GSW holds recognition event

Published 1:15 pm Monday, May 1, 2017

From Staff Reports

AMERICUS — Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) held its Spring 2017 Honors and Recognition Ceremony April 24 in Jackson Performance Hall.
“The awards for faculty, staff and students recognize excellence in service, advising, scholarship and commitment to teaching, as well as faculty and staff members of the year,” said Interim President Charles Patterson when giving his opening remarks.
“It is important that we also celebrate, together, the achievements of our students,” Patterson added. “We take great pride in our identity as a close-knit university.  The Honors and Recognition Ceremony, where students and faculty come together in celebration of excellence, is just a small example of this commitment.”

Gary Fisk, Ph.D., professor of psychology, left, received the Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award. Kelly McCoy, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, presented Fisk with the award.

The faculty and staff award recipients were as follows.
• Faculty Excellence in Service Award: Kailash Ghimire, associate professor and chair of the School of Computing and Mathematics
• Staff Excellence in Service Award: Donna Tissue, senior administrative assistant and officer of Public Safety
•Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award: Gary Fisk, associate professor of psychology and sociology
• Faculty Excellence and Commitment to Teaching Award: Paul Dahlgren, associate professor of English
• Faculty Excellence in Advising Award: Bonnie Simmons, associate professor of nursing
• Staff Excellence in Advising Award: Linda Randall, director of Academic Resource Center and First Year advocate for the Academic Center for Excellence
• Professor of the Year (sponsored by the GSW Alumni Association): Mark Grimes, assistant professor of management
• SGA Faculty Member of the Year: John LeJeune, assistant professor of history and political science
• Oris Bryant Staff Member of the Year: Donna Tissue, senior administrative assistant and officer of Public Safety

Additionally, faculty were recognized for promotion and tenure; faculty and staff were recognized for years of service to GSW; faculty retirees that were granted emeritus status were recognized and a moment of silence was held for the faculty and staff members that passed away while actively serving GSW.
At the conclusion of the night, Ellen Cotter, Ph.D., professor of psychology and sociology, delivered the second annual “Last Lecture” – a new tradition for the annual ceremony.