Staff and faculty honored for leadership and service

More than 500 university employees gathered in Stabler Arena yesterday (April 30) for the annual Lehigh Appreciation Dinner. The dinner and awards ceremony celebrated the achievements of faculty and staff. Gary Lutz, vice provost for institutional research, emceed the event.
Among the honorees were a boiler operator with more than 25 years of experience, a newcomer who is making Lehigh a more sustainable campus, a paleoecologist leading the way in his field, and an engineering professor who is making drinking water safe for millions of people.

University President Alice P. Gast welcomed guests and said, “In honoring our colleagues this evening, we are celebrating leadership in all its manifestations.”

 

The following staff members were honored:

Richard Eime, Facilities Services, received the John W. and Barbara R. Woltjen Award, which is presented to a member of the nonexempt staff in the Finance and Administration area who showed commitment and dedication to Lehigh and demonstrated exceptional service to the campus community.
Marian Gaumer, Religion Studies, received the Hillman Nonexempt Staff Award for excellence in performance and advancing the interests of the university.
Lee Graham, Biological Sciences, received the Employee Relations Advisory Committee (ERAC) Distinguished Service award which recognizes outstanding service of an exempt or nonexempt Lehigh employee.
Mary Guth, LTS Library Access Services, received the Louis and Helen Zirkel Library Staff Award, established to honor outstanding performance and service by library staff.
Terry Harnett, College of Arts and Sciences Interdisciplinary Program, received the Perry and Carol Zirkel Nonexempt Staff Award, which recognizes outstanding performance and contributions by a member of the nonexempt staff.
Ilena Key, LTS Client Services, received the Hillman Exempt Staff Award, for excellence in administrative, teaching, or research work or for advancing the interests of the university.
Chris Larkin, P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, was honored with the Lehigh University Award for Distinguished Service, an award that recognizes significant contributions to the Lehigh community.
Delicia Nahman, Facilities Services, was awarded the Alfred Nobel Robinson Staff Award for outstanding performance in service to the university and unusual promise of professional achievement.
Lorraine Wiedorn, Advancement, received the Paul J. Franz Award recognizing a professional staff administrator who combines excellence of performance with a service of dedication and devotion to Lehigh University.
The following faculty members were honored with awards:

William Best, Electrical and Computer Engineering, received the Hillman Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Advising.
M.J. Bishop, Education and Human Services, was awarded the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Award for Excellence in Teaching. This award goes to a member of the faculty who has demonstrated not only mastery of his or her field and superior ability in communicating it to others, but also an exceptional talent for encouraging students.
Robert Booth, Earth and Environmental Sciences, received the Eleanor and Joseph F. Libsch Early Career Research Award, honoring a faculty member who is early in their research career who has demonstrated the potential for high-quality research and scholarship.
Dan Frangopol, Civil and Environmental Engineering, was honored with the Eleanor and Joseph F. Libsch Research Award, given to a faculty member conducting distinguished research. Professor Frangopol holds the Fazlur R. Khan Endowed Chair of Structural Engineering and Architecture.
Garth Isaak, Mathematics, and Dawn Keetley, English, received the Hillman Award for Excellence in Graduate Student Advising.
Gerard Lennon, Civil and Environmental Engineering/Provost’s Office, and Heather Johnson, Sociology, received the Deming Lewis Award, presented to the faculty member judged by the 10-year reunion class to have had the most significant impact on their educational experience. Professor Lennon was honored by the class of 2002 and Professor Johnson was honored by the class of 2003.
Rebecca Miller, Chemistry, received the Alfred Nobel Robinson Faculty Award for achieving excellence in teaching or research and advancing the interests of the university.
Kathleen Olson, Journalism, received the Robert C. and Virginia L. Williamson Award for Social Science Research for her article “Injunctions and the Public Interest in Fair Use Cases After eBay,” which appeared in the journal Communication Law and Policy.
Nicholas Sawicki, Art and Architecture, received the Lehigh University Early Career Award for Distinguished Teaching, which is presented to a junior member of the faculty for distinguished teaching.
Arup SenGupta, Civil and Environmental Engineering, was honored with the R.R. and E.C. Hillman Faculty Award. This award is given to a faculty member for achieving excellence in teaching or research work, or for advancing the interests of the university.
Bruce Thomas, Art and Architecture, received the Christian R. and Mary F. Lindback Foundation Award for distinguished teaching.
Andrew Ward, Department of Management, received the Carl R. and Ingeborg Beidleman Research Award in Business and Economics. This award highlights quality research and refereed scholarship in business and applied economic disciplines at Lehigh.

Zach Zacharia, Department of Management, received the Robert and Christine Staub Faculty Excellence Award in Business and Economics, given to a faculty member who has made a positive difference in the lives of students, the college community, or among fellow faculty members. 

 

The university bid farewell to employees who are retiring:

  • Michael Baylor, History
  • Virginia DeBias, DOS Student Life
  • Kim Edwards, Small Business Development Center
  • Natalie Foster, Chemistry
  • Kathy Katcher, Wilbur Powerhouse
  • Jean Johnson, LTS Client Services
  • Edwin Kay, Computer Science and Engineering
  • Edward Levy, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
  • William Margeson, Parking Services
  • Alastair D. McAulay, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Roger N. Nagel, Computer Science and Engineering
  • Timothy Reynolds, Printing and Mailing Services
  • Theresa Ruhf, LTS Library Access Services
  • Kathleen Smith, Accounting 

Retirees not in attendance included:

  • Ellen Behr, GoldPlus/ID Office
  • Philip Blythe, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
  • Richard DeKeukelaere, Facilities Services
  • Carl Ebert, Facilities Services
  • Judy Frenick, Computer Science and Engineering
  • Donna Goldfeder, Career Services
  • Michelle Hartung, Printing and Mailing Services
  • Brian Hearn, Enterprise Systems Implementation
  • Linda Lawson, Parking Services
  • Mary Ann Lewis, Admissions
  • Alfred Miller, Center for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology
  • Dolores Meixell, Registrar’s Office
  • Rajan Menon, International Relations
  • Don Miller, Printing and Mailing Services
  • Bruce Moon, International Relations
  • Anthony O’Brien, Economics 
  • James Perez, Parking Services
  • Philip Schaffer, LTS Technology Managers
  • Walter Trimble, Journalism and Communications
  • Eric Varley, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
  • Margaret Weber, Career Services
  • Roland Yoshida, Education and Human Services 

Employees in attendance who attained 25 years of service were also honored:

  • Donna Ball – Education and Human Services
  • Miltos Hatalis – Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Kathy Katcher – Wilbur Powerhouse
  • Barbara Kessler – Chemical Engineering
  • Jerome Licini – Physics
  • Pamela Mongi – Art, Architecture and Design
  • Henry Odi – Provost’s Office
  • Daniel Ou-Yang – Physics
  • Susan Sherer – Department of Management
  • John Smith – History
  • Diane Snyder – Development Office
  • Chava Weissler – Religion Studies

The event program listed those who received 2012-13 spot bonus awards, those who received 2012 Tradition of Excellence individual and team awards, and those who received recognition awards for playing key roles in managing the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. In addition, 19 faculty and staff who passed away during the past year were also remembered.
More photos and coverage of the 2013 Faculty and Staff Awards will be included in the June issue of Spotlight.