By Grace Weintrob
The College of Liberal Arts is pleased to announce the 2021-22 college award winners where staff and faculty are recognized for their contributions to their units, the college, the university, and to their colleagues and their profession/discipline.
Watch a recording of the awards reception, held April 21, 2021, below.
Carl A. Bimson Humanities Seminar
A bequest from Mr. Bimson’s estate provides funding for an ongoing series of humanities seminars. Mr. Bimson envisioned seminars that would bring primary and secondary teachers to CSU’s campus to engage in advanced study of various topics of humanistic learning, facilitated by CLA faculty. In the liberal arts tradition, the College has extended the meaning of “humanities” to encompass the performing and creative arts, humanities, and social science disciplines.
Caridad Souza, Patricia Vigil, Silvia Minguzzi, and Lisa Morgan
Women’s Studies, Dance, and Art & Art History
Their seminar will focus on providing secondary and elementary teachers with methodology to understand the concepts of social justice, how it can enhance a classroom, and aid in raising awareness of intersectional principles for equitable learning environments.
Ann Gill Faculty Development Award
The Ann Gill Faculty Development Award is funded by generous donors to the College of Liberal Arts through the College’s Great Conversations program. This supports annual awards for outstanding research and creative activity by tenured and tenure-track faculty in the College.
Roe Bubar
Department of Ethnic Studies
Roe Bubar received this award for her project titled, “Wisdom Sits in Places; Seeking out our Elders in the Academy During the Pandemic,” which aims to shed light on the power inequalities that diverse older women and gender non-conforming members of academia have experienced over their careers, especially through the COVID-19 time period.
Mark Dineen
Department of Art & Art History
Mark Dineen received this award for his ongoing project with Dr. Damon Crockett of Yale University. Together, Mark and Damon will use technologies to create a series of drawings structured through their specific chemicals to demonstrate the physical world around us and the impacts that humankind has had on it.
Annabel Ipsen
Department of Sociology
Annabel Ipsen received this award for her project titled, “Structural precarity, social inequalities, and virus transmission in U.S. meatpacking” to shed light on the social inequalities within the meatpacking industry as well as the effects the industries had on immigrant and refugee workers during the pandemic.
Blythe LaGasse
School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Blythe LaGasse won this award for her project titled “Musical Creativity in Autism: Exploring Growth through Collaborative Peer Interaction,” which aims to uncover the effects of peer assisted learning on students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to establish more effective classroom development.
Johnny Plastini
Department of Art & Art History
Johnny Plastini won this award for his proposed project titled “Lichens, Landscapes, and Symbionts,” which aims to investigate lichen cultures, uncover new species of lichen, and create a publication of images accompanied with interviews from indigenous people to highlight the importance of lichens in the ecosystem.
Outstanding Engaged Scholarship Award
The Outstanding Engaged Scholarship Award is presented in recognition of a member of the College who has shown an exemplary commitment to engaged scholarship.
Erik Johnson
School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
Erik Johnson received this award for his efforts to enhance engagement in K-12 music schools, providing students with the proper support and skills they need to continue to pursue an education in music. The Middle School Outreach Ensemble has “directly benefited more than 1500 middle school- through college-aged music students,” providing the university with beneficial relationships for students, teachers, and the community.
Distinction in Curricular Innovation Award
This award is presented in recognition of a member of the College faculty who has made outstanding contributions to curricular innovation in the College. Curricular innovation may include, but is not limited to, such areas as program development, instructional methods, service learning, and technology integration.
Karrin Vasby Anderson
Department of Communication Studies
Karrin Vasby Anderson received this award for her constant and dedicated efforts to updating and improving curriculum. Karrin has been credited with the creation of a number of Communication Studies classes that are “shaped by her belief that a liberal arts education should prepare students not just for twenty-first century workplaces, but also for healthy democratic engagement in an increasingly complex world,” as her nominator states.
Excellence in Teaching Awards
The CLA Excellence in Teaching Awards recognize one outstanding teacher in each of the following four categories: Graduate Teaching Assistant, Non-Tenure Track Faculty, Tenure-Track Faculty, and Associate Professor. Full professors, who are eligible for the John N. Stern Distinguished Professor Award, are not eligible for this award.
Susan Clotfelter, Graduate Teaching Assistant Category
Department of Journalism and Media Communication
Susan Clotfelter is recognized for her passionate spirit, innovative thinking, natural collaboration skills, and genuine, caring approach to teaching. One student mentioned, “I have seen from a personal and an outside perspective how deeply she cares about what she does and who she is helping, and that care runs deep into who she is as a person. I still remember the times I spent in her class, I still remember the lessons she taught, and I still remember how she went out of her way to make sure I was learning and growing.”
Steve Weiss, Contract, Continuing, and Adjunct Faculty Category
Department of Journalism and Media Communication
Steve Weiss, a CSU Ram through and through, has spent a number of years providing students in the Journalism and Media Communication department with a plethora of opportunities for growth. One student highlights Steve’s efforts to assist beyond the classroom, claiming, “After graduation, Steve continued to provide mentorship and was a fantastic networking resource. I knew I could email him with any question, ranging from camera equipment recommendations to existential queries.”
Mark Dineen, Tenure Track Category
Department of Art & Art History
As his nomination reads, Mark Dineen is “dedicated to bringing innovation, creativity, and support to curriculum development and student support” making him this year’s award recipient. This dedication to helping students is evident through the testimonies of past students. One asserts, “Mark was supportive throughout this semester, and truly wanted to help guide his students to becoming critical thinkers and creative artists. He didn’t always tell you what you wanted to hear, but always what you needed to hear, which may sound harsh at times, but it was entirely for the betterment of the artist.”
Elizabeth Williams, Associate Professor Category
Department of Communication Studies
Elizbeth Williams received this award for her dedication to “ensuring that students are challenged in the classroom, feel heard and listened to, and invited to maintain their alum connections” as stated in her nomination. Her effect on students is long lasting, as one asserts, “Thank you for preparing me in my education to excel – in a professional capacity and in achieving a master’s degree.”
Outstanding Service Award
This award recognizes a member of the College who has made outstanding service contributions to a CLA department, the College, University, profession, and/or community.
Bob Kling
Department of Economics
Bob Kling received this award for his “many years of distinctive high-value service in international education, departmental administration, faculty governance,” as his nominator outlines. His efforts with Vietnamese colleagues at the Foreign Trade University in Hanoi and dedicated development of the academic content of Semester at Sea emphasizes his “longstanding passion for international education” and elevates the opportunities in academia for students and faculty.
Distinction in Outreach Award
This award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding outreach efforts as a member of the College. Outreach is integrated scholarship which engages the College’s academic missions of research, creativity, teaching, and service outside the University. The recipients strengthen relationships and collaborative efforts for the College of Liberal Arts by enhancing its image, sharing their talent, and creating and sustaining substantive and valuable connections among the College’s many constituencies.
Greg Dickinson
Department of Communication Studies
Through his work with the ACT Human Rights Film Festival, The National Western Center, and the Center for Public Deliberation, Greg Dickinson’s efforts have made him this year’s recipient. His efforts have “enhanced the college’s image through connections with outside constituencies, involving alumni, friends, and foundations,” which has elevated the college as a whole, as his nominators expressed.
Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring Award
The College of Liberal Arts Excellence in Undergraduate Mentoring Award honors faculty who contribute to an engaging, supportive, inclusive academic environment through their mentorship of students.
Ricki Ginsberg
Department of English
With her nomination asserting she is “all that students could hope to find in a mentor,” Ricki Ginsberg is this year’s recipient. She is determined to support, challenge, engage, and understand students both outside and inside of the classroom.
Heidi Hausermann
Department of Anthropology & Geography
A past student describes their experience with Heidi Hausermann as follows: “As a timid undergrad, her support was a comfort and encouraged me to find my voice. Heidi acknowledged my growth and offered me a position as a paid student researcher, where she taught me essential skills in carrying out research and contacting professional organizations, which have been invaluable to me in my academic and professional career.” Heidi’s efforts in mentoring have set up numerous students for a successful career path.
Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award
The College of Liberal Arts Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award honors faculty who contribute to an engaging, supportive, inclusive academic environment through their mentorship of students.
Stephan Weiler
Department of Economics
Stephan Weiler received this year’s award for “his genuine caring and compassion and what seems like limitless time and energy for working with graduate students,” as his nominator highlights. His efforts as a mentor have helped several master’s and doctoral students pave their way through graduate school and life outside of academia.
Administrative Professional Award
The College of Liberal Arts Administrative Professional Award recognizes meritorious and outstanding achievement in job skills and/or service to the college by Administrative Professional employees. This may include excellent job skills and workplace achievements above what is normally expected.
Beth Seymour
Department of Communication Studies
In just two and a half years at CSU, Beth Seymour’s efforts as the managing director of the ACT Human Rights Film Festival stand out, making her this year’s award recipient. Her continuous endeavors to expand the film festival and its outreach to the community exemplify her “exceptional career performance that surpasses normal job expectations and contributes to the success of fellow employees and students,” as her nominators expressed.
State Classified Award
The College of Liberal Arts State Classified Award recognizes meritorious and outstanding achievement in job skills and/or service to the College by State Classified employees. This may include excellent job skills and workplace achievements that are above what is normally expected.
Maggie Seymour
Department of Art and Art History
Maggie Seymour is this year’s State Classified award recipient due to “her thoughtful organization, collaborative mindset, and sincere commitment to both the fiscal health and programmatic development of the department,” as her nomination states. Maggie’s constant desire to grow and expand exemplifies her strong leadership and desire to grow her department for the betterment of everyone within it.
