IU School of Liberal Arts

Campus Recognizes Liberal Arts Faculty and Students

News Categories: Anthropology | Campus News | Civic Engagement | English | Faculty and Staff | Geography | History | Museum Studies | Political Science | Women's Studies | World Languages and Cultures

Rick Ward, Professor of Anthropology, along with Frederick Bein, Professor of Geography, were among several School of Liberal Arts faculty and students honored at the IUPUI Chancellor’s Academic Honors Convocation on Friday, April 17^th, at the University Place Conference Center Auditorium.

Ward was given one of the top honors of the night with the Alvin S. Bynum Award for Excellence in Academic Mentoring. Named after Alvin Bynum, former IUPUI Dean of the University Division, the award recognizes faculty who put extra effort towards helping students succeed. ""Dr. Ward provides mentoring for students as a researcher and teacher in his discipline; as the Associate Dean of Student Affairs for Liberal Arts; and as an advisor and advocate for all students on campus," said Executive Vice Chancellor Uday Sukhatme during the convocation. "Dr. Ward takes all students and their interests or concerns seriously.  He focuses wholly and holistically on them as people, not only as students, and always without being overbearing or overpowering in his interactions with them.  It is the careful feedback with which he provides students at various levels of learning and expertise that is especially valuable."

The Chancellor’s Faculty Award for Excellence in Civic Engagement went to Bein for creating civic engagement opportunities between students and the community during his 30-year career at IUPUI. "At the local level, he has involved students in the community through service learning projects in nearly all his courses. He has developed community-based assignments that challenge students to learn about other cultures and the natural environments we share," Vice Chancellor Sukhatme said. "A strong theme that runs through Dr. Bein’s civic engagement is an emphasis the promotion of geography as a discipline through teaching and community outreach."

Bridget A. Brown was chosen as the Liberal Arts recipient of the Chancellor’s Scholar Award which is given to one student in each IUPUI school. Her professors praised Brown as a versatile thinker with an "extraordinary capacity for precise and rigorous analysis of complex language issues." While working on her bachelor’s degree, Brown was raising a family and volunteering with local organizations. Bridget, who is studying English and Literature as well as Sociology, was chosen by the school’s faculty was accompanied at the Convocation by Dean William Blomquist.

Other Liberal Arts honorees included:

Chancellor’s Professors:

• Obioma N. Nnaemeka, Professor of World Language and Cultures/Women’s Studies
• Marianne S. Wokeck, Professor of History and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

2009 Prestigious External Award Recognition Recipients:

• Ch Didier Gondola, Associate Professor of History
• Elizabeth Brand Monroe, Associate Professor of History
• Larry Zimmerman, Professor of Anthropology/Museum Studies & Public Scholar of Native American Representation

Trustees Teaching Award Recipients

• M. Catherine Beck, English
• Gail C. Bennett-Edelman, English
• Catherine A. Dobris, Communication Studies
• Aye Nu Duerkson, English
• Kathryn C. Glidden, Anthropology
• Johnny Goldfinger, Political Science
• Sharon Henriksen, English
• Susan Hyatt, Anthropology
• Erik Lars Lindseth, History

Published on: May 18, 2009