Members of the university community who have made outstanding contributions in the classroom, to their disciplines, or for the benefit of the community or the world were honored at a reception held May 2 at the home of President Richard L. McCormick.

The Rutgers Board of Trustees Fellowships for Scholarly Excellence honor faculty members who have recently been promoted with tenure and whose work shows exceptional promise. The fellowship includes a citation and a $2,000 research grant.

Manish Singh, associate professor of psychology, Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science, New Brunswick, was honored for his contributions to the understanding of how the visual system interprets and organizes low-level sensory information, and his ability to combine computation with psychophysics.

Imani Perry, professor of law, School of Law–Camden, was honored for her scholarship in the fields of critical race theory, law, and literature, and the cultural study of law.

David M. Hughes, associate professor of human ecology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, New Brunswick, was recognized for his studies of the issues facing southern African societies, including his work on conservation and national resource management in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

Kimberly DaCosta Holton, associate professor of classical and modern languages and literatures, Newark, was honored for her ethnographic analyses of Portuguese and immigrant culture that combine performance studies and anthropology.

Jochen Hellbeck, associate professor of history, New Brunswick, was honored for his work in Russian, Soviet, and European history, particularly his exploration of Soviet subjectivity and the formation of personality.

Manish Chhowalla, associate professor of materials science and engineering, School of Engineering, New Brunswick, was recognized for his work in the synthesis, characterization, and application of carbon nanotubes and fullerene molecules.

The Rutgers Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research, the university’s highest honor for distinguished research contributions, includes a citation and a check for $1,000.

Lea P. Stewart, professor of communication, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, New Brunswick, was recognized for her contributions to research on health communication, service-learning pedagogy, and language and gender. She also was recognized for her research exploring alcohol use and abuse behaviors among college students.

Alan Prince, professor of linguistics, Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science, New Brunswick, was honored for his work in prosodic phonology and morphology, and in his creation of Optimality Theory which has guided the fields of linguistics and cognitive science.

Elizabeth A. Grosz, professor of women’s and gender studies, New Brunswick, was honored for her scholarship in the fields of philosophy, architecture, and science studies, and her contributions in creating and defining the field of feminist philosophy.

Kate Flint, professor of English, New Brunswick, was honored for her contributions to the cultural and literary history of 19th-century Britain, through her publications that have opened new pathways of research in Victorian studies.

The President’s Award for Research in Service to New Jersey is given to faculty members whose research benefits Garden State citizens. The award includes a citation and a research account of $5,000.

Eileen Appelbaum, professor of labor studies and employment relations, School of Management and Labor Relations and director of the Center for Women and Work, New Brunswick, was honored for her leadership in shaping statewide employment policies in support of New Jersey’s working families. She also was honored for her development of programs to address workplace equity issues related to race, class, and gender.

President’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts is a new award that recognizes distinguished faculty members whose contributions to the arts have enriched the university and the community in significant and outstanding ways. Recipients receive a commemorative certificate and an honorarium of $1,500.

Patrick Gardner, professor of music, Mason Gross School of the Arts, New Brunswick, was honored for his direction of the Kirkpatrick Choir and the Glee Club, which has brought a high level of excellence in musical performance to national and international concerts. He also was honored for the highly acclaimed recordings that bring the talents of Rutgers students to the attention of audiences throughout the world.

The Rutgers College Class of 1962 Presidential Public Service Award recognizes distinguished, uncompensated service that reaches beyond the university community. The honoree receives a citation and a $2,500 check.

Alan Tarr, professor of political science, Camden, was recognized for his contributions to public service on the local, state, and national level; his commitment to serving the public good through his scholarship; his leadership of the Center for State Constitutional Studies; and his guidance of the New Jersey Task Force to plan a Constitutional Convention to deal with New Jersey’s fiscal problems. He also was honored for his dedication to furthering the concept of judicial independence in the state courts through his efforts to strengthen the capacity and independence of these courts nationally; his assistance to states in modernizing their constitutions; his international work to encourage federal structures that promote fair, effective, and democratically accountable governance; and his lifelong commitment to strengthening the institutions that provide the framework for fair and democratic societies.

The Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching is the university’s highest honor for excellence in the classroom. It honors the memory of a prominent cultural historian and popular teacher, and includes a citation and a check for $1,000.

Marlene K. Rankin, clinical associate professor, College of Nursing, Newark, was honored for her significant contributions to nursing education; in particular, her leadership in the development of the undergraduate honors program, and her inspirational teaching and mentoring that have guided and shaped the careers of so many students.

E. Roger Cowley, professor of physics, Camden, was honored for his contributions to undergraduate education in physics, his ability to communicate clearly the complexity and beauty of the subject to all students and to encourage them to be independent thinkers.

Paul G. E. Clemens, professor of history, New Brunswick, was recognized for his contributions to undergraduate and graduate education in the field of American history. He also was honored for his efforts to improve the quality of undergraduate and graduate education, and his ability to make history accessible while challenging students to think deeply and analyze issues thoroughly.

The Rutgers Faculty Scholar-Teacher Award honors outstanding contributions to research and teaching. It includes a citation and a check for $1,000.

Angela M. O’Donnell, professor of educational psychology, Graduate School of Education, New Brunswick, was honored for her contributions to the literature on teaching and learning and her inspirational, creative, and demanding teaching that helps students develop the tools they need to conduct research addressing important issues.

Michael R. Greenberg, professor, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and director of the National Center for Neighborhood & Brownfield Research, was honored for his scholarship in urbanization, industrialization, and environmental health policy, and his ability to integrate his research and teaching to stimulate classroom discussion and motivate students to think independently.

Kimberly DaCosta Holton, associate professor of classical and modern languages and literatures, Newark, was recognized for her research on performance culture and memory in native and immigrant cultures, and her ability to engage students and create a vibrant classroom environment that encourages collaborative learning.

The Ernest E. McMahon Class of 1930 Award honors the memory of a former dean of University College. It honors outstanding efforts to extend the mission and educational resources of Rutgers to the people of the state. The award includes a citation and a $1,000 check.

Karen Novick, associate dean and director, professional development studies, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies, was honored for her pioneering work in creating and delivering web-based courses at Rutgers, her ambitious and successful grantsmanship, and her continued creative and visionary work in providing first-rate support of continuing education for school librarians throughout New Jersey.

Maurice J. Elias, professor of psychology, New Brunswick, was honored for his community-based action research programs; his leadership in developing social-emotional learning and character education, which provides children with positive skills to deal with conflict and to guide their lives; his involvement in curriculum development with the Plainfield school system establishing a program that builds student skills; and his work building a safe environment that supports positive school performance.