Following the winter 2023 semester, faculty and academic staff from across campus will be celebrated for their contributions to the university, academic community and professional development. Faculty and staff were recognized at the Academic Recognition Ceremony and reception on April 27, 2023 at the Student Center Building. View photos from the event here. 

2023 Academic Recognition Awardees

Faculty Awards

The President’s Awards for Excellence in Teaching recognize faculty members who have made outstanding contributions to teaching. This year’s recipients are:

• Mohsen Ayoobi, associate professor, Department of Engineering Technology, College of Engineering
• Natalie Bakopoulos, associate professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Sarah Brownlee, associate professor, Department of Environmental Science and Geology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Carolyn Dayton, associate professor, School of Social Work
• Lauren Duquette-Rury, associate professor in the Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Ariel Helfer, assistant professor, Department of Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Christine Knapp, assistant professor (teaching) in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Barry Lyons, associate professor in the Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Kathryn Smolinksi, associate professor (clinical), Law School
• Young-Ro Yoon, associate professor in the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Charles H. Gershenson & Board of Governors Distinguished Faculty Fellowship Awards recognize faculty members whose continuing achievements and current activities in scholarship, research or the fine and performing arts are nationally distinguished. The Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellowships are part of the benefaction to Wayne State by the late Charles H. Gershenson, who served on the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors Distinguished Faculty Fellowships are derived from revenues especially available to the board. The term of each fellowship is two years.

Charles H. Gershenson Distinguished Faculty Fellowship

• Daniel Isaksen, professor, Department of Mathematics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Francesca Luca, professor, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, School of Medicine

Board of Governors Distinguished Faculty Fellowship

• Abhijit Biswas, professor, Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Mike Ilitch School of Business
• Michael Liebler, associate professor (teaching), Department of English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Board of Governors Faculty Recognition Awards are given each year to members of the regular full-time faculty in recognition of a work of merit brought to fruition in the 12-month period immediately preceding the year of the award. The work of merit is a single act or event that constituted an outstanding contribution to scholarship and learning. This year’s recipients are:

• R. Khari Brown, professor, Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Ronald Brown, associate professor, Department of Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Daniel Ellman, assistant professor (clinical), Law School
• Rebecca Robichaud, assistant professor (clinical), Law School
• Hilary Marusak, assistant professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, School of Medicine
• Douglas Risner, professor, Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
• Krysta Ryzewski, associate professor, Department of Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Career Development Chairs are awarded to as many as 10 recently tenured faculty as part of the university’s program to support the teaching and research endeavors of faculty members in the developmental stages of their scholarly careers. This year’s recipients are:

• Kyle Burghardt, associate professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
• Billicia Hines, associate professor, Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
• Liang Hu, associate professor, Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Jalila Jefferson-Bullock, associate professor, Law School
• Rahul Mitra, associate professor, Department of Communication, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
• Shirin Montazer, associate professor, Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Natalia Rakhlin, associate professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Jared Schrader, associate professor, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Nausheen Shah, associate professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Hakan Yildiz, associate professor, Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, Mike Ilitch School of Business
• Kristin Taylor, associate professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Murray E. Jackson University Creative Scholar in the Arts Award supports a faculty-artist-in-residence program. This presidential initiative showcases exceptional faculty talent in the traditional performing, creative and visual arts, as well as more nontraditional arts, in pursuit of the university’s missions. This annual award was created to honor the memory of Murray E. Jackson, a valued member of the WSU community who was a poet, professor and community and civil rights activist who served on the Board of Governors from 1981 to 2001.

• Biba Bell, assistant professor, Maggie Allesee Department of Theatre and Dance, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

Academic Staff Awards

The Distinguished Service Award recognizes significant service to students, the university, department and/or community organizations, and committee work and/or other service beyond job responsibility. This year’s recipient is:

• Ricardo Villarosa, academic services officer IV, Dean of Students Office

The Academic Staff Professional Achievement Award is given for demonstrated leadership, significant accomplishments in professional organizations, and presentations and/or publications. This year’s recipient is:

• Vanessa Reynolds, university counselor III, Office of Undergraduate Admissions

The Outstanding Contributor Award is presented in recognition of significant accomplishments during the previous academic year and emerging leadership among junior academic staff. This year’s recipients are:

• Maya Calloway Richardson, academic services officer II, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

The General Education Teaching Award recognizes instructors at all levels who have demonstrated excellence. This year’s recipients are:

• Jacek Blaszkiwicz, assistant professor, Department of Music, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
• Yasemin Gencer, part-time faculty, Department of Art & Art History, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
• Grace Williams, graduate teaching assistant and Ph.D. candidate, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Academy of Teachers 2023-24 Inductees

The Academy of Teachers (AoT) is committed to promoting the shared value and culture of teaching excellence and student achievement at Wayne State University. The AoT strive to engage faculty, students, and staff in conversations about learning, and to move from conversations to concrete actions that improve the educational experience for all students. They also work to encourage policies at the university, local, state and national levels that support teachers, and promote and reward effective teaching. The academy selects up to five new members each year from nominees who have had a significant impact on the WSU undergraduate learning experience, practice innovative pedagogy and demonstrate instructional excellence. This year’s inductees are:

• Jaime Goodrich, professor, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Shantalea Johns, associate professor (clinical), School of Social Work
• Christine Knapp, assistant professor (teaching), Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Norma Love-Schropshire, assistant professor (teaching), School of Social Work

The Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award recognizes outstanding scholarly activities that have contributed significantly to WSU’s graduate programs. This year’s recipient is:

• Mark Baskaran, professor, Department of Environmental Science and Geology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The Outstanding Graduate Mentor Award honors graduate faculty who are recognized by their departments and their graduate students as excellent mentors. This year’s recipients are:

• Helen Durand, assistant professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences, College of Engineering
• Sarah Lenhoff, associate professor, Division of Administrative & Organizational Studies, College of Education
• Moh Malek, professor, Department of Health Care Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
• Elizabeth Stoycheff, associate professor, Department of Communication, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

The Outstanding Graduate Director Service Awards are co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Graduate School to highlight the important service by graduate directors in advancing graduate education in their programs. This year’s recipient is:

• Kelly Young, professor, Department of Communication, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts

The Garrett T. Heberlein Endowed Awards for Excellence in Teaching recognize graduate students who demonstrate instructional excellence. The awards are designed to elevate the attention given to teaching as part of graduate education while preparing graduate students to serve as college and university teachers. This year’s recipients are:

• Alexandra Ehrhardt, Ph.D. candidate, Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• James McQuaid, Ph.D. candidate, Department of History, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Learn more about awards and recognition from the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs online. For additional information about faculty and staff development and success initiatives, please visit provost.wayne.edu/resources/facultysuccess.