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2022-2023 All-University Awards Recipients 

The Office of Faculty and Academic Staff Development is proud to share the slate of 2022-2023 All-University Award Recipients. Those selected for the William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award, Teacher-Scholar Awards, Excellence-in-Teaching Citations, Distinguished Academic Staff Award, Simmons Chivukula Award for Academic Leadership, Community Engagement Scholarship Award, Robert F. Banks Award for Institutional Leadership, President’s Distinguished Teaching Award, Donald F. Koch Award for Quality in Undergraduate Teaching, and Faculty Emeriti Association Award for “Outstanding Contributions by an Individual or Team of Faculty" are indicated on the provost’s honorifics website. 

These internal awards are an integral part of recognizing the excellent work of MSU’s faculty, academic specialists, graduate students, and executive leaders. The work of each award selection committee to review all of the exceptional nominees and participate in a discussion on recommendation of recipients are vital to this acknowledgement. The time and commitment that these faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, academic specialists and academic leaders put into these committees is nothing short of extraordinary, and for that, we thank them tremendously.  

We look forward to the annual All-University Awards Convocation on Monday, May 8, 3:30-5:30 pm at the Kellogg Center to formally recognize these outstanding award recipients.

Awards Program

William J. Beal Outstanding Faculty Award 

Awards are based on a comprehensive and sustained record of scholarly excellence in research and/or creative activities, instruction, and outreach.

  • Tracey Covassin, Kinesiology, College of Education 
  • Dimitar Deliyski, Communicative Sciences and Disorders, College of Communication Arts & Sciences 
  • Peilei Fan, School of Planning, Design and Construction, College of Social Science/College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
  • William Hart-Davidson, Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures, College of Arts & Letters 
  • Robert Maleczka, Chemistry, College of Natural Science 
  • Katheryn Meek, Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine 
  • Kevin Sedatole, Instrumental Conducting, College of Music 
  • Xiaobo Tan, Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering 
  • Angela K. Wilson, Chemistry, College of Natural Science 
  • Irene Xagoraraki, Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering 

Teacher-Scholar Award 

These awards are presented to faculty who have earned the respect of students and colleagues early in their careers for their
devotion to and skill in teaching and whose instruction is linked to and informed by their research and creative activities.

  • Daniel Ahlquist, James Madison College 
  • Melissa Charenko, Lyman Briggs College 
  • Janet Hauck, Kinesiology, College of Education 
  • Nazita Lajevardi, Political Science, College of Social Science 
  • Jane Manfredi, Pathobiology and Diagnostic Investigation, College of Veterinary Medicine 
  • Divya Victor, English, College of Arts & Letters 

Distinguished Academic Staff Award 

These awards are given to academic specialists and MSU Extension academic staff for extraordinary achievements, excellence, and exceptional contributions in advising, curriculum development, outreach, extension, research, and/or teaching.

  • Katy Luchini Colbry, College of Engineering 
  • Erica Colón, Human Development and Family Studies, College of Social Science 
  • Bess German, Honors College 
  • Michael Staton, MSUE/College of Agriculture and Natural Resources   

Excellence-in-Teaching Citations 

These citations are awarded to graduate teaching assistants who have distinguished themselves by the care they have given and the skill they have shown in meeting their classroom responsibilities.

  • Steven Gagnon, Linguistics, Languages, and Cultures, College of Arts & Letters 
  • T.J. Mesyn, School of Journalism, College of Communication Arts & Sciences 
  • William Poulos, Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 
  • Joseph Riedy, Biological Sciences Program, College of Natural Science 
  • Jonathan Spiegler, Political Science, College of Social Science 
  • Meredith Wekesser, Kinesiology, College of Education  

Community Engagement Scholarship Award 

This award is given in recognition of mutually beneficial and sustained campus–community research partnerships.

  • Maria Lapinski, Communication, College of Communication Arts & Sciences 
  • Shan Shui Conservation Center, Represented by: Lu Zhi   

President's Distinguished Teaching Award 

This award is given to faculty who have created innovative teaching environments that enable student learning within and
across disciplinary, cultural, and ethnic boundaries.

  • Susan Masten, Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering 

Simmons Chivukula Award for Academic Leadership 

The Simmons Chivukula Award is given for exemplary work in academic leadership at the rank of department chair, school director, assistant dean, or associate dean. An individual is selected based on consistent and demonstrated excellence in academic leadership, including the dimensions of equity, diversity, and inclusion.

  • Kirk Domer, Theatre, College of Arts & Letters 

Robert F. Banks Award for Institutional Leadership 

This award is presented to a member of the faculty, academic staff, or support staff in recognition of extraordinary and sustained institutional leadership that advances MSU’s commitment to connectivity, quality, and inclusion.

  • Leo Kempel, Dean's Office, College of Engineering 

Donald F. Koch Award for Quality in Undergraduate Teaching 

In recognition of outstanding undergraduate teaching.

  • Jaideep Taggart Singh, Physics and Astronomy, College of Natural Science/FRIB 
     

Faculty Emeriti Association Award for “Outstanding Contributions by an Individual or Team of Faculty" 

This award recognizes an individual MSU Faculty Emeritus or Emerita or a team of Emeriti faculty who following retirement have served the university community through contributions to a unit or program.

  • Laura Dillon, Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering 
  • Tim Mrozowski, School of Planning, Design and Construction, College of Social Science/College of Agriculture and Natural Resources