Augusta University celebrates its outstanding faculty

Each year, the outstanding faculty at Augusta University are recognized and honored for their contributions and achievements both within the walls of their classrooms and out in the community.

Teaching Excellence Awards

Four Teaching Excellence Awards are given annually to praise the excellence of the university’s educators and educational programs. This year’s winner of the AU Program Teaching Excellence Award is the Department of Communication in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

The department was nominated for “consistently empowering students with knowledge, skills, and values that transcend academia and make them exceptionally successful in the workforce. A compelling measure of its triumph is the remarkable employment placements our students secure upon leaving Augusta University.”

The Individual Teaching Excellence Award was given to A.B. Osborne in the Department of Art and Design in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

Osborne was nominated for his “passion for animation, which is palpable in every course he teaches, a sentiment acknowledged by his students. They appreciate his personalized guidance in shaping their career objectives and value the constructive feedback he provides to aid in their development.”

“It’s easy to doubt yourself with all this change, but this award means I must be doing something right,” Osborne said. “I hold my students to a high standard, but I also do everything I can to support them and keep classes fun. I’m thrilled I’ve built something that resonates with students. If I’m doing well, it’s because I have a great support system – I’ve got students who want to learn and be challenged, I’ve got an amazing family that keeps me going and I’m succeeding because I’m surrounded by fantastic faculty, staff and administration who make this place a joy to work at.”

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award was presented to Cyndy Epps in the Department of Art and Design in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

In her nomination letter, Epps was described as “an enthusiastic practitioner of experiential learning. She uses problem-based learning to ensure students in her studio classes experience real-world scenarios. In her art appreciation course, Ms. Epps employs active learning pedagogy while ensuring she gives voice and agency to diverse student opinions.”

“Receiving this award was honestly very humbling,” Epps said. “I love my students and work hard to do what I can to help them thrive. If I see an opportunity that I think can make me better at what I do or make them better at what they are trying to do, I pursue it. It just seems like the right thing to do. I feel very blessed to be recognized for these efforts, especially when there are so many at this University who are doing such great things. This award is a tremendous honor.”

The Online Teaching Excellence Award went to Giada Biasetti, PhD, from the Department of English and World Languages in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

“One of the key attributes that sets Dr. Biasetti apart is her utilization of active learning approaches,” her nomination letter stated. “She goes the extra mile to ensure that her students are not passive recipients of information but active participants in their own education. She incorporates various active learning methods into all her online courses, which include tasks such as video creation, responding to classmates’ discussion posts, participation in group assignments, and conducting research. Her dedication to active learning is a testament to her belief in the power of practical, hands-on experiences in the learning process.”

“Receiving this award is very important to me because it highlights how successful an online language course can be when using innovative and creative methodologies for online learning,” Biasetti said. “Many of the experiential learning projects that I assign in my classes were possible precisely because of the online component. The online component made the accessibility, frequency of interactions, level of feedback and international participation easier, thus allowing me to state that the quality of some of these projects would not have been the same had it not been for the virtual component. To get this award means it is proof that online teaching and learning is very powerful and more than possible; learning can happen from anywhere and at any time.”

Bell Research Award

The 2024 winner of the Louis K. Bell Research Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions in research over the past two years, is Jenelle Slavin-Mulford, PhD.

“The research that I have conducted with my students and colleagues is geared toward improving clinical care as it relates to psychological assessment and psychotherapy. It means a lot to know that our work has an impact both in terms of student growth through participation in the research as well as direct positive impact on psychological clinical care,” Slavin-Mulford said. “I love this job because I love the people. I really appreciate my students and colleagues for making this such a great place to work.”

Wallace Service Award

The 2024 winner of the Richard S. Wallace Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes distinguished service to the university, students and community, is Amber Routh.

“I don’t help students for an award, but I appreciate my colleagues who nominated me, and I feel honored to join the ranks of past Wallace winners – many of whom I admire,” Routh said. “I want to keep helping new students reach their goals, and I love when the former students I’ve helped become community partners helping the next generation of students.”

Outstanding Faculty Awards

The winners of the Outstanding Faculty Awards, Augusta University’s highest honor for faculty in the university’s 11 colleges and schools, were announced during the celebration. These awards celebrate superior accomplishments in teaching, scholarship or creative activity and service.

The winners for 2024 are Vanessa Everett, DPT, for the College of Allied Health Sciences; Kim Barker, PhD, for the College of Education and Human Development; Shannon Broxton, DNP, for the College of Nursing; Joseph Hauger, PhD, for the College of Science and Mathematics; Allison Buchanan, DMD, for the Dental College of Georgia; Stacy Roberts, DBA, for the Hull College of Business; Jennifer Sullivan, PhD, for the Medical College of Georgia; Wesley Meares, PhD, for the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Michael Nowatkowski, PhD, for the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences; Ashwini Tiwari, PhD, for the School of Public Health; David Fulton, PhD, for The Graduate School; and Thomas Weeks for the University Libraries.

For many of these educators, their interactions with the students are the most important aspect of their jobs.

“I love the students! I love building healthy, professional relationships with my students and using the gifts God gave me to instill knowledge and wisdom they can carry throughout life. I love watching them develop and reach their educational and professional goals,” Roberts said. “It is a blessing to positively impact students and assist in their growth. I am grateful for this award and appreciate the acknowledgement. I love to teach and work with students. I am thankful to work in a department where I can be creative, strategic, and be supported in impacting students. It means a lot to have a job you love and the support necessary to do it effectively.”

Hers is a sentiment echoed by Sullivan, dean of The Graduate School and a professor in the Department of Physiology in the Medical College of Georgia.

“I have always been committed to working with students and helping them reach their goals. In my role as dean of The Graduate School, I have the opportunity to work with my team in TGS, students, faculty and leadership across AU to improve the graduate student experience and advocate for the needs of the graduate community,” she said. “In the lab, I have the freedom to pursue my research passions, train undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees in biomedical research, and collaborate with amazing scientists. In both cases, it is the people that I get to work with that make AU such a great place to work.”

For some, being nominated and recognized by their peers is affirmation of the job they do every day.

“There are many talented and dedicated faculty in the college, so it is quite humbling to even be nominated for such an award,” Hauger said.

“This award is an incredible honor, and I am so appreciative and grateful. It has given me confidence in my abilities as an educator and motivated me to continue to strive toward being an effective, caring teacher and a collaborative team member,” Everett said. “I just wanted to thank my colleagues in the Department of Physical Therapy and Colleen Hergott, DPT, our department chair, for this nomination. It means so much that they would recognize me in this way.”

Provost Learning Scholars

New to this year’s ceremony was the recognition of the Provost Learning Scholars, which celebrated the dedication and exceptional leadership of faculty members within the Provost Learning Communities. These communities are small groups, led by the Provost Learning Scholars, that meet regularly throughout the year to explore teaching and learning topics with peers across campus. 

The inaugural class of Provost Learning Scholars includes: 

• Brian Armstrong, PhD, associate professor in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, who focused on the topic of “When Bad Thinking Happens to Good People: How Philosophy Can Save Us from Ourselves”  
• Ashley Christman, assistant professor in the College of Allied Health Sciences, who focused on the topic of “Developing the Whole Person Through High Impact Practices” 
• Elizabeth Culatta, PhD, assistant professor in the Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, who focused on the topic of “Transparency in Learning and Teaching” 
• Bill Hamilton, EDD, assistant dean and associate professor in the College of Nursing, who focused on the topic of “The Power of Collaboration: Using Instructional Rounds to Solve Problems of Practice (College of Nursing)” 
• Catherine Jauregui, PhD, assistant professor in the Dental College of Georgia, who focused on the topic of “The Teaching and Assessment of Critical Thinking”   
• Daniel Kaminstein, MD, assistant dean and professor in the Medical College of Georgia, who focused on the topic of “Coaching Techniques for Teaching and Learning”  
• Simon Medcalfe, PhD, professor in the Hull College of Business, who focused on the topic of “Undergraduate Research (Multidisciplinary)”   
• Rhia Moreno, PhD, assistant professor in the College of Education and Human Development, who focused on the topic of “Future Faculty”  
• Stacie Pettit, PhD, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, who focused on the topic of “Active Learning in Higher Education”  
• Laura Rychly, EDD, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development, who focused on the topic of “Being Warm Demanders”  
• Catherine Slade, PhD, professor in the Hull College of Business, who focused on the topic of “Small Teaching: Making Simple Changes in Our Courses for a Big Difference in Student Learning” 
• Karen Wiles, PhD, assistant professor in the Medical College of Georgia, who focused on the topic of “Growth Mindset”

Excellence in Service-Learning Faculty Award

Also new this year was the Excellence in Service-Learning Faculty Award, which lauds a faculty member who has made outstanding contributions in the areas of service learning and community-engaged work while working closely with a community partner to integrate community-engaged principles, practices and pedagogies into their course.

Nominated by Michelle Cox-Henley, DNP, this year’s winner is Pamela Cromer, DNP, from the College of Nursing, a primary developer and organizer for several large community projects, including the Costa Layman Women’s Health Initiative, the Healthy Grandparent Program and the Horizon Truck Driver Clinic. She has expanded these initiatives to also include interdisciplinary students and colleagues.

Provost Fellows

The 2023-2024 Provost Fellows, Candis Bond, PhD, and Vahe Heboyan, PhD, were recognized for their year of service and their contributions to the university as Provost Fellows.

“Being a Provost Faculty Fellow really is an experience #LikeNoOther,” said Bond, associate professor in the Department of English and World Languages and director of the Center for Writing Excellence. “You gain insight into university operations and decision-making that is impossible to learn any other way. Dr. MacKinnon and the members of Provost Operations Management Team (POMT) are patient mentors who want to support you as you learn the ropes of university administration and test out different pathways.

“I highly recommend that any faculty member who is looking to explore a future in administration at any level consider applying for the program,” she continued. “Even if you do not end up moving into administration, it will add a new depth of knowledge to your role as a faculty member and will empower you to better support your colleagues and students.”

Heboyan was able to gain leadership abilities due to this experience, which provided him with a “genuine” leadership development opportunity.

“I definitely have a much better understanding of how decisions are made at the AU leadership level and what goes into such complex decision-making,” said Heboyan, associate professor in the Health Management, Economics, and Policy Department in the School of Public Health and director of the Health and Behavioral Economics Research Lab. “I am certain that the knowledge and skills, as well as internal and external networks gained through this fellowship, will be valuable in my future leadership endeavors. Overall, this was an exciting one-of-a-kind opportunity, and I am grateful to the provost and his entire team for making this possible.”

Retirees

The ceremony also recognized those who retired over the last year: Malorie Novak, DPT, PhD, with 12 years of service from the College of Allied Health Sciences; Pamela P. Cook, DNP, with more than 26 years of service, and Deborah A. Smith, DNP, with more than 22 years of service from the College of Nursing; Donna J. Wear, PhD, with more than 27 years of service from the College of Science and Mathematics; Worku Abebe, PhD, with more than 24 years of service, Eladio DeLeon Jr., DMD, with more than 25 years of service and Michael Pruett, DMD, with 25 years of service from the Dental College of Georgia; James M. Grayson, PhD, with 31 years of service from the Hull College of Business; David Bogorad, MD, with 21 years of service, Preston D. Conger Jr., MD, with 25 years of service, Phillip Coule, MD, with 26 years of service, Ramon E. Figueroa Ortiz, MD, with 36 years of service, Stephen W. Looney, PhD, with 17 years of service, James E. Sinex, MD with 25 years of service, Sylvia B. Smith, PhD, with 22 years of service, Jennifer L. Waller, PhD, with 25 years of service, Mong-Heng Wang, PhD, with 20 years of service, and Hadyn T. Williams, MD, with 21 years of service from the Medical College of Georgia; and Michael Schwartz, PhD, with 32.5 years of service from Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences.