Photos by Janet Rogers, Division of Strategic Marketing and Communications
Faculty, staff cited for achievements
They made headlines for scientific discoveries and ingenious inventions, for classroom innovations and memorable performances. But the comments from students in the classroom and fellow teachers won the day, identifying 21 faculty and staff members for outstanding contributions to students, the community and the teaching fraternity.
The occasion was Celebrating Excellence, the 4th annual faculty/staff awards ceremony, presented April 11 in Pierson Auditorium to recognize innovative staff members and instructors. Mini-fan clubs formed at each table, cheering and whistling when their honorees crossed the stage to receive a plaque and a congratulatory handshake.
Provost Gail Hackett welcomed honorees, their families and other special guests, saying, “The success of our students and our growing reputation rest on the good names and good works of UMKC’s teachers, researchers and staff members. This is our opportunity to let our talented people know how proud we are.
“Today’s ceremony recognizes outstanding work in teaching, research and service; but in reality, there are no dividing lines. As teachers, we are serving. Our research labs are also our classrooms, and our research benefits the community.”
The awards presented included:
Human Resources Campus Collaboration Staff Award, recognizing sustained contributions and a commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity at UMKC, signaling the university’s commitment to diversity as a core value, as well as an enterprise which benefits the entire campus: Mercedes Tillman, Administrative Associate 1, School of Nursing and Health Studies.
Student Affairs Student Mentor Staff Award, recognizing a UMKC Staff Member who has made significant contributions to higher education through exceptional student mentoring: Kimberly Johnson, Executive Staff Assistant to the Chancellor, Office of the Chancellor.
Chancellor’s Education First Staff Award, recognizing a UMKC staff member who has made significant contributions to higher education through exceptional service, as consistently demonstrated throughout their work performance: Alicen Lundberg, Administrative Assistant, Department of Art and Art History.
Chancellor’s True Unsung Hero Award, recognizing behind-the-scenes staff members who go above and beyond the call of duty to improve the UMKC experience for students, co-workers, faculty and/or constituents: Jean Klosterman, Special Assistant to the Dean, School of Law.
Staff Council Dedication Award, recognizing a UMKC Staff Council member who consistently participates in Staff Council activities above and beyond the call of duty and exceptionally and consistently demonstrates dedication to making UMKC the workplace of choice for all staff: Kevin Sansberry, Senior Human Resources Specialist, Department of Human Resources.
UMKC Alumni Association – Elmer F. Pierson Outstanding Teaching Awards, recognizing outstanding faculty members in each of the Schools of Law, Dentistry, Medicine and Management. The awards reflect UMKC’s philosophy that its reputation, and the success of its students, depends on the quality of its faculty; and that meaningful recognition of faculty excellence encourages superior teaching and research at UMKC.
- School of Law: Judith Frame Wiseman, Teaching Professor
- School of Dentistry: Keerthana Satheesh, Assistant Professor, Department of Periodontics
- School of Medicine: Julie Wright Banderas, Professor and Assistant Dean, Department of Internal Medicine
- Bloch School of Management: Brent Never, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Affairs
Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, recognizing teaching excellence among UMKC non-tenured faculty: Eric Wombwell, Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Pharmacy.
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring, recognizing a UMKC graduate faculty advisor with a long-established career at the University who has made significant contributions to higher education through exceptional mentoring: Ashim Mitra, Curator’s Professor of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy.
Chancellor’s Early Career Award for Excellence in Teaching, recognizing UMKC assistant professors who have achieved excellence in teaching early in their professional careers: Leigh Salzsieder, Assistant Professor, Department of Accounting, Henry W. Bloch
School of Management.
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, recognizing teaching excellence among UMKC clinical and teaching faculty: Larry Garrison, Professor of Accounting
Department of Accounting, Henry W. Bloch School of Management.
Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, given to an outstanding faculty member from each participating higher education institution in the state. It honors the recipient’s effective teaching and advising, service to the community, commitment to high standards of excellence and success in nurturing student achievement: Simon Friedman, Professor, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy.
N.T. Veatch Award for Distinguished Research and Creative Activity, recognizing distinguished research and other scholarly or creative activity achieved by UMKC faculty: Reza Derakhshani, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, School of Computing and Engineering.
N.T. Veatch Award for Distinguished Research and Creative Activity, recognizing distinguished research and other scholarly or creative activity achieved by UMKC faculty: Anthony Caruso, Associate Professor, Department of Physics, College of Arts and Sciences.
Trustees Faculty Fellowship Award, recognizing outstanding faculty who have distinguished themselves through scholarship and creativity, and whose research is known nationally and internationally: Sarah Dallas, Professor, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences, School of Dentistry.
Trustees Faculty Scholar Award, recognizing faculty members who show exceptional promise for outstanding future research and/or creative accomplishments: Jannette Berkley-Patton, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences.
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Community Engagement, recognizing faculty, staff, units and campus organizations that have made engagement with the community a central aspect of their approach to student learning and scholarship: Department of Architecture, Urban Planning + Design.
Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Diversity, recognizing sustained contributions and an active commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity at UMKC, signaling the university’s commitment to diversity as a core value as well as an enterprise which benefits the entire campus: Stuart Hinds, Director of Special Collections, Miller Nichols Library, University Libraries.
Chancellor’s Award for Career Contributions to the University, recognizing a person who has made significant contributions to higher education at UMKC over the course of his or her career and has significantly enhanced the mission of the University: Ray Coveney, Professor Emeritus, Department of Geosciences, College of Arts & Sciences.