Professors Axelrod, Funk receive Wang-Fradkin awards at convocation

Chapman University’s elite Wang-Fradkin Professorships were awarded to professors from the Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Science and the Schmid College of Science at the 17th Annual Chapman University Faculty Honors Convocation held Friday in the Bush Conference Center.

Receiving the senior Wang-Fradkin Professorship was Mark R. Axelrod, Ph.D., professor of English. The junior Wang-Fradkin Professorship went to Jennifer Funk, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences.

The professorships are two-year monetary awards to further teaching and scholarship. They were founded in memory of Hua-Cheng Wang, professor of political science, diplomat and expert on international law; and Cheng-Mei Fradkin, distinguished teacher, scholar and administrator.

The Outstanding Teaching Professorships were awarded to Dawn Hunter, Ph.D., associate professor of education, and Justine Van Meter, Ph.D., assistant professor of English. This professorship award honors outstanding faculty who have shown exceptional merit in teaching. It is the university’s highest recognition for teaching.

Other awards presented Friday included:

The Valerie Scudder Awards:

Julye Bidmead, Ph.D., assistant professor of religious studies

Margaret Curwen, Ph.D., assistant professor of education

Hesham El-Askary, Ph.D., associate professor of Earth system science and remote sensing

Anna Leahy, Ph.D., associate professor of English

Pedagogical Innovation Award:

Brian Alters, Ph.D., professor of education

Teaching Mentors Award:

Lee Estes, Ph.D., associate professor of history

Mark Maier, Ph.D., associate professor of leadership studies and sociology

Jennifer Waldeck, Ph.D., assistant professor of communication studies

Co-Teaching Competition Award:

Dr. Louise Thomas, associate professor of music, and Dr. John Boitano, associate professor of languages, for their course French Opera in the Age of the Sun King: The Libretti of Quinault and Music of Lully

Christopher Kim, Ph.D., associate professor of physical sciences, and David Shafie, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, for their course Environmental Problem Solving: Senior Capstone Research and Seminar

Curriculum Innovation in Sustainability Faculty Teaching:

Dr. Brian Glaser, assistant professor of English, and Geraldine McNenny, Ph.D., associate professor of education, for their FFC 100 course Imagining a Sustainable Future

 Excellence in Service:

Dr. Rafael Luevano, Associate Professor of Religious Studies

Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activity:

Kerk Kee, assistant professor of communication studies

Ronald Rotunda, professor of law

Ramesh Singh, professor of earth system science

Adrian Vajiac, associate professor of mathematics

Excellence in Teaching:

Randy Busse, Ph.D., associate professor of education

Nancy Schultz, professor of law

Jason Keller, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological sciences

Tenure and Promotion to Full Professor:

Marisa Cianciarulo, professor of law

Nina LeNoir, professor of theatre

 Promotions:

Robert Frelly, Ph.D., full professor of music

Jeff Tollaksen, Ph.D., full professor of physics

Tenure:

Rafael Luevano, Ph.D., associate professor of religious studies

Tenure and Promotion:

Grace Fong, D.M.A., associate professor of music

Marybeth Grant-Beuttler, Ph.D., associate professor of physical therapy

Claudine Jaenichen, associate professor of art

Elizabeth Maxwell, associate professor of dance

Alicia Okouchi-Guy, associate professor of dance

Gary Pace, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy

Jennifer Waldeck, Ph.D., associate professor of communication studies

Peiyi Zhao, Ph.D., associate professor of computer science

Recognition for Years of Service:

Five Years

Scott Arundale

Kaan Ataman

Deepa Badrinarayana

Robert Becker

Jennifer Bevan

Julye Bidmead

Ross Biederman

Margaret Curwen

David Dowling

Richard Faulkner

Philip Ferguson

Grace Fong

Jennifer Funk

James Gardner

Christine Gordon

Keith Howard

Vera Ivanova

Kelly Kennedy

Joel Kotkin

Judith Kriger

Shari Kuchenbecker

Liliana Leopardi

Alicia Okouchi-Guy

Michael Peters

David Porter

David Shafie

Richard Sudek

Teresa Sweet

10 Years

Jason Bennett

Warren de Bruyn

Bruce Dehning

Peter Jipsen

Ravi Kathuria

Michael Lang

Dale Merrill

Francis (Doug) Tuggle

Adrian Vajiac

Mihaela Vajiac

William Wright

15 Years

John Boitano

Amy Hanson

Michael Hass

Janeen Hill

Polly Hodge

Tibor Machan

Jan Osborn

Susanna Ripken

Candace Ybarra

20 Years

Thomas Turk

25 Years

Michael Griffin

Donald Will

30 Years

Fredric Caporaso

Frank Frisch

Michael Nehring