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| Terry McAuliffe, (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
RICHMOND — Governor Terry McAuliffe today honored 12 Virginia educators as recipients of the 28th annual Outstanding Faculty Award (OFA) for excellence in teaching, research, and public service. The faculty members from public and private colleges and universities across the Commonwealth will be recognized during an awards ceremony today at the Jefferson Hotel as part of the annual OFA program administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and sponsored by Dominion Resources. Governor McAuliffe will serve as the keynote speaker.
“This year’s recipients come from all across Virginia and represent various institutions and academic disciplines,” said Governor McAuliffe. “All 12 share a commitment to their students, their campus communities, and the citizens of the Commonwealth who benefit from their scholarly research and academic knowledge. We pay tribute to their outstanding accomplishments.”
Secretary of Education Anne Holton continued, “Today’s award ceremony is unique to Virginia in that we honor educators from both public and private, 2- and 4-year institutions of higher education. These educators should be commended for their dedication and commitment to training the next generation of Virginia leaders.”
SCHEV Director Peter Blake added, “This year’s recipients are among the best and brightest Virginia has to offer in academic fields as varied as Appalachian dialects to medicine.”
“Dominion values the opportunity to recognize these distinguished faculty members who represent the Commonwealth’s commitment to excellence and diversity in its higher education system,” said Hunter A. Applewhite, president of the Dominion Foundation. “Each year we are awed by the extraordinary achievements of these inspiring educators.”
The awards are being made through a $75,000 grant from the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources. Dominion Virginia Power is a subsidiary of Dominion Resources.
2014 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award Recipients
Dr. Louise Billaud is an Associate Professor of Music at New River Community College, where she teaches Music History, Music Fundamentals, and Music Appreciation. An accomplished musician, she has performed piano at international music conferences.
Dr. David Cifu, Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) at Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and Chief of PM&R Services at VCU Health System, is known worldwide for his research on the chronic effects of combat-related concussions on service members and veterans.
Dr. Amy Clark, Associate Professor of English at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, teaches Appalachian language and literature, rhetoric, and applied linguistics. She is the author of two books: Talking Appalachian: Voice, Identity and Community and Success in Hill Country.
Dr. Linda Columbus is a Rising Star recipient and an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on the architecture and motions of membrane proteins from pathogenic bacteria.
Dr. Wu-chun Feng, Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech, is an internationally recognized researcher in efficient parallel and distributed computing. He created a computing resource for science and engineering that debuted as the greenest commodity supercomputer in the U.S. in 2011.
Dr. Quentin Kidd is a Professor of Political Science and Director of the Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University. He is the author of two books: The Rational Southerner and Civic Participation in America.
Dr. Michael Lane, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Emory & Henry College, is an internationally recognized expert in interfacial fracture. His work focuses on the relationship between interfacial chemistry, the environment, secondary energy absorbing processes, and transport mechanisms such as diffusion.
Prof. Allison Orr Larsen is a Rising Star recipient and an Associate Professor of Law at The College of William and Mary. Her research focuses on the information dynamics of legal decision-making and how legal institutions access and use information to make decisions.
Dr. Jeffrey McClurken is the Teaching with Technology recipient and a Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington. His areas of interest include the history of the Civil War, veterans, families, the Pinkertons, mental institutions, the 19th Century American South, and the digital humanities.
Dr. William Petri, Jr., Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Virginia where he is also Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases & International Health, is an internationally recognized scientist and the most highly cited investigator in the world on amebiasis.
Dr. Raina Robeva is a Professor of Mathematics at Sweet Briar College. She has championed reform for the integration of mathematics and biology, and her translational research has resulted in three U.S. patents for assessment and diagnosis of attentional impairments.
Dr. Carolyn Morcom Rutledge is an Associate Professor of Nursing and founding Director of Old Dominion University’s Doctor of Nursing Practice program. Her work focuses on increasing healthcare to rural and underserved populations.
SCHEV has administered the Outstanding Faculty Awards since its inception in 1986. Photos and additional biographical information about each of this year’s recipients can be found on the web atwww.schev.edu/AdminFaculty/
Headquartered in Richmond, Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 15 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.
