Faculty to be celebrated at annual convocation events

FIU will hold its annual Faculty Convocation events Sept. 25-26, celebrating the collective pride and individual accomplishments of the university’s academics who are selected for recognition by their peers and celebrated by the entire university community.

Kicking off the events will be the annual Faculty Convocation Concert at the Wertheim Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 5 p.m.. The performance is courtesy of the FIU School of Music faculty and students. This year’s concert will feature music from the Immigrant & the Exile. The program showcases an eclectic mix of music by composers from diverse backgrounds and will be performed by soloists, ensembles and the FIU Symphony Orchestra.

Following the concert, a wine and cheese social provides an opportunity to unwind in the company of colleagues and also get to know the performers.

The grand Faculty Convocation and Awards Ceremony will take place on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 3 p.m. also in the Wertheim Performing Arts Center. Keynote speaker Evelyn Gaiser, a professor in the Biology Department, will explore the topic: “Envisioning a Future for South Florida Through Long Term Interdisciplinary Research and Education.”

Twenty three members of the faculty have been selected for excelling in one of the categories of teaching, research, service, engagement, librarianship, and advising and mentorship. The winner of the President’s Council Worlds Ahead Faculty Award will be announced at the event. This award recognizes sustained excellence in all three areas of teaching, research, and service.

Immediately after the ceremony, awardees and guests are invited to a formal reception at the Frost Art Museum. Several of the awardees will exhibit their research or creative work. Refreshments and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL WORLDS AHEAD FACULTY AWARD

Finalists (in alpha order, winner to be announced at the ceremony)

Lester A.  Standiford
Professor, English & Director, Creative Writing, College of Arts & Sciences

Judith Hicks Stiehm
Professor, Politics & International Relations, College of Arts & Sciences

John A. Stuart
Professor and Associate Dean, Architecture, and Executive Director, Miami Beach Urban Studios, College of Architecture + The Arts

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

Domitila (Tillie) Fox
Senior Instructor, Mathematics & Statistics, College of Arts & Sciences

Jenna M. Gibbs
Assistant Professor, History, College of Arts & Sciences

Ferdinand Gomez
Instructor, Cellular Biology & Pharmacology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine

Hafiz M.R. Khan
Associate Professor, Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work

DeEtta K. Mills
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences

Mark Damian Rossi
Associate Professor, Physical Therapy, College of Nursing & Health Sciences

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE

Alexis McKenney
Associate Professor and Chair, Leadership & Professional Studies, College of Education

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH AND CREATIVE ACTIVITIES

Lorraine E. Bahrick
Professor, Psychology, College of Arts & Sciences

Noble David Cook
Professor, History, College of Arts & Sciences

Evelyn E. Gaiser
Professor, Biological Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences

Fatma G. Huffman
Professor and Chair, Dietetics & Nutrition, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work

Ediberto Roman
Professor, College of Law

Chunlei (Peggy) Wang
Associate Professor, Mechanical & Materials Engineering, College of Engineering & Computing

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN ENGAGEMENT

Joyce C. Fine
Associate Professor, Teaching & Learning, College of Education

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LIBRARIANSHIP

Marissa C. Ball
Associate Librarian, Operations, Library

FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN MENTORSHIP AND ADVISING

Erik Camayd-Freixas
Professor, Modern Languages, College of Arts & Sciences

Anthony J. McGoron
Professor, Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering & Computing

Assefa Mekonnen Melesse
Associate Professor, Earth & Environment, College of Arts & Sciences

ADJUNCT FACULTY AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING

Suzanne Gallagher
Lecturer, Leadership & Professional Studies, College of Education

Katherine Lineberger
Instructor, Global & Sociocultural Studies, College of Arts & Sciences