Several members of the campus community received awards and recognition during the Loyola University New Orleans' Spring 2013 President's Convocation for faculty and staff on Jan. 11.
Patricia Dorn, Ph.D., professor of biological sciences, was awarded Loyola’s top faculty honor, the 2012 Dux Academicus Award, which is awarded annually to a Loyola faculty member who has demonstrated noteworthy leadership, has exemplified outstanding teaching and scholarship, and has made significant contributions to the Loyola community.
University Senate Awards were presented by professor of English Barbara C. Ewell, Ph.D., chair of the University Senate, and assistant professor of nursing Gwen George, D.N.P., FNP-BC, chair of the University Senate Awards Committee. Awards were given in four categories: community service, advising, research and teaching. Recipients were nominated by faculty members, staff or students and were selected based on their superior performances in their particular area and on the strength of the nomination letters.
Senate Award Recipients:
- Naomi Yavneh, Ph.D., director, University Honors Program, University Senate Award for Advising
- Kendall Eskine, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, University Senate Award for Research
- John Sebastian, Ph.D., associate professor of English, University Senate Award for Service
- Lawrence Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, University Senate Award for Teaching
2013 Marquette Fellowships, which are awarded to support full-time research or creative work over the summer, were also announced at convocation. All fellows receive stipends to support two months of full-time work on scholarly or creative projects.
Fellows and their projects include:
- Mark Gossiaux, Ph.D., director of the Catholic Studies Program and associate professor of philosophy, “God and Creatures: The Medieval Catholic Worldview of James of Viterbo”
- Denis Janz, Ph.D., the Provost Distinguished Professor of the History of Christianity, “Luther’s De captivitate Babylonica: A New Translation, with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary”
- Lynn V. Koplitz, Ph.D., the Earl and Gertrude Vicknair Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, “New C7H7N2X Crystal Structures and Computed Non-Covalent Interaction Energies for Supramolecular Design”
- Carol Ann MacGregor, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology, “School’s Out Forever: The Decline of Catholic Education in the United States”
- Laura Murphy, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, “The New Slave Narrative”
- Jai Shanata, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, “Are Functional Enzymes Found in Cell Membranes”
- Jeremy Thibodeaux, Ph.D., assistant professor of mathematics, “Developing a Mathematical Model of Dengue Infection”
- Bill Walkenhorst, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, “The Effects of pH and Ionic Strength on the Effectiveness of Antimicrobial Peptides”
- Timothy Welsh, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, “Mixed Realism: A Theory of Fiction for Wired Culture”
The Ignatian Faculty Fellows program was first developed by Vice President for Mission and Ministry, the Rev. Ted Dziak, S.J., and John Sebastian, Ph.D., associate professor of English. The program allows each fellow to engage with the life of Ignatius and the early history of the Jesuits and are asked to revise a course in light of these reflections such that it explicitly engages with the mission of the university.
Ignatian Faculty Fellows:
- Alice Clark, Ph.D., associate professor of music history and coordinator of music history and literature
- Anna Duggar, director of forensic chemistry
- Gwen George, D.N.P., FNP-BC, assistant professor of nursing
- Elizabeth Goodine, Ph.D., instructor of religious studies
- Lawrence Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology
- Artemis Preeshl, associate professor of theatre arts
- Lori Ranner, lecturer of history
- Joelle Underwood, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry
- Naomi Yavneh, Ph.D., director of university honors
The following faculty were presented with 25 Year Service Awards at convocation:
- Kurt A. Birdwhistell, Ph.D., professor of chemistry
- Wing M. Fok, Ph.D., Henry J. Engler Jr. Distinguished Professor in Management
- William J. Kitchens, chair, Department of Art and Design; associate professor of printmaking
- Lynn V. Koplitz, Ph.D., Earl and Gertrude Vicknair Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
- Duane A. Randall, Ph.D., the Rev. John F. Keller, S.J., Distinguished Professorship in Mathematics
- Connie L. Rodriguez, Ph.D., associate professor of languages and cultures
- Josefa Salmón, Ph.D., Rev. Guy Lemieux, S.J. SAK Distinguished Professor of Spanish and Latin American Studies
- James L. Wee, Ph.D., Provost Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences