical

Timely Sabbatical in Taiwan

https://www.stetson.edu/today/2021/02/timely-sabbatical-in-taiwan/
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Faculty Awards Summer Grants

2021 Summer Grants for Faculty Research & Creative Inquiry

The Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs is pleased to congratulate our Stetson teacher-scholar faculty on the submission of proposals for innovative scholarship, research and creative inquiry. The following Summer Grants Program projects were recommended by the Professional Development Committee to the Provost for their outstanding potential and dedication to Stetson’s mission of teaching, research, and artistic development:

Khushbu Mishra “Do Remittances Reshape Household Expenditures? Evidence from Nepal” 

Joshua Rust “Kurt Lewin’s notion of biological genidentity: what makes a caterpillar and a butterfly stages of the same organism?” 

Mayhill Fowler “War Stories: Theater on the Frontlines of Socialism” 

Chaz Underriner “Moving”  

Sean Kennard “Video Recording of Chopin’s 24 Preludes” 

Kevin Taylor, “The effects of deal complexity on entrepreneur sentiment during early-stage fundraising” 

Corie Charpentier, “The impact of light pollution on coastal larvae” 

J. Anthony Abbott, “Creating a Geodatabase of William Bartram’s Travels in Florida” 

Asal Johnson, “Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Florida Communities and Counties in Florida, 2020-2021” 

Teresa Carmody, “Raptured” 

Rachel Core, “The Social Construction of Two Epidemics in China: Tuberculosis and COVID-19” 

Michael Eskenazi, “How Much Do Readers Know About Their Eye Movement Behavior?” 

Mary Ellen Oslick, “Building ESOL Networks (Project BEN) as pathways of change: Innovative Professional Development for Teachers of ELs and Teacher Candidates” 

Chesya Burke, “In Service to the White Creator: The Black Maid Archetype in Ann Petry’s The Street and Kathyrn Stockett’s The Help” 

Paul Sibbald, “Study of Organic Chemical Reaction Mechanisms Using Computational Methods.” 

Kelly Smith, “Public Health Retrenchment: Vaccine Exemption Laws in the US States” 

Raisa Ankeny, “Building ESOL Networks (Project BEN) as pathways of change: Innovative Professional Development for Teachers of ELs and Teacher Candidates” 

Giovanni Fernandez, “Liquidity Needs, Emergency Funds, and Tax-Efficient Withdrawal Rates” 

Joseph Woodside, “Global Supply Chain Digitization and Innovation in the COVID-19 Era” 

Matthew Imes, “Determinants of Female Board Director Power” 

Nicole Mottier, “Threat Multiplier: War, Foodways and Agroecologies in Modern Mexico” 

Peter Smucker, ““Appalachian Folk Music, the Supernatural, and Social Encounters in Kentucky Route Zero.” 

Stuart Michelson, “Individual Financial Literacy and Financial Planning” 

Matthew Shannon, “Characterization of Atomic Level Interactions Between Proteins and Small Molecules Probed by  Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopic Methods” 

Carol Azab, “YOU SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER- Do service providers walk the talk?”- Examining racial discrimination bias in service recovery” 

Jon-Michael Carrick, “Unicorn Founders Database” 

Jamie Clark, “Hear Her Voice”  

Rajni Shankar-Brown, “Creating Justice: Artivism for Civil and Human Rights” 

Congratulations to all award recipients!

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Faculty Awards Fulbright Scholars

Stetson Professors Receive Second Fulbright Awards

https://www.stetson.edu/today/2020/11/two-stetson-professors-receive-second-fulbright-awards/
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Faculty Awards Willa Dean Lowery Grant

Willa Dean Lowery Awards 2020

We congratulate our winner of the 2020 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Jean Smith, Assistant Professor of Biology

Uncovering Novel Mutations in Cell Fusion Genes Using Error Prone Polymerase Chain Reaction

Cell fusion is essential for the development of eukaryotic organisms. Sperm-egg fusion occurs during fertilization, muscle cells fuse to form muscle fibers, and placental cells fuse for proper implantation during pregnancy. Fusion has also recently been implicated in cancer development and progression. Unfortunately, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms and regulation of cell fusion. Studying this process in budding yeast allows for identification of genes involved in fusion. Importantly, many genes and proteins are conserved from yeast to humans, which has allowed the identification of yeast fusion proteins that have subsequently been shown to be important in muscle fusion. Here, I propose a screen to uncover novel mutations in a known regulator of fusion in yeast. This project requires mutations to be made using polymerase chain reaction, which requires a thermocycler. We do not have a thermocycler capable of the long reactions required to make these mutants. Not only is this equipment required for the current proposal, it is also essential for most molecular biology research. Therefore, acquisition of a thermocycler would have a great impact on my growth as a teacher-scholar and allow me to conduct exciting projects with senior research students as well as inquiry-based labs.

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Faculty Awards Willa Dean Lowery Grant

Willa Dean Lowery Awards 2020

We congratulate our winners of the 2020 Willa Dean Lowery Fund to Support Research in the Natural Sciences:

Heather Evans Anderson , Assistant Professor of Health Sciences

CRISPR gene editing in Ciona intestinalis

Gene editing via CRISPR has garnered global attention due to the recent actions of a Chinese scientist who used it to genetically modify a set of twin girls.  This egregious act brought the world’s attention to the powerful technology.  I see great potential to use CRISPR as an educational tool.  Previously I successfully used CRISPR in a semester long project conducted by undergraduates in a Cell Biology course (1).  Here I intend to harness the power of CRISPR technology to genetically modify an invertebrate organism (Ciona intestinalis) to investigate the regulatory mechanisms of heart development.  This proposal describes a set of specific research aims that will be conducted by undergraduate students at Stetson through an advanced genetics course in collaboration with Dr. Lynn Kee as well as several spin off senior research projects.  The proposed project will bring cutting edge technology in an innovative application to Stetson.  Funding provided by the Willa D Lowery grant would support several student projects that would lead to presentations at national level meetings and high impact peer reviewed publications.