Augusta University celebrates and honors outstanding faculty members

Augusta University and the Office of Faculty Affairs recently held a Celebration of Faculty event to honor those who make an impact on the university and on their students each and every day.

During the ceremony, faculty who have retired in the past year were honored. The university also presented teaching awards, announced those receiving tenure and other faculty members who received promotion.

“Each and every faculty member at Augusta University contributes to the foundation of our university,” said President Brooks A. Keel, PhD. “Their commitment to student success, innovative research and community engagement is an inspiration to our entire campus. As we celebrate our faculty, remember that for these dedicated educators, this work is not just a job, but a calling. Our faculty are shaping future leaders, and the impact they make on our students’ lives is immeasurable.”

Outstanding Faculty Award recipients across the university include:

• Lance Hunter, PhD, associate professor in Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
• Dinesh Hasija, PhD, associate professor in Hull College of Business
• Deborah Jehu, PhD, assistant professor in the College of Allied Health Sciences
• Weiming Xiang, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences
• Deborah Smith, PhD, program director in the College of Nursing
• Craig Albert, PhD, professor in The Graduate School
• Siva Panda, PhD, associate professor in the College of Science and Mathematics
• Tonya Dority, librarian instructor
• Meredith Rausch, PhD, associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development
• Linah Shahoumi, PhD, assistant professor in the Dental College of Georgia
• Xin-Yun Lu, PhD, department chair in the Medical College of Georgia

Hunter was also honored and named the winner of the Louis K. Bell Research Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions in the area of research and publication.

“There are so many amazing faculty members at the university doing groundbreaking research,” said Hunter. “Winning the award and being part of that is extremely humbling. I am honored to be considered alongside them. I consider myself very fortunate in that I am able to make a living researching issues that I care about and feel are important; not everyone has that opportunity.

“Being rewarded for that makes me even more appreciative of the opportunity, and I would like to continue to pursue my research and see where it leads in the future. One exciting part of the research process for me is seeing how new ideas and findings can take me in directions that I hadn’t thought of before. I am excited to continue that journey.”

Martha Ginn, PhD, professor in the Department of Social Sciences in Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, was named the winner of the Richard S. Wallace Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes distinguished service to the university, the students and the community.

“Just being nominated for this award by my chair, William Hatcher, PhD, meant a great deal to me,” said Ginn. “I have so many excellent colleagues who go the extra mile in service, so I know it was difficult to choose just one of us to nominate. I honestly did not expect to win because I focused my application more on service to students, particularly emotional support during the past few difficult years. I was not sure that really fit the parameters of the award, but that is where I feel called to serve.

“Being selected helps validate that Augusta University really cares about supporting our students throughout all their challenges here, and that makes me even more motivated to continue this important work.”