Faculty Awards and Honors

Purpose:

This award recognizes and honors an Oakland University faculty member who has made a significant contribution or has provided exemplary leadership in supporting service learning and/or community-engaged scholarship. The award recognizes and honors faculty who helped advance OU’s community engagement goal.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, the nominee must be a full- or part-time faculty member at OU who has been involved in supporting service learning and/or community engaged scholarship activities.

Selection Criteria:

Faculty members nominated for this award will have demonstrated excellence in one or both of the following areas:

• Service and/or community-based activity: These include course-based experiences that promote learning through community service, service-learning activities, or engagement with community partners.
• Community-based scholarship: Research, scholarship or creative activity that investigates, analyzes, addresses, or engages with a particular community issue or need.

Nomination and Selection Process:

• Any full- or part-time faculty member may be nominated by another faculty member, staff member, administrator, or community partner who is familiar with the nominee’s work and contribution to community-based activity.
• Faculty may also self-nominate.
• Complete the nomination form by TBD and submit no later than 5 p.m.
• The Community Engagement Awards Committee will review all submissions and make a selection to be announced publicly at the Faculty Recognition Luncheon on Founder’s Day.

Staff Excellence Award in Community Engagement

Purpose:

This award recognizes and honors an Oakland University staff member who has made a significant contribution or has provided exemplary leadership in supporting community-based activity. The award recognizes and honors staff members who build or advance OU’s reputation with off-campus communities and to advance OU’s community engagement goal. These contributions will be above and beyond the staff member’s normal duties and responsibilities as an OU employee.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, the nominee must be a staff member at OU who has been involved in supporting community-based activities.

Selection Criteria:

Staff members nominated for this award will have demonstrated excellence in at least one of the following areas:

• Working with faculty, staff, students, and/or administrators to support and/or advance community-based initiatives.
• Engaging with community partners to create programs and/or activities that are mutually beneficial for the community and OU.
• Building campus commitment to community-based activity.

Nomination and Selection Process:

• Any full or part-time staff member may be nominated by another staff member, faculty member, administrator, student, or community partner who is familiar with the nominee’s work and contribution to community-based activity.
• Staff may also self-nominate.
• Complete the nomination form by TBD and submit no later than 5 p.m.
• The Community Engagement Awards Committee will review all submissions and make a selection to be announced publicly at the Staff Exemplary Awards Ceremony.

Oakland University Community Partner Award

Purpose:

This award recognizes and honors an Oakland University community partner who has made a significant contribution or has provided exemplary leadership in supporting community engagement activities with the University. The award recognizes and honors community partners who have helped to advance OU’s community engagement goal.

Eligibility:

To be eligible, the nominee must be a community partner that has worked with Oakland University students, faculty, staff, administrators in support of OU’s community engagement activities.

Selection Criteria:

Community partners nominated for this award will have served a vital role in collaboration with OU and will have demonstrated sustained excellence in at least one of the following areas:

• Community-engaged activities: These may include hosting OU student interns, participating in course-based experiences that promote learning through community service, service-learning activities, and/or engagement with OU.
• Community-based scholarship: These may include working with OU faculty and/or students on research, scholarship or creative activity that investigates, analyzes, addresses, or engages with a particular community issue or need.

Nomination and Selection Process:

• Any community partner may be nominated by an OU faculty member, staff member, administrator, student, or another community partner who is familiar with the nominee’s work and contribution to community-based activity.
• Community partners may also self-nominate.
• Complete the nomination form by TBD and submit no later than 5 p.m.
• The Community Engagement Awards Committee will review all submissions and make a selection to be announced publicly.

The Teaching Excellence Award recognizes superior teaching, innovative instructional practice, high educational standards, the creation of productive learning environments, and the ability to inspire and motivate students. Nominations may be made by any member of the Oakland University Community. Nominations are reviewed by the Teaching and Learning Committee.

The Assessment Excellence Award is established to annually recognize a program which models the North Central Association's "culture of assessment" goal by integrating assessment findings with program revisions. The recipient department will receive $5,000 and recognition on a plaque displayed in the lobby of Kresge Library.

General Purpose

Oakland University’s Founders Day University Senate: Ad-Hoc committee on Faculty DEI is seeking nominations for its 2021 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Excellence Faculty Recognition commendation.

The purpose of this this recognition is to honor faculty who have made significant contributions to advancing the OU’s Strategic Goal #4.

Advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in an environment of mutual trust and respect at all levels of the institution and facilitate opportunities and success for all community members.

Any member of the Oakland University faculty, including special instructors and lecturers are eligible to be nominated for this recognition in the areas of research, teaching OR service.

Selection Criteria

Teaching-Related
Candidate has helped to advance OU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)-related efforts through significant contributions and a demonstrated commitment to strategic goal #4 through the development and implementation teaching techniques that meet the needs of diverse and under-represented group in their field of instruction.

Candidate has made significant contribution and demonstrated their commitment to strategic goal #4 through the development and successful implementation of pedagogical practices that create inclusive classroom environments.

Selection criteria:

• Evidence of course design or curricula that meet the needs of educationally disadvantaged students
• Evidence of successful and effective teaching strategies for the educational advancement of students from under-represented groups
• A record of success advising women, LGBTQ, veterans, first generation college students and/or and minority students
• Evidence of active service as faculty advisor for a student group that supports the educational and professional development of under-represented groups on campus (e.g., women, minorities, veterans, first generation college students, LGBTQ, etc).

Research or Other Creative Work
Candidate has made significant scholarly contributions to literature that examines the unique needs and perspectives of diverse and under-represented groups in their field of research. 

Selection Criteria:

• Evidence of a research agenda that focuses on Race, ethnicity, gender, multiculturalism, and inclusion OR evidence of a research agenda that focuses on health disparities, educational access and achievement, political engagement, economic justice, social mobility, civil and human rights as it related to under-represented groups OR evidence of a research agenda related to communities historically excluded by higher education
• Artistic expression and cultural production that reflects culturally diverse communities or voices not well represented in the arts and humanities
• Presentations or performances for under-represented communities

Service-Related
Candidate has helped to advance OU’s diversity related efforts and made significant contributions and demonstrated their commitment to creating and maintain a diverse, equitable and inclusive campus environment through their on-going university, school or department level committee work or by bringing state, national or international recognition to OU’s diversity-related efforts and on-going commitment.

Selection Criteria:

• Evidence of leadership roles in OU’s diversity-related committees, activities, initiatives
• Evidence of engagement with the community (local, national, intern in seminars, conferences, or institutes that address the concerns of women and under-represented minorities
• Evidence of election or appointment to office, or undertaking service to professional and learning societies, including editorial work, or peer reviewing for a national or international organization addressing disparities in access to higher education
• Evidence of selection for special public service activities or talks within a field that addresses the needs of under-represented or culturally diverse groups
• Evidence of participation in professional or scientific associations or meetings, and presentation of papers related to the needs of communities historically excluded from higher education

Potential Candidates for this award will be identified and submitted by the unit’s Dean for recognition at the Founders Day event.

Selection Process

• Individual members of the University Senate: Ad-Hoc committee on Faculty DEI will rank nominees according to the above criteria.
• At a meeting or meetings called by the Chair of the Faculty DEI-related Award Selection Committee, the Committee will discuss rankings and select faculty for recognition.

The deadline for submitting nominations is March 15, 2021.

General Purpose

The Phyllis Law Googasian Award honors and recognizes women who have contributed to the advancement of women at Oakland University and beyond through distinguished leadership, scholarship, advocacy, mentoring, program development or other activities.

Eligible Nominees

Any member of the Oakland University faculty (including special instructors and lecturers), administrators, administrative professionals, and other staff members

Eligible Nominators

Nominations are welcome from any University employee

Nomination Form

The Googasian Award nomination form is now available. Nominations are due to the committee on March 1, 2022.

Googasian Award Committee Composition

The Committee shall be composed of current members of the ACE Network Steering Committee

Criteria for Selection

1. The candidate shall have demonstrated significant contributions to the development of the status of women.
2. The candidate shall have demonstrated exceptional leadership through professional accomplishments or notable scholarship
3. The candidate must be able to attend the Award ceremony in person
4. All nominees will be asked to provide documentation in support of their nomination

Selection Process

1. Individual members of the Googasian Award Committee will rank nominees according to the above criteria. These rankings will be tabulated to identify the top candidates for consideration.
2. At a meeting or meetings called by the Chair of the Googasian Award Committee, the Committee will discuss rankings and select a winner.
3. There will be one winner per year.

Emeriti professors continue to be involved in service activities and scholarly activities on behalf of Oakland University and we gratefully appreciate their valuable contributions. To assist and encourage the scholarly pursuits of our colleagues, the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost has established a fund to support travel to professional meetings. Up to five emeriti professors will be supported each year to travel to a conference or equivalent professional/scholarly function within their discipline, to either a) attend the meeting/function for the purpose of expanding their knowledge, or b) deliver a scholarly presentation based upon their past or current work. In both cases they will bring recognition to the University and offer the potential for sharing knowledge with current faculty and students.

Emeriti professors should submit a letter of interest to the Provost to request these funds. The letter should specify the name and dates of the meeting and specify if the purpose of the travel is to attend or to present. If it is to present, the title of the presentation should be provided.

Funding will be provided in the amount of up to $750 to colleagues who present at meetings and up to $500 to those who attend and participate. Receipts will be needed to process these payments.

• Excellence in Teaching Award
• URC New Investigator Research Excellence Award and URC Research Excellence Award
• Honorary Degrees

2022
Andrea Eis
Department: English

Virgil Zeigler-Hill
Department: Psychology

Announcement

2021
David Garfinkle
Department: Physics

Zissimos Mourelatos
Department: Mechanical Engineering

Barbara Oakley
Department:  Industrial & Systems Engineering

2020
Linda Pavonetti
Department: Education

Karen Sheridan
Department: Theatre

Vijayan Sugumaran
Department: Decision and Information Science

2019
John-Paul White
Department: Music

Lianxiang Yang
Department: Engineering

Xiangqun Zeng
Department: Chemistry

2018
Frank Giblin
Department: Eye Research Institute

Terri L. Orbuch
Department: Sociology

2017
Yang Xia
Department: Physics

2016
Todd Shackelford
Department: Psychology

Maria Bryant
Department: Chemistry

2015
Jacqueline Wiggins
Department: Music, Theatre and Dance

Edward Hoeppner
Department: English

Meir Shillor
Department: Mathematics and Statistics

2014
Not Awarded

2013
Andrei Slavin
Department: Physics

2012
Sayed Nassar
Department: Mechanical Engineering

2011
Eddie Cheng
Department: Mathematics and Statistics

2010
Gopalan Srinivasan
Department: Physics

2009
Judith K. Brown
Department: Anthropology

2008
Not Awarded

2007
Robert C. Finucane
Department: History

2006
Not Awarded

2005
Michael D. Sevilla
Department: Chemistry

2004
Robert T. Eberwein
Department: English

Michael Chopp
Department: Physics

2003
Paul Tomboulian
Department: Chemistry

2002
Jane D. Eberwein
Department: English

Ronald L. Cramer
Department: Education

Sheldon L. Appleton
Department: Political Science

2001 and Prior
Gertrude M. White
Department: English

Venkat N. Reddy
Department: Eye Research Institute

Jack R. Moeller
Department: German Language

Laszlo J. Hetenyi
Department: Education

Karl D. Gregory
Department: Economics and Management

We formally recognize these faculty members whose teaching and research excellence, creative achievements and community service have contributed to the betterment of society. 

College of Arts and Sciences

Lori Ostergaard - Department of Writing and Rhetoric – Research

Ami Harbin - Department of Philosophy – Research

Colin Wu - Department of Chemistry– Research

Luis Villa-Diaz - Department of Biological Sciences – Research

Martha Escobar - Department of Psychology – Service

Kapila Clara Castoldi - Department of Physics – Teaching

Andrea Kozak - Department of Psychology – Teaching

Lauri Hogle - School of Music, Theatre and Dance – Teaching

Angineh Djavadghazaryans - Department of Modern Languages and Literature – Teaching

Andrea Wenz - Department of History – Teaching

Jason Overfelt - Department of Linguistics – Service


School of Business Administration

Ahmad Sobhani - Department of Decision and Information Sciences – Research

Yazan Roumani - Department of Decision and Information Sciences – Teaching

Terry J. (T.J.) Wharton - Department of Decision and Information Sciences – Service


School of Education and Human Services

Robert Martin - Department of Organizational Leadership – Service

Ashley Branson - Department of Counseling – Teaching

John McEneaney - Department of Reading and Language Arts – Service


School of Engineering and Computer Science

Wing-Yue Geoffrey Louie - Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering – Research

Doug Zytko - Department of Computer Science and Engineering – Teaching

Zhijun (Jason) Wu - Department of Mechanical Engineering – Service


School of Health Sciences

Christopher Wilson - Department of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences – Research


School of Nursing

Gary Moore – Teaching


School of Medicine

Douglas Gould - Department of Foundational Medical Studies – Service


Eye Research Institute

Andrew Goldberg


Distinguished Professor

David Garfinkle -  Department of Physics

Zissimos Mourelatos - Department of Mechanical Engineering

Barbara Oakley -  Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering


Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award

Albert Meehan - Department of Sociology, Anthropology, Social Work, and Criminal Justice


Assessment Award

Department of Management and Marketing - Capstone Course MGT 4350:  Management Strategies and Policies


Research Excellence Award

Randal Westrick - Department of Biological Sciences – Research


New Investigator Research Excellence Award

Julian Rrushi - Department of Computer Science and Engineering - Research


Excellence in Teaching Award

Shaun Moore - Department of Decision and Information Science


Online Teaching Excellence Award

Charlene Hayden - Department of Chemistry


Teaching Excellence Award

Chiaoning Su - Department of Communication, Journalism and Public Relations


Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award

Jason Wasserman - Department of Foundational Medical Studies


Community Engagement Award

Rebecca Gaydos -  Department of Linguistics