BOONE, N.C. — Each year, Appalachian State University’s College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) recognizes several members of the faculty and staff for outstanding service, teaching or scholarly work.
CAS Interim Dean Dr. Mike Madritch with award recipients Dr. Nancy Love, Dr. Megen Culpepper, Dr. Beth Davison, Dr. Jeff Holcomb, Dr. Kara Dempsey, Kendra Souza, Dr. Adrienne Erazo, Dr. Jamie Levine, Dr. Sarah Evans, and Dr. Zach Murrell. Not Pictured: Dr. Maryam Ahmed, Dr. Sarah Carmichael, and Diana Nelson
Outstanding Staff Award
Diana Nelson, Director | College Advising and Support Services Hub (CASSH)
A colleague wrote: "Diana’s work ethic is beyond compare. Whenever I have a concern over a student or a program issue, Diana returns my email and addresses it with expertise seemingly immediately. Additionally, her knowledge base of the secondary education programs in the college is thorough and readily accessible. There has yet to be a question asked that has not had a viable and informed response from Diana. Diana’s position is complex and demanding; nevertheless, she performs her duties with kindness and compassion, never forgetting that people are behind the work she does."
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Jimmy Smith Outstanding Service Award
Dr. Zach Murrell, Professor | Department of Biology
A group of colleagues wrote: "Zack evidently has unlimited energy. Though his tasks were a tall order for anyone, he often felt moved to assume a leadership role in many of his committees, as well as scholarly activities. For example, he served as Chair of Chairs, in the Council of Chairs, in the last two years of his tenure as department chair, a time of incredible stress and confusion during the COVID-19 pandemic. He used his background in the sciences, personal experiences with health-related issues, and tapped fellow colleagues and leaders across the college and campus to help inform faculty, staff, and students alike of the next steps forward during these unprecedented times."
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William C. Strickland Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
Dr. Sarah Evans, Assistant Professor | Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
A colleague explained: "To be invited to review grants and manuscripts or to chair a disciplinary session at the largest geoscience conference in the world means that your level of expertise is not only recognized but sought by your peers. This often thankless, time-consuming, yet crucial service is truly a testament to one’s status as an expert in a particular field—editors and funding program directors know Sarah as an authority in permafrost research, and they want her opinion on potential publications in their journals or when making funding decisions."
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Donald W. Sink Family Outstanding Scholar Award
Dr. Nancy Love, Professor | Department of Government and Justice Studies
A colleague wrote: "Dr. Love’s work has been innovative in the field of Political Theory but her work transcends boundaries within the discipline - given her willingness to integrate her interest in Cultural Studies and the Humanities into her research, her publications, and the curriculum...I have found Dr. Love to be innovative and sophisticated in her approach to the analysis of politics and issues of social engagement and pluralism. Her career has been marked by both intellectual originality and the capacity to transcend disciplinary boundaries with an ease that speaks to her intellectual sophistication."
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Non-Tenure Track Teaching Excellence Award
Kendra Souza, Senior Lecturer | Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
A colleague said: "Kendra stands out as someone who cares deeply for her students and is engaged in the work of staying up to date with the latest pedagogical and methodological practices. Her classrooms are known for being safe and inclusive learning spaces. She is often an early adopter of new and exciting tools like Voicethread, Flipgrid, and other communicative platforms. Whenever I have a chance to talk with one of Kendra’s former students, I hear nothing but high praise for her effectiveness in the classroom. After noticing that our Spanish language textbook was lacking in its visual representation of people of color, she wrote to the textbook reps and urged them to take action. She reminds us of the importance of inclusive practices for all students, no matter their backgrounds or unique learner profiles."
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Excellence in Engagement Award
Dr. Beth Davison, Professor | Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
A colleague wrote: "Dr. Davison has spent her career as an academic and a creative artist engaging with diverse communities not only at Appalachian State, but across the region, through her expertise with non-profit organizations and her skills in video production. Her documentaries speak to her profound understanding of and engagement with local and public history in Western North Carolina, and invariably brings together academic and community groups...Dr. Davison represents the very best of Appalachian State, bringing university students together with community partners to engage in research and creative activities that tell the stories of the people of the region, in the process offering her students training in both academic and life skills beyond the classroom and contributing to the public good."
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CAS Inclusion Award
Dr. Jamie Levine, Associate Professor | Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
A nominator wrote: "Dr. Jamie Levine speaks to the GES faculty and staff at every faculty meeting, and each semester she challenges the members of our department to implement one new thing into their course that addresses inclusiveness, accessibility, and/or diversity...The success we are having within the department at fostering equity and celebrating diversity is due in large part to the leadership of Dr. Jamie Levine and her ability to encourage and support the GES faculty, staff, and students."
Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
A nominator wrote: "Geoscience is one of the least diverse science fields. It is a known problem but for a decade or more, faculty members in this department have actively recruited students from diverse backgrounds by creating bilingual Open House materials that highlight current and past students from underrepresented groups, building collaborations with local community colleges (especially Wilkes Community College), and more recently creating outreach information as well as teaching materials in multiple languages, thanks to bilingual faculty, as well as student volunteers. Over the last decade, GES has steadily increased our population of underrepresented individuals within the major."
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Richard N. Henson Outstanding Advisor Award
Dr. Megen Culpepper, Associate Professor | Department of Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences
An advisee wrote: “Dr. Megen Culpepper has changed my life in so many ways…Dr. Culpepper is one of the funniest people I have ever met, and she always knows how to bring a smile to someone’s face. I am starting to understand what I want to do with my future and that is all thanks to her.”
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Academy of Outstanding Teachers
Dr. Maryam Ahmed, Professor | Department of Biology
A group of colleagues wrote: "Maryam has designed and taught classes that serve multiple different populations of students and has proven an effective communicator of concepts to both nonmajors and majors alike. Maryam has demonstrated a deep passion for promoting excellence in teaching and creating more inclusive learning environments for all students. Maryam is an invaluable contributor to excellence in teaching and creating inclusive environments to promote the success of students and peers at our university."
Dr. Sarah Carmichael, Professor | Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences
A colleague wrote: "She showcases her extensive research career by providing clear, visually appealing, and memorable examples of where she’s explored and how that relates to the subject she is teaching. Examples of this include work from deep ocean research and coordinating with NASA to provide lunar rocks for analysis. She always puts students first and looks out for their best interests, whether it’s in the classroom, or later in their lives as they start their professional careers. She is an inspiration to us all, but especially the students that learn from her in class. She is a great mentor and role model to many of the other faculty for her outstanding teaching and dedication to GES students."
Dr. Adrienne Erazo, Assistant Professor | Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures
A former student wrote: "Her classes were the most engaging and memorable of any classes I have had at Appalachian State. Using guiding questions to foster critical thinking, she would lead class discussions and supplement with relevant literary theory. Her classes not only changed the way that I viewed the role of literature in culture, but also the way in which I viewed the Spanish-speaking world."
Dr. Jeff Holcomb, Professor | Department of Government and Justice Studies
A colleague wrote: "Dr. Holcomb's courses are extremely popular with majors and graduate students. He creates a safe space for learning for the students, but also an encouraging atmosphere to allow them to contribute their own opinions. I consider him a valued colleague to the university and community as a whole. He is always willing to step up and serve, but never complains about the excess time it requires to go above and beyond. He is always cheering the loudest for students as they walk across the stage at graduation, and also willing to take time to speak to a potential new major. He is dedicated to our faculty, current students, and future students."
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Teacher of the Year Award
Dr. Kara Dempsey, Associate Professor | Department of Geography and Planning
A student said: "She is an amazing instructor. She is very engaged and driven in her work and it shows in the way she teaches. She is very animated and engaging with the class. She made me laugh more than once and made the subject seem easy to learn. Her relevant examples and firsthand experiences helped to further my respect for her as an instructor and human being. Her explanations and teachings were often full of entertaining examples, creative presentation methods and primary sources. I felt very privileged to learn from her and would gladly take another one of her classes."
Award Nominees
Outstanding Staff Award
- Dief Alexander (PR)
- Jennifer Coffey (SOC)
- Jennifer Hastings (BIO)
- Kaila Hill (ENG)
- Michelle Holcombe (PSY)
- Mary Beth McKee (RRI)
- Diana Nelson (CAS)
- Sarah Novak (GJS)
- Cindy Trivette (LLC)
Jimmy Smith Outstanding Service Award
- Gabriele Casale (GES)
- Beverly Moser (LLC)
- Zach Murrell (BIO)
- Susan Weinberg (ENG)
William C. Strickland Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
- Clare Scott Chialvo (BIO)
- Adrienne Erazo (LLC)
- Sarah Evans (GES)
- Cara Fiore (BIO)
- Allison Fredette (HIS)
- Abdelbaset Hamza (CS)
- Jacqueline Hersh (PSY)
- Jessica Martell (IDS)
- Raghuveer Mohan (CS)
- Clarice Moran (ENG)
- Quinn Morris (MAT)
- Heather Ondercin (GJS)
- Michael Reddish (CFS)
- David Russell (SOC)
Donald W. Sink Family Outstanding Scholar Award
- Kristan Cockerill (IDS)
- Benito del Pliego (LLC)
- Witold Kosmala (MAT)
- Nancy Love (GJS)
- David Nieman (BIO)
- Scott Relyea (HIS)
- Bruce Stewart (HIS)
Non-Tenure Track Teaching Excellence Award
- Pablo Chialvo (BIO)
- Heather Custer (ENG)
- Sophia Dent (ANT)
- Peaches Hash (ENG)
- Hannah Holmes (PSY)
- Kevin Oley (BIO)
- Kendra Souza (LLC)
- Chris Stone (HIS)
- Joel Swanson (CS)
- Kelly Terzaken (ENG)
Excellence in Engagement Award
- Beth Davison (IDS)
- Ellen Key (GJS)
- Carla Ramsdell (PA)
- Matthew Robinson (GJS)
- Shea Tuberty (BIO)
CAS Inclusion Award
- Bruce Dick (ENG)
- Jamie Levine and the GES Department
- Saskia van de Gevel (GP)
Richard N. Henson Outstanding Advisor Award
- Holly Ambler (CAS, IDS)
- Carol Babyak (CFS)
- Akram Barghothi (GJS)
- Christopher Bartel (PR)
- Andrew Bellemer (BIO)
- Shawn Bergman (PSY)
- Jonathan Billheimer (HIS)
- Michael Bosse (MAT)
- Michael Brackett (CAS)
- Reagan Breitenstein (PSY)
- Sushmita Chatterjee (IDS)
- Tonya Coffey (PA)
- Ellen Cowan (GES)
- Megen Culpepper (CFS)
- Robert Creed (BIO)
- Anna Cremaldi (PR)
- James Denniston (PSY)
- Carl Eby (ENG)
- Rick Elmore (PR)
- Matt Estep (BIO)
- Darci Gardner (LLC)
- Cameron Gokee (ANT)
- Alison Gulley (ENG)
- Michael Hambourger (CFS)
- Brooke Hester (PA)
- Jeff Hirst (MAT)
- Jeff Holcomb (GJS)
- Timothy Huelsman (PSY)
- Hannah Huff (CAS)
- Marc Kissel (ANT)
- Vicky Klima (MAT)
- Susan Lappan (ANT)
- Krista Lewis (ANT)
- Cynthia Liutkus-Pierce (GES)
- Betty Long (MAT)
- Catherine Marcum (GJS)
- Christopher Marier (GJS)
- Scott Marshall (GES)
- Courtney McGahee (PA)
- Amber Mellon (MAT)
- Patricia Mitchell (GJS)
- Raghuveer Mohan (CS)
- Mohammad Mohebbi (CS)
- Kirstin Morgan (GJS)
- Jenny Morris (HIS)
- Lynn Mosteller (PSY)
- Ken Muir (SOC)
- Howard Neufeld (BIO)
- Adam Newmark (GJS)
- Mark Nunes (IDS)
- Heather Ondercin (GJS)
- Michael Opata (BIO)
- Trina Palmer (MAT)
- Mitchell Parry (CS)
- Carla Penders (CAS)
- Mark Powell (ENG)
- Kimberly Reavis (MAT)
- Gregory Rhoads (MAT)
- Matthew Robinson (GJS)
- Kathleen Schroeder (GP)
- Anastasia Schulhoff (SOC)
- Darren Seals (BIO)
- Paul Sebastian (LLC)
- Elizabeth Shay (GP)
- Song Shu (GP)
- Lynn Siefferman (BIO)
- Erica Slate (MAT)
- Timothy Smith (ANT)
- Benjamin Souza (LLC)
- Kyle Stevens (ENG)
- Bob Swarthout (CFS)
- Brett Taubman (CFS)
- Shea Tuberty (BIO)
- Saskia van de Gevel (GP)
- Mark Venable (BIO)
- Henry Wansker (GJS)
- Susan Weinberg (ENG)
- Jennifer Wilson (ENG)
- Matthew Wright (SOC)
- Stephanie Yep (PR)
- Erin Young (BIO)
- Ted Zerucha (BIO)
Academy of Outstanding Teachers and Teacher of the Year Award*
- Maryam Ahmed (BIO)
- Judkin Browning (HIS)
- Sarah Carmichael (GES)
- Pablo Chialvo (BIO)
- Adrienne Erazo (LLC)
- Jefferson Holcomb (GJS)
- Stephanie Yep (PR)
* Academy of Outstanding Teacher inductees are eligible to receive the Teacher of the Year award for 5 years. The 2022 recipient, Dr. Kara Dempsey, was inducted into the Academy in 2020.
Selection Committees
Outstanding Staff Award
- Monique Eckerd (Chair)
- James Burniston
- Lauri Miller
- Andie Thomas
Jimmy Smith Outstanding Service Award
- Michael Behrent (Chair)
- Sarah Carmichael
- Bridget Tuberty
- Juhee Woo
William C. Strickland Outstanding Junior Faculty Award
- Kyle Stevens (Chair)
- Yong Hur
- Courtney McGahee
- Lasanthi Pelawa Watagoda
Donald W. Sink Family Outstanding Scholar Award
- Marian Williams (Chair)
- Doris Bazzini
- Rick Elmore
- Darci Gardner
- Aruna Weerasinghe
Non-Tenure Track Teaching Excellence Award
- Sarah Evans (Chair)
- Katie Adams
- Michael Dale
- Amanda Howell
- Quinn Morris
- Misa Yamamoto
Excellence in Engagement Award
- Amy Dellinger Page (Chair)
- Andrea Burns
- Audrey Fessler
- John Paul Jameson
- Marta Toran
CAS Inclusion Award
- Carol Babyak (Chair)
- Marc Kissel
- Donna Lillian
- Joel Sanqui
Richard N. Henson Outstanding Advisor Award
- Marc Kissel
- Cathy Marcum
- Rose Mary Webb
- Paul Worley
Academy of Outstanding Teachers and Teacher of the Year Award
- Deborah Crocker (Chair)
- Ellen Lamont
- Brandon Moore
- Cindy Norris
- David Wilcox
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By Lauren Andersen
October 27, 2022
BOONE, N.C.
The College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University
The College of Arts and Sciences at Appalachian State University