USM Faculty and Staff Honored May 3 at Hattiesburg Campus Ceremony

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recognized achievement in research, leadership, training, and service during its annual Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony, held May 3 at the Trent Lott Center on its Hattiesburg campus.

Among those honored include the following:

*Higher Education Appreciation Day Working for Academic Excellence (HEADWAE)
Dr. Davin Wallace, assistant professor, marine science

*Southern Miss Nominee, IHL Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award
Dr. Thomas O'Brien, professor of education

*Southern Miss Nominees, National Endowment for the Humanities Award
Dr. Christopher Foley, assistant professor of history, Dr. Kenneth Swope, professor of history

*Aubrey Keith and Ella Ginn Lucas Endowment for Faculty Excellence Award
Dr. Ashley Batastini, assistant professor of psychology; Melanie Leuty, associate professor of psychology; Dr. Daniel Capron, assistant professor psychology; Dr. Max Grivno, associate professor, history; Dr. Laura Gulledge, assistant professor, criminal justice; Dr. Mark Huff, assistant professor, psychology; Dr. Shahid Karim, professor, biology; Dr. Michael Madson, professor, psychology; Dr. Marek Steedman, associate professor, political science and legal studies; Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, assistant professor, history; Dr. Karl Wallace, associate professor, chemistry and biochemistry; Dr. Kimberly Ward, assistant professor, speech and hearing sciences; Amy Lebert, clinical instructor, speech and hearing sciences; Dr. Kyle Zelner, associate professor of history.

*USM Certificate in Active Learning
Dr. Zina Alaswad, assistant teaching professor, interior design; Dr. Jennifer Anderson, assistant teaching professor, interdisciplinary studies; Dr. Francis Bozzolo, assistant teaching professor, biological sciences; Dr. Alyson Brink, assistant professor, geology; Dr. Heather Broadhead, assistant teaching professor, polymer science and engineering; Dr. Matthew Casey, associate professor, history; Allen Chen, assistant professor, art and design; Dr. Adam Clay, assistant professor, English; Dr. Josh Haynes, assistant professor, history; Mary Ann Holt, lecturer, Spanish; Dr. Robert Leaf, assistant professor, coastal sciences; Dr. Rebecca Powell, assistant professor, English; Dr. Pam Rollins, associate professor, child and family sciences; Dr. Candice Salyers, assistant professor, Dance; Dr. Kelley Stricklin, associate professor, elementary education; Dr. Elizabeth Tinnon, associate professor, nursing.

*USM Certificate in Assessment of Teaching and Learning
Amy Arrington, J.D., assistant professor, public health; Chris Balaski, professor of practice, marketing; Dr. Catharine Bomhold, associate professor, library and information science; Dr. Sam Bruton, associate professor, philosophy; Dr. Joanne Cao, assistant professor, marketing; Dr. Loren Coleman, assistant professor, mass communication; Dr. Chris Croft, assistant professor, sport management; Dr. Matthew Donahue, assistant professor, chemistry; Dr. Aaron Fath, assistant teaching professor, psychology; Dr. Kevin Greene, assistant professor, history; Dr. Laura Gulledge, assistant professor, criminal justice; Dr. Angel Herring, associate professor, child and family sciences; Dr. Joyce Inman, assistant professor, English; Dr. Lawrence Patihis, assistant professor, psychology; Dr. Marek Steedman, associate professor, political science; Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, assistant professor, history; Russ Willis, J.D., assistant teaching professor, management; Dr. Reginald Wilson, assistant professor, accounting.

*ACUE Distinguished Teaching Scholars
Dr. Mary Bullock, assistant teaching professor, mathematics; Dr. Emily Clark, assistant teaching professor, biological sciences; Dr. Jeremy Deans, assistant professor, geology; Linda Hanson, instructor, chemistry; Dr. Bridget Hayden, professor, anthropology; Dr. Sabine Heinhorst, professor, biochemistry; Dr. Mark Huff, assistant professor, psychology; Dr. Lucas Keefer, assistant professor, psychology; Dr. Kari Kozlowski, assistant professor, sociology; Dr. Melanie Leuty, associate professor, psychology; Laura Malone, instructor, interdisciplinary studies; Dr. Megan McCay, director, Institutional Research.

*Southern Miss Fund for Academic Excellence
Association for College and University Educators Faculty Development Institute (ACUE)

*Applied Learning Opportunities Going Beyond the Classroom
Kelly Lester, MFA, associate professor, Dance; Dr. Megan McCay,  director, Institutional Research; Dr. Jo Hawkins-Jones, assistant teaching professor, education; Dealean Phillips, assistant director, TRIO-Student Support Services

*Quality Matters Course Certification
Dr. Bonnie Harbaugh, professor, Leadership and Advanced Nursing Practice

*Multidisciplinary Research Teams Program Development Grant
Dr. Michelle Brazeal, instructor, Social Work; Dr. Daniel Credeur, assistant professor, Kinesiology; Dr. Tammy Greer, associate professor, psychology, Dr. Jennifer Lemacks, associate professor, Nutrition and Food Systems; Dr. Michael Madson, professor, psychology.

*Summer Grants for Improvement of Instruction
Dr. Aaron Fath, assistant teaching professor, psychology; Dr. Mark Huff, assistant professor, psychology; Dr. Joyce Inman, assistant professor, English; Dr,. Lindsay Wright, assistant professor, Child and Family Studies; Dr. Bob Press, associate professor of political science; Michael Sellers, instructor of biological sciences; Dr. Joseph Weinberg, Robert Press, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Political Science; Michael Sellers, M.S. Instructor, Biological Sciences; Joseph Weinberg, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Political Science.

*Supplementary Research Travel Support Grants
Dr. David Davies, professor, Mass Communication; Dr. Michael Darnell, assistant professor, Coastal Sciences; Dr. Damon Franke, associate professor, English; Dr. Alen Hajnal, associate professor, psychology; Kelly Lester, M.F.A., associate professor, Dance; Dr. Christopher Miles, associate professor, Spanish; Dr. Nicole Phillips, assistant professor, Ecology and Organismal Biology; Dr. Emily Yowell, associate professor, psychology.

*Faculty Leadership Institute Fellows
Dr. Noal Cochran, teaching professor, education; Dr. Bonnie Nicholson, associate professor psychology; Dr. Jonathan Pluskota, assistant professor, mass communication and journalism; Dr. Jeremy Scott, assistant teaching professor, physics and astronomy; Dr. Laura Stengrim, assistant professor, communication studies; Dr. Melissa Thompson, associate professor, kinesiology; Dr. Teresa Welsh, professor, library and information science; Dr. Lindsay Wright, assistant professor, child and family studies.

*Excellence in Online Teaching Award
Dr. Lindsay Wright, assistant professor, child and family studies.

*Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award
Kenneth Rhinehart, instructor, environmental sciences.

*Graduate Mentor of the Year
Dr. Derek Patton, associate professor, polymer science and engineering; Dr. Robert Press, associate professor, political science; Michael Sellers, instructor, biological sciences; Dr. Joseph Weinberg, associate professor, political science.

*Applied Learning Opportunities Going Beyond the Classroom
Kelly Lester, associate professor, dance; Dr. Megan McCay, director Institutional Research; Dr. Jo Hawkins-Jones, assistant teaching professor, education; Daleana Phillilps, assistant director, TRIO-Student Support Services.

*Quality Matters Course Certification
Dr. Bonnie Harbaugh, professor, leadership and advanced nursing practice

*Multidisciplinary Research Teams Program Development Grant
Dr. Michelle Brazeal, instructor, social work; Dr. Daniel Credeur, assistant professor, kinesiology; Dr. Tammy Greer, associate professor, psychology; Dr. Jennifer Lemacks, associate professor, nutrition and food systems; Dr. Michael Madson, professor, psychology.

*Summer Grants for Improvement of Instruction
Dr. Aaron Fath, assistant teaching professor, psychology; Dr. Mark Huff, assistant professor, psychology; Dr. Joyce Inman, assistant professor, English; Dr. Lindsay Wright, assistant professor, child and family sciences.

*Peter Durkee Superstar Award
Emily Holmes, director, Leadership and Student Involvement

*Joe Paul Rising Star Award
Meg Freeman, residence life coordinator, Housing and Residence Life

*Pillar of Student Affairs
Charlotte Roberts, environmental services superintendent, Campus Recreation

*Distinguished Friend of Student Affairs
Belinda Patterson, event management coordinator, Parking and Transit Services

*Academic Partnership Award
Dr. Alisa Lowrey, associate professor, curriculum and instruction

*Applied Research Award
Dr. Nina McLain, associate professor, leadership and advanced nursing practice

*Basic Research Award
Dr. Kenneth Swope, professor, history

*Creative Activities Award
Dr. Janet Gorzegno, professor, art and design

*Graduate Student Award
Mitch Browne, Ph.D. candidate, psychology

*Nina Bell Suggs Endowed Professorship
Dr. Kathryn Anthony, assistant professor, communication studies; Dr. Jason Azoulay, assistant professor, polymer science and engineering; Dr. Michael Darnell, assistant professor, coastal sciences; Dr. Kevin Greene, assistant professor, history; Dr. Stephanie Smith, assistant professor, psychology (2018-19); Dr. Weihua Zhou, assistant professor, computer science (2019-20).

*Faculty Senate Junior Faculty Awards
Dr. Timothy Tesh, assistant professor, music, Creative Activity Award; Dr. Daniel Capron, assistant professor, psychology, Research Award; Dr. Karen Kozlowski, assistant professor, sociology.

*Staff Council Awards
Sandra Whittington, administrative specialist, School of Performing and Visual Arts and Robin Johnson, director of student services and assistant registrar, Gulf Park Office of the Registrar, Staff Council Service Award.

Raven Moore, administrative specialist, School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences; Paige Cannon, Gulf Park registrar, Office of the Registrar; Jennifer Lewis, compliance coordinator, Office of the General Counsel; and Crystal McCaffrey, administrative assistant, Office of the Registrar, Staff Scholarship.

*Professional Development Travel Stipend
Erin Douglas, marine educator, Marine Education Center; Elizabeth Dobronski, marine educator, Marine Education Center; Sandra Laubersheimer, admissions counselor, Gulf Park Recruitment and Outreach; Bruce Smith, management assistant for program services, Institute for Disability Studies; Josh McAlpin, project manager, Physical Plant; Tiffany Kersten, academic advisor, Office of the Registrar.

*Staff Excellence Award
Professional: Carla Culpepper, technician, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory; Michael McGee, veteran outreach coordinator, Center for Military Veterans, Service Members and Families; Office Personnel: Rosie Sims, secretary, School of Education; Service Maintenance: Christopher Young, web services engineer, iTech; Jessie Morrison Award: Dr. Eddie Holloway, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students.

*Faculty Excellence Award
Dr. Cindy Blackwell, assistant teaching professor, public relations