Faculty and staff honored at Appreciation Dinner

Nearly 400 staff and faculty attended the annual Appreciation Dinner, which celebrates the contributions and achievements of members of the Lehigh community. The event, which was held May 1 in Stabler Arena, was emceed by Gary Lutz, vice provost for institutional research, and opened by President Alice P. Gast.

The work done by Lehigh staff and faculty, Gast said, “is guided by our core values, the set of timeless principles that speak to us as individuals and as an institution.”

The following faculty members were honored:

Laura Katz Olson, professor of political science, received the Robert C. and Virginia L. Williamson Award for Social Research, which recognizes the best published research in the social sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Keith Schray, professor of chemistry, received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching, which is given to a senior faculty member. The award can be won only once in a career.

Edward Morgan, professor of political science, received the Hillman Faculty Award, which recognizes a faculty member for excellence in teaching or research or for advancing the interests of the university.

Virginia McSwain, assistant professor of physics, received the Eleanor and Joseph F. Libsch Early Career Research Award, which honors faculty members who have demonstrated the potential for high-quality research and scholarship.

Nada Sanders, professor in the department of management, received the Carl R. and Ingeborg Beidleman Research Award in Business and Economics, which rewards refereed scholarship in business and applied economics.

Robert Flowers, professor of chemistry, received the Eleanor and Joseph F. Libsch Research Award for excellence in research, scholarship and/or artistic achievement.

Slava V. Rotkin, associate professor of physics, received the Hillman Award for Undergraduate Advising.

Roland Yoshida, professor of educational leadership and provost emeritus, received the Hillman Award for Graduate Advising.

Jeremy Littau, assistant professor of journalism and communications, and Cirleen DeBlaere, assistant professor of counseling psychology, received the Lehigh Early Career Award for Distinguished Teaching, which is presented to one or more members of the teaching staff.

Seth Moglen, associate professor of English, received the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Award for Excellence in Teaching, which is given to a faculty member who has demonstrated not only mastery of his field and superior ability in communicating it to others, but also an exceptional talent for encouraging students.

Nandkuma Nayar, professor of finance, received the Robert and Christine Staub Faculty Excellence Award in Business and Economics, which is presented to a faculty member who has made a positive difference in the lives of students or the college community, or with fellow faculty members.

Reetika Gupta, assistant professor of marketing, received the Alfred Noble Robinson Faculty Award, which recognizes excellence in teaching or research or for advancing the interests of the university.

The following staff members were honored:

Patricia Chase, director of facilities planning, and Rebekah Schultz, associate registrar, received the Hillman Exempt Staff Award, which recognizes exempt staff members for excellence in administration, teaching or research, or for advancing the interests of the university.

Ilhan Citak, special collections librarian and archivist in LTS (Library and Technology Services), received the Louis and Helen Zirkel Library Staff Award, which recognizes outstanding performance and service by a member of the nonexempt or exempt staff in the university libraries.

Andy Ho, manager of undergraduate labs in the chemistry department, received the Alfred Nobel Robinson Staff Award, which recognizes a staff member’s outstanding performance in service to the university and the unusual promise of professional achievement.

Donna Ball, coordinator in the College of Education, received the Employee Relations Advisory Committee (ERAC) Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes outstanding service by a nonexempt or exempt staff member.

Christine Roysdon, director of the library collections and systems group, LTS Client Services, received the Lehigh University Award for Distinguished Service, which recognizes members of the exempt staff who have contributed in significant ways to the Lehigh community over a number of years.

Gregory Schulze, director of athletic facilities and events, received the Paul J. Franz Award, which recognizes an exempt staff administrator who combines excellent performance with dedication and devotion to the university.

Robert Storer, professor of industrial and systems engineering, received the Deming Lewis award, which recognizes a faculty member judged by the 10-year reunion class to have most significantly influenced the educational experience.

Dolores Knauss, coordinator in the budget office, received the Hillman Nonexempt Staff Award, which honors nonexempt staff members for excellent performance or for advancing the interests of the university.

Kelly Erney, senior accounts record coordinator in the bursar’s office, received the John W. and Barbara R. Woltjen Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions by a nonexempt staff member.

Rhonda Weidner, coordinator in military science, and Christina Finley, secretary in the Health Center, received the Perry and Carol Zirkel Nonexempt Staff Award, which recognizes outstanding performance and contributions by a nonexempt staff member.

The university bid farewell to employees who are retiring:

• Harvey Bartholomew, facilities services
• Donald Hillman, computer science and engineering
• Dolores Knauss, budget office
• Judith McNally, LTS library access services
• Robert Rosenwein, sociology and anthropology

Not in attendance were the following retirees:

• Darlene Beahm, Dean of Students – Student Life
• Karen Collins, accounting
• Anthony Corallo, facilities services and campus planning
• John Hoffner, ATLSS Center
• James Saeger, history
• Nenad Sarunac, Energy Research Center
• Laurence Silberstein, religion studies
• Charles Smith, mechanical engineering and mechanics
• Joseph Timar, ATLSS Center

Photo by John Kish IV