The Zoom screen showed big smiles and laughter from attendees. They were watching a video featuring faces of colleagues photoshopped onto bodies of celebrities from red carpet events and movie scenes, all set to music from Hollywood award shows and classic movie scores.
It was the ASU College of Integrative Sciences and Arts All College Awards presentation, and while the video celebrating the faculty and staff was light and whimsical, the gratitude and accomplishments being celebrated were heartfelt. The 2020–2021 school year was demanding, but it brought out the best in the college’s faculty and staff.
The college's annual awards celebration brings together colleagues spread across the ASU Polytechnic, Downtown Phoenix and Tempe campuses. The seven-member 2021 award committee received 38 applications for this year's awards.
Wendy Williams, associate professor of English and chair of the awards committee, said nominations tripled this year. Her team has made a variety of changes — from increasing the submission timeframe to hosting a Zoom workshop explaining the awards to streamlining the application process.
“This is something I am really passionate about. There is so much good work going on in CISA that deserves to be honored and celebrated,” Williams said. “We put a lot of thought into the materials we need to make a decision and removed required items that might actually discourage people from applying.”
She said they also added several new awards to recognize outstanding staff, equity and inclusion efforts, innovation, and faculty who mentor other faculty.
“I believe that awards committees can play a powerful role not only in recognizing accomplishments but also in contributing to the culture of a college,” Williams said. “As a former writing programs TA and K–12 teacher, I have experienced firsthand how valuable a good mentoring program can be. The idea for the Faculty Mentoring Award grew out of those experiences.”
Outgoing College of Integrative Sciences and Arts Dean Duane Roen, in congratulating the award winners and nominees, also thanked the scores of nominators.
“To receive 38 applications from our faculty and staff says something pretty exceptional about your collegiality and support of one another,” he said.
Incoming Dean Joanna Grabski, who also attended the celebration, agreed, and said she was “very impressed” by the creativity, warmth and spirit of the event and the range of contributions recognized. “There were many touching moments yet also laughter and fun,” Grabski noted, “and an overall feeling that we’re not just a college, we’re a community.”
Below are the college's 2021 award recipients and selected quotes from their nominators.
Outstanding Staff Award
This award recognizes excellent work performance and leadership.
Haren, former associate director of academic support, is now associate director in the Fulton Schools of Engineering.
“Kelli Haren is among the most competent, efficient and enjoyable people I’ve ever worked with. Even as her responsibilities have greatly increased in recent years, she has expanded her skill set and range of knowledge accordingly. For years she has helped me do my work better, and I know Kelli has aided CISA in ways visible and not. Plus, I’ve always enjoyed her sense of humor!”
– Pamela Stewart, senior lecturer in history
Laux is a business operations specialist for the Dean’s Office.
“During the summer, at the height of the pandemic, Jane helped me navigate a change in planned fund allocations that allowed me to stay in the good graces of the funding agency and the university. Jane has always taken time out of her schedule to assist me in successfully navigating the accounting and administrative details that are very important to the administration of grant resources.”
– Michael Dugger, associate professor of physics
Creative services (Joshua Zito, graphic design specialist; Kelley Karnes, marketing content specialist; and student graphic design assistants Taylor Kephart and Y Nguyen)
“Their creativity, commitment to quality communications and collaborative spirit have resulted in a solid subbrand for CISA, a consistent look and feel in messaging across platforms and products, a visual identity to help build affinity, and a rather well-oiled machine in terms of work processes that leverages the strengths and talents of our individual team members.”
– Maureen Roen, director of creative services
Honorable mention: Amber Walker
Equity and Inclusion Award
This award recognizes contributions that have advanced equity and inclusion in the college.
Center for the Study of Race and Democracy Teaching Fellows (Shillana Sanchez, Kermit Brown, Christopher Burrell, Ian Derk, Colette Jung, Marie-Louise Paulesc and David Antonio Moody)
“With support from Director Lois Brown, this cohort was brought into the CSRD at the end of 2019 to make substantive contributions to curriculum development and the ways in which issues of race and democracy are incorporated into teaching.”
— David Antonio Moody, English instructor
Outstanding Service Award
Recognizes outstanding service to the institution, profession and/or community, relevant to the person’s position within CISA.
Roen is the former dean of the College of Integrative Sciences and Arts and vice provost of the Polytechnic campus. He is now a professor of English and coordinator of the Project for Writing and Recording Family History.
“Even during recovery from cancer and chemotherapy, Duane was available to anyone who needed him and set the friendly and jovial tone for the moment. Throughout his time as Dean, he’s been available by email at almost any hour to respond to immediate concerns, big or small.”
– Chloë E. Egan, human resources specialist
Outstanding Teaching Award
Recognizes excellence in teaching and student mentoring.
Hirshorn is a principal lecturer for interdisciplinary studies and organizational leadership.
“In response to President Crow’s call to action, Dr. Hirshorn established ASU’s Peace Corps certificate and created a new course (BIS 355: Peace Corps Prep) and a new study abroad program (“Taste of the Peace Corps” in the Dominican Republic) to anchor and enhance the certificate. These accomplishments have been a decisive factor in putting ASU on the map for producing a new generation of Peace Corps volunteers.”
– Kevin Ellsworth, head of the faculty of leadership and integrative studies and principal lecturer
Mosco is an instructor of technical communication.
“Not only has Dr. Mosco been an outstanding teacher for our college and unit, she has done this while teaching over 400 students every semester, and while providing leadership in creating and maintaining some of most critical service courses for TWC.”
– Andrew Mara, head of the faculty of interdisciplinary humanities and communication and associate professor
Outstanding Research Award (Early Career)
Recognizes outstanding research accomplishments and sustained productivity of scholars who earned their doctorate within the last six years.
Capiela Rosario is an assistant professor in the faculty of counseling and counseling psychology.
“Her research has reached a diverse audience and resulted in several invitations to present her work at conferences across the country. … Her skillfulness in designing and conducting studies that integrate both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to understand the unique experiences of Latinxs exemplifies how Dr. Capielo Rosario contributes to the scientific understanding of social justice and diversity in psychology.”
– Hector Y. Adames, associate professor of clinical psychology, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
Honorable Mention: Elizabeth Castillo
Outstanding Research Award (Distinguished)
Recognizes outstanding research accomplishments and sustained productivity of scholars who earned their doctorate more than six years ago.
Albuquerque is an assistant professor in the faculty of science and mathematics.
“Throughout his career thus far, Dr. Albuquerque has published 50 peer-reviewed articles in top tier journals of his field. … He collaborates with scientists from several parts of the globe, including the USA, Mexico, Brazil, Panama, Colombia, Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Spain. … He … create(s) collaborative research opportunities and promote(s) the inclusion of minorities in research and teaching activities.”
– Steve Saul, assistant professor of biology
Honorable Mention: Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez
Faculty Mentoring Award
Recognizes mentors of college faculty (e.g., tenure and promotion mentoring, project mentoring, training and workshops).
Martinez is head of the faculty of languages and cultures, and an associate professor.
“Professor Martinez models what effective mentoring can and should be. She also exemplifies the ways in which mentoring can be wholly inclusive and impact not just one individual but a collective. The ways in which Professor Martinez merges mentoring with her administrative responsibilities and community engagement is substantial and inspiring. Time and again, Jackie Martinez advocates for her faculty and she does so in ways that honor their passion for teaching, their own intellectual aspirations and their engagement with the college and the university.”
– Lois Brown, ASU Foundation Professor and director, Center for the Study of Race and Democracy.
Honorable Mention: Eric Nystrom
Innovation Award
Recognizes creativity in the design of a CISA program, internship, lab, industry partnership, community outreach, event, series, etc.
Words on Wheels, accepted by James Wermers
Wermers is clinical assistant professor in the faculty of languages and cultures
“The workshops are often held at community centers, libraries or other public spaces that offer free parking, provide lunches to participants, and engage with topics that are relevant to multiple audiences. These workshops are hosted by diverse faculty who have a particular interest and expertise in reaching out to community — namely those communities that have been historically disenfranchised due to race, culture, poverty, individual trauma and other social injustices.”
– Vanessa Fonseca-Chávez, assistant professor of English
Honorable Mention: Manu Avilés-Santiago
Design Aspirations Grant Winners
These small grants support research, teaching, or service projects that are aligned to one of ASU’s design aspirations: leverage our place, transform society, value entrepreneurship, conduct use-inspired research, enable student success, fuse intellectual disciplines, be socially embedded, or engage globally.
Trinh is an assistant professor in the faculty of leadership and integrative studies.
“This research study uses agent-based modeling coupled with secondary survey data to understand the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on productivity and career trajectories of male and female academics, simulate its long-term impacts on gender (in)equality in academia as a whole, and simulate whether and how institutional interventions such as tenure clock extension, support for dependent care, and holistic wellbeing initiatives would relieve such systemic inequality,” Trinh said about her research project.
Dugger is an associate professor in the faculty of science and mathematics.
“This proposal seeks to enable student success through financial support for undergraduate students to present their work at the American Physical Society Four Corners Meeting (APS4CS) in October 2021 at Boulder, Colorado,” Dugger said. “This will give each student the opportunity to participate fully in a professional meeting while an undergraduate student.”
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