Faculty Honored for Teaching, Research and Service Initiatives
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 during a May 3 reception at the Rutgers Visitor Center.
The Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching is awarded to faculty members in recognition of outstanding service in stimulating and guiding the intellectual development of students at Rutgers University. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium.
Jocelyn Elise Crowley, professor, Department of Political Science, Department of Women’s and Gender Studies, and John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, was recognized for her deep commitment to teaching and mentoring that extends far beyond her classroom, and her ability to create a classroom environment that challenges, engages, and supports the intellectual and professional development of her students.
Carlos Decena, associate professor, Departments of Latino and Caribbean Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies, School of Arts and Sciences, was honored for his transformative teaching and mentoring, and his vision in program building and curriculum design to serve the most diverse student population possible at Rutgers University.
Rakesh B. Sambharya, professor, Rutgers School of Business-Camden, was recognized for his excellent and innovative teaching for more than 20 years, and his ability to impart knowledge with humor, warmth, and enthusiasm without sacrificing academic rigor.
Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research honors faculty members who have made distinguished research contributions to their discipline or society. Recipients receive a $1,000 honorarium.
Ioannis Androulakis, professor and undergraduate director, Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering, was recognized for his world-class research program, including his novel contributions focusing on systems biology and systems pharmacology of inflammation, inflammatory diseases, and anti-inflammatory therapies.
Zhixiong Guo, professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering, was recognized for his cutting-edge research in fundamental studies and applications of lasers in biomedicine, and his outstanding contributions in developing optical microscale whispering-gallery resonators.
Benjamin Melamed, distinguished professor, Department of Supply Chain Management, Rutgers Business School-Newark and New Brunswick, was recognized for his seminal contributions throughout his four-decade research career in the areas of applied probability, analysis and simulation, and systems modeling and performance evaluation.
Rohit Ramachandran, assistant professor, Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, School of Engineering, was recognized for his pioneering work on dynamic flowsheet simulation of solids processes and on multi-scale modeling of solids processes.
The Rutgers Faculty Scholar-Teacher Award honors faculty members who have made outstanding contributions in research and teaching. The award recognizes those who bring together scholarly and classroom activities. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium.
Ulla Berg, associate professor, Department of Latino and Caribbean Studies, School of Arts and Sciences, was recognized for her research on historical and contemporary processes and experiences of migration and mobility within Latin America and between this region and the United States.
Susan Carroll, professor, Department of Political Science, School of Arts and Sciences, was honored for her instrumental work in pioneering the study of women and politics three decades ago, making it a well-established subfield of the American Political Science Association and an inspiration for students.
Robin Leichenko, professor and chair, Department of Geography, School of Arts and Sciences, was honored for her transformative research intersecting the fields of economic geography and human dimensions of global environmental change and for her service as co-director of the Rutgers Climate Institute.
Alan Sadovnik, Board of Governors distinguished service professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration, was recognized for his interdisciplinary research in the sociology of education, history and urban educational policy and reform and helping students develop critical thinking skills to expand their vision.
Jerry Shan, professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, School of Engineering, was recognized for leading the scientific and technological frontiers of nanotechnology with his highly original contributions and exceptional teaching in the classroom and the laboratory.
The Rutgers Board of Trustees Research Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence honors faculty members who have recently been promoted with tenure and whose work shows exceptional promise. The fellowship includes a citation and a $1,000 research account.
Qian Cai, associate professor, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, School of Arts and Sciences, was recognized for her innovative research into how defects in fundamental cell biological processes involved in protein trafficking and degradation contribute to disease pathology and, specifically, for her insights that are providing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Katie Eyer, associate professor, Rutgers Law School, was recognized for her original scholarship in anti-discrimination law, including her work on questions of constitutional change with specific attention to gender and sexuality and her innovative use of historical materials to unsettle conventional understandings and assumptions and to chart possible new paths for the doctrine.
Andrea Gallavotti, associate professor, Department of Plant Biology/Waksman Institute of Microbiology, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, was recognized for his pioneering research on the elucidation of genes and gene networks that regulate meristem development in maize and his work on the role and function of boron in the physiology and development of maize.
Michele Pavanello, associate professor, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Newark, was recognized for his leadership and pioneering scholarship in computational chemistry and his thoughtful approach to problems at the cutting edge of subsystem density functional theory, which have significant relevance to chemistry as well as materials science and biology.
Karen Schindler, associate professor, Department of Genetics, School of Arts and Sciences, was recognized for her pathbreaking research on the role of Aurora kinases in meiotic spindle assembly in oocytes and her talents as a geneticist whose research focus is relevant to addressing the biggest clinical challenges in reproductive medicine.
The Presidential Fellowship for Teaching Excellence honors newly tenured faculty members for outstanding teaching and scholarly work. A $1,000 research account has been established for each recipient.
Katie Eyer, associate professor, Rutgers Law School, was recognized for her outstanding and enthusiastic teaching, including her curriculum and course development in the areas of sexuality, gender identity and the law and her ability to help students understand the relevant doctrine while stimulating them to think independently.
Próspero García, associate professor, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Faculty of Arts and Sciences-Camden, was honored for his talent and skill in the classroom, his innovative curriculum and course development, including his extensive efforts to bring theoretical principles and models into teacher education, and his commitment to student success.
Marc Handelman, associate professor, Visual Arts Department, Mason Gross School of the Arts, was recognized for his dedication to teaching and mentoring, and his ability to create a classroom distinguished by intellectual and aesthetic rigor combined with cultural and psychological sensitivity, thereby ensuring the intellectual growth and progress of students.
Miranda Lichtenstein, associate professor, Visual Arts Department, Mason Gross School of the Arts, was recognized for her engaging teaching; her interdisciplinary pedagogical approach, which encourages discovery and the questioning and testing of limits in a nurturing and supportive environment; and her ability to challenge students in a conceptually and historically broad dialogue.
Andrew Urban, associate professor, Departments of American Studies and History, School of Arts and Sciences, was honored for innovative teaching, including his ability to integrate methodologies from the digital and public humanities into his classroom and his remarkable dedication to mentoring student research.
The Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching is awarded annually to non-tenure-track, full-time faculty members in the arts and humanities, sciences and social sciences who have demonstrated outstanding teaching skills in classroom instruction, clinical instruction, curriculum development or mentoring. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium.
Lynda Dexheimer, assistant director, Department of English, School of Arts and Sciences, was recognized for her leadership in the writing program, including her curriculum design and mentoring, and her excellence in teaching and creating an inclusive and nurturing learning environment for students.
Ram Gopalan, clinical associate professor, Rutgers School of Business-Camden, was recognized for his excellent and inspiring teaching, including his ability to make seemingly difficult material approachable and accessible, and the transformational impact his teaching has on students’ confidence and subject mastery.
Marci Meixler, assistant professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, was recognized for her deep commitment to geographic information science education, the breadth of educational opportunities she has developed for students, and her innovative approach to promoting scholarship and outreach through her teaching.
The Rutgers College Class of 1962 Presidential Public Service Award honors members of the faculty, student body, or staff for volunteer service to government, professional and scholarly organizations, or the public. The award includes a $2,500 honorarium.
Linda Stamato, co-director, Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, was recognized for her more than 50 years of service, including her help in building organizational capacity to strengthen higher education, to inform public opinion and to strengthen democratic governance; and the contribution of her energy, intellect, and ingenuity as well as her expertise in conflict resolution to her hometown of Morristown, and – through the United Nations –the world.
Ernest E. McMahon Award is funded by the Class of 1930 of Rutgers College and is given to an individual or a group that has made a significant and creative contribution to the extension of the educational resources of the university to the people of New Jersey. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium.
Rutgers School of Business-Camden’s Executive Education Department was recognized for the dedication of its staff and trainers who have provided continuing education through non-credit, certificate-based, open-enrollment and customized training for a variety of constituents across New Jersey for more than two decades. These opportunities span the manufacturing, health care, state and local government, finance, insurance, gaming, transportation, service, consumer goods and technology sectors, as well as provide educational opportunities for the unemployed and individuals seeking career re-entry. The department provides learning experiences that are exciting, thought-provoking, challenging, and, above all, practical.