Faculty Awards for Teaching, Scholarship, Service

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY PRESENTS FACULTY HONORS TO 17

COLUMBUS -- Seventeen faculty members have been chosen as this 
year's recipients of The Ohio State University's prestigious honors, 
the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Distinguished 
Scholar Award and the Faculty Award for Distinguished University 
Service.  They will receive their awards at a reception and banquet 
April 21.

The Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching honors faculty 
members who have done a superior job of teaching.  Recipients are 
nominated by students and colleagues, and are chosen by a committee 
of alumni, students and faculty.  They receive a cash award of $3,000 
and a $1,200 increase in their base salaries.

Teaching award recipients also are inducted into the Academy 
of Teaching, which provides leadership on improving teaching at 
Ohio State.

The Distinguished Scholar Award recognizes exceptional 
scholarly accomplishments by senior professors who have compiled 
a substantial body of research, as well as the work of younger 
faculty members who have demonstrated great scholarly potential.

Recipients are nominated by their departments and chosen by 
a committee of senior faculty, including several past recipients 
of the award.  Distinguished Scholars receive a $3,000 honorarium 
and a $20,000 research grant to be used during the next three 
years.

The Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service, first 
awarded in 1997, honors faculty who have made extensive contributions 
to the development and implementation of university policies and 
programs through nonadministrative roles.  Recipients have served in 
leadership roles on university-level committees or in similar 
capacities.  They are nominated by members of the university 
community and selected by a committee of faculty, administrators and 
previous recipients.  They receive a $3,000 cash award and an 
increase of $1,200 to their base salaries.

Funding for the awards is provided by private donations to 
the university and by The Ohio State University Alumni Association.

Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching

Teaching award recipients are:  Robert S. Coleman, William J. 
Davis, Michael J. Earley, Bernard L. Erven, Lawrence A. Krissek, 
Richard J. Lundman, Myroslava M. Mudrak, John J. Skowronski and John 
W. Wenzel.

Robert Coleman of BEXLEY
Associate Professor of Chemistry
College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

An internationally known organic chemist, Coleman was actively 
recruited to Ohio State from the University of South Carolina in 
1996.  He teaches one of the most demanding, competitive course at 
Ohio State -- organic chemistry -- at both the undergraduate and 
graduate levels.  Students roundly praise his breadth of knowledge 
and willingness to help students.  "I will be forever grateful to 
whatever forces or luck placed me in Professor Coleman's class.... 
His enthusiasm in organic chemistry and in teaching is contagious and 
inspiring," one former student wrote.  Another student said Coleman's 
"ability to make such a difficult course seem more comprehensible by 
using many different examples was an excellent method of teaching.  
He had so much enthusiasm that it made me want to learn!"  Coleman 
earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of 
Iowa, his master's degree in medicinal chemistry from the University 
of Kansas, and a doctoral degree in organic chemistry from Purdue 
University.

William Davis of WORTHINGTON
Professor of Mathematics
College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

The co-founder of one of the country's major calculus reform 
projects, Davis teaches Calculus & Mathematica (C&M), a relatively 
new method that teaches students to analyze problems from a 
conceptual perspective and use computer software to pursue a 
solution.  One colleague noted that the Calculus & Mathematica 
materials Davis helped create have become staples for courses at 
several universities and have become "one of the most respected and 
successful efforts in the national move to reform the teaching of 
calculus."  One student said, "I really appreciate how he's helped me 
learn not only math, but how to investigate."  Another wrote, "I've 
never had so much fun with math."  A colleague noted that perhaps the 
strongest student endorsement of Davis occurred last autumn, when 15 
students closed out of a C&M course demanded that another section be 
created to accommodate them.  Davis has taught at Ohio State since 
1964 and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees from 
Case Institute of Technology.
 
Michael Earley of POWELL
Assistant Professor of Clinical Optometry
College of Optometry

Earley is noted for many talents as a teacher, but a common 
theme in students' praise is their own desire to perform well 
academically in return for his investment in their education.  A 
former student wrote, "If I had only one word to describe why Dr. 
Earley should win this award it would be 'enthusiasm.'  If I had 
several more words I would include intellectual rigor, high 
standards, a sense of humor, the ability to listen, clarity of 
thought, and genuine interest in his students."  Known for his 
accessibility, Earley also is revered for his vast knowledge of the 
subjects he teaches, especially in general anatomy, histological 
anatomy and ocular anatomy -- three rigorous courses for optometry 
students.  One student observed, "Not one time did he read off notes, 
and whenever a question was asked, he would fire an answer right 
back.  To sum it up, I think the man is a genius!"  Earley joined the 
faculty as assistant professor in 1992.  He received his bachelor's 
in biology from Northwestern University, and holds his O.D. and 
master's and Ph.D. in physiological optics from Ohio State.

Bernard Erven of WORTHINGTON
Professor of Agricultural Economics
College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

Awards are nothing new for Erven.  In the nearly 30 years that 
he has served on Ohio State's faculty, he has been honored many times 
for his teaching, service and advising.  Students note his tendency 
to self-evaluate and encourage student participation, even in large 
lecture classes.  One student said Erven "always wanted to change his 
class for the better" and called him an "excellent role model for 
other teachers."  Colleagues, too, praise Erven for his strong 
committee work.  One extension specialist wrote that groups request 
Erven's participation at meetings "so he can 'teach' them how to move 
forward as they work on complex problems."  Primarily a teacher of 
key courses in the agribusiness and applied economics major, Erven 
earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at Ohio State and his 
doctorate in agricultural economics from the University of Wisconsin.  
Among his previous honors is a 1985 university Award for 
Distinguished Teaching.  "I have tried to think of a negative 
comment," one student wrote in evaluating Erven's teaching.  "The 
only thing negative that comes to mind is that he will someday have 
to retire."

Lawrence Krissek of OSTRANDER
Associate Professor of Geological Sciences
College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

In the same way Michael Jordan's outstanding basketball 
performance improves his teammates' play, Krissek's dedication and 
teaching ability make his students "better students, better 
geologists, and on a larger scale, better thinkers," one student 
wrote.  In a variation on that theme, a former student noted 
Krissek's toughness:  "He has a stern hand with a red pen, but that 
same red pen helped to teach me the value of concise scientific 
writing."  In addition to his departmental responsibilities teaching 
oceanography, geologic environment and historical geology, Krissek 
has developed a summer geology curriculum at Stone Laboratory for 
primary and secondary science teachers and for science-minded high 
school students.  Krissek is a two-time winner of the Distinguished 
Teaching Award presented by graduate students in the Department of 
Geology and Mineralogy.  He joined the Ohio State faculty in 1982 
after earning his Ph.D. in oceanography at Oregon State University 
and his bachelor's degree at the University of Washington.

Richard Lundman of WORTHINGTON
Professor of Sociology
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Criminology and deviance are among Lundman's areas of teaching 
expertise, but gently guiding students to reach their potential -- in 
any field -- appears to be his specialty.  Several students 
supporting his award nomination noted Lundman's engaging style and 
his encouragement of their individual academic pursuits.  "His office 
hours are continuously booked with students waiting in line for an 
opportunity to discuss some idea or project," a colleague confirmed.  
Lundman is praised for combining classroom teaching with police ride-
alongs and visits to correctional and rehabilitation institutions, 
bridging the theoretical and practical components of criminology.  
His teaching has not gone unnoticed in his 23 years on the Ohio State 
faculty.  Lundman has received the Rosalene Sedgwick Faculty Award 
from the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences, and was a nominee for the 
colleges' Outstanding Teaching Award every year from 1981 to 1996; he 
was a finalist in 1988.  One student noted Lundman's important and 
honest advice to "find something that you have a passion for, and 
study it; you'll never regret the decision you made."  

Myroslava Mudrak of WORTHINGTON
Associate Professor of History of Art
College of the Arts

"Mentor" is a word that crops up a lot when students and 
colleagues describe Mudrak.  "She is remarkably skillful at giving 
her students both intellectual freedom and sound, objective advice 
without going too far in either direction," wrote one former student.  
It is noted that her graduate students, in a difficult job market, 
have all found employment in academia, museums, auction houses or 
other professional venues, and many attribute their success to her 
encouragement and sage counsel.  Acknowledged as one of the nation's 
foremost scholars of Eastern European art, Mudrak also is known as a 
creative and highly organized teacher.  Her exams often take unusual 
forms, such as requiring the students to curate an art exhibit to 
illustrate the principles underlying a particular art movement.
A member of the Ohio State faculty since 1982, she earned her B.A. at 
Case Western Reserve University, her M.A. from Columbia University, 
and her Ph.D. from the University of Texas.  

John Skowronski of GRANVILLE
Associate Professor of Psychology
Newark Campus

"Dr. John," as his students are encouraged to call him, is known 
as one of the toughest, yet most popular, teachers on the Newark 
campus, where he has taught since 1986.  His students praise his 
enthusiasm, clarity and accessibility.  "Dr. John is obviously doing 
what he loves -- teaching," wrote a student. "His desire to pass 
along his vast knowledge is both obvious and inspiring.  He will take 
whatever time and whatever means necessary to help a student."  Over 
the past three years, in addition to teaching 14 regular psychology 
courses, Skowronski supervised 22 students in individual studies, 
five of whom presented their research at professional meetings.  An 
active researcher himself, Skowronski is widely published and a 
frequently invited speaker on social psychology topics, particularly 
in the areas of memory and cognition.  He is a graduate of Augustana 
College, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in social psychology from the 
University of Iowa.


John Wenzel of DUBLIN
Assistant Professor of Entomology
College of Biological Sciences

"Inspiring," "enthusiastic," "knowledgeable" and "very cool" are 
comments from Wenzel's entomology and biology students.  Wenzel's use 
of humor and current events makes his lectures relevant and lively 
and keeps students interested.  He encourages participation and 
responds to questions in such a way to make the students feel 
intelligent for their inquiry.  A student curious about the taste of 
larval bees, for example, was given the opportunity to sample one.  
Wenzel, a faculty member since 1994, teaches both science and 
nonscience majors at the undergraduate and graduate levels.  He has 
developed many innovative labs for his introductory entomology 
course.  One of the most unusual uses mouse cadavers -- pests 
captured in Wenzel's house and then frozen -- to introduce students 
to the new field of forensic entomology.  Students in his 
evolutionary biology course say Wenzel takes the controversy of 
creation vs. evolution and presents the theories with balance and 
fairness.  Wenzel received his bachelor's in biology from Harvard 
College and a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Kansas.

Distinguished Scholar Award

Scholars are:  Hojjat Adeli, Clive A. Edwards, Eric Herbst, 
Andrea A. Lunsford, William J. Mitsch and M. Sue O'Dorisio.

Hojjat Adeli of POWELL
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science
College of Engineering

Whether he is designing earthquake-resistant bridges and 
buildings or finding better ways to track traffic incidents on 
highways, Adeli does not follow established paths in engineering, but 
rather makes his own.  He founded the Knowledge Engineering Lab in 
his department for research on applied artificial intelligence, 
machine learning, neural network computing and evolutionary 
computing.  He also founded and now edits two illustrious journals in 
his field: Microcomputers in Civil Engineering and Integrated 
Computer-Aided Engineering.  One former doctoral student wrote that 
he chose to pursue his degree at Ohio State specifically because of 
Adeli's "international reputation as an innovator and researcher 
ahead of the time," and added, "In research, he leads, and others 
follow him."  A colleague commented, "I know of no one else who can 
show contributions to so many different fields of engineering.... He, 
more than anyone I know, is building a bridge between these new 
computer science tools and the many disciplines of engineering."  
Adeli, who has been an Ohio State faculty member since 1983, received 
his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Stanford University and his 
bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Tehran.

Clive Edwards of WORTHINGTON
Professor of Entomology
College of Biological Sciences

Colleagues consider Edwards the leading international authority 
in earthworm biology and ecology.  His many contributions include 
predicting the persistence of pesticides in soils and pointing out 
the important role earthworms play in breaking down soil biomass and 
recycling nutrients in the soil ecosystem.  One colleague notes that 
"the intensity of his research program has always been high, but it 
is positively exploding right now!"  Edwards joined Ohio State in 
1985.  He has been instrumental in bringing top-notch talent to the 
university and is praised for providing research experiences for 
nearly 50 undergraduates.  Edwards co-founded and was the first 
director of the university's Sustainable Agriculture Program.  He has 
authored more than 300 scientific publications, including 21 books, 
throughout his career and spearheaded the establishment of both the 
International Soil Ecology Society and the international journal 
Applied Soil Ecology.  He holds degrees from the University of 
Bristol, England, and the University of Wisconsin.

Eric Herbst of UPPER ARLINGTON
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
College of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Herbst's work unites chemistry and astronomy in the dynamic 
regions of space where stars and galaxies are born from collections 
of the tiniest molecules.  An Ohio State faculty member since 1991, 
he deciphers the chemical reactions that shape the universe.  Some of 
his earliest professional accomplishments "changed the field," 
according to one of his colleagues, when they helped solve the long-
standing problem of how gas phase molecules form in open space.  Now 
this work provides the basis for the active field of interstellar 
chemistry and star formation.  He has served as a consultant to NASA 
and is a recipient of the Max Planck Research Prize.  At Ohio State, 
Herbst oversees his department's new qualifying exam and "has 
willingly and effectively taught an unusually broad range of 
courses," a colleague noted.  Herbst earned his bachelor's degree at 
the University of Rochester and received his M.A. and Ph.D. in 
chemistry from Harvard University.

Andrea Lunsford of COLUMBUS (43214)
Distinguished University Professor and Professor of English
College of Humanities

"In the United States, the name 'Andrea Lunsford' is synonymous 
with the best rhetoric and composition has to offer," one scholarly 
peer wrote in support of Lunsford's award nomination.  Named a 
Distinguished University Professor in 1990 after joining the Ohio 
State faculty in 1986, Lunsford is credited by her colleagues with 
making "profound, widely resonant, and deeply respected" 
contributions to American education.  Under Lunsford's direction, 
Ohio State's Program in Rhetoric and Composition has become the 
nation's largest and most respected such program.  She also has 
taught writing at all levels of the curriculum and has directed some 
24 doctoral dissertations.  The author and editor of dozens of books, 
chapters, essays and articles on rhetoric and writing, Lunsford is 
the recipient of the prestigious Conference on College Composition 
and Communication Exemplar Award.  She received her bachelor's and 
master's degrees from the University of Florida and earned her Ph.D. 
in English at Ohio State.

William Mitsch of UPPER ARLINGTON
Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science
School of Natural Resources

Since coming to Ohio State in 1986, Mitsch has distinguished 
himself as one of the world's foremost experts on wetlands ecology 
and ecological engineering.  Mastermind of the Buckeye Swamp -- 
better known as the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park -- Mitsch 
takes his "Wetlands are nature's kidneys" message to Congress, 
classrooms, newsrooms and boardrooms.  An energetic and creative 
researcher and inspiring teacher, Mitsch is widely recognized as an 
eminent authority on construction of wetlands for environmental 
restoration and ecological processes active in natural and 
constructed wetlands.  His book Wetlands is widely considered to be 
the wetlands bible.  He is also founder of the Ohio River Basin 
Consortium for Research and Education, a multistate research center 
that addresses water management problems in the Ohio River Valley.  
He created the undergraduate major in environmental science, and was 
instrumental in developing the environmental science graduate 
program.  Former students report that their academic pedigree as a 
"student of Mitsch" has enhanced their research careers.  Mitsch 
earned his bachelor's degree at the University of Notre Dame, and 
received his master's degree and Ph.D. in environmental engineering 
sciences from the University of Florida.

M. Sue O'Dorisio of WORTHINGTON
Professor of Pediatrics and Immunology
College of Medicine and Public Health

O'Dorisio joined the faculty in 1976.  An internationally 
renowned investigator in the field of neuroimmunology, her research 
on neuropeptides has affected several important areas of medicine, 
including communication between the brain and the immune system, 
gastrointestinal diseases and pediatric cancer.  O'Dorisio's work on 
these brain chemicals has increased the understanding of how stress 
can depress the body's immune response to viruses and to cancer.  
"She simply is an extraordinary scientist, someone whose research 
career will give great benefit to the scientific community, to the 
medical and graduate students she mentors in research, and to the 
young cancer patients who are the ultimate beneficiaries of her 
discoveries," one colleague noted.  O'Dorisio recently received the 
American Academy of Pediatrics Award for Excellence in Pediatric 
Research.  She is director of both the university medical scientist 
program and the pediatric hematology/oncology research program, and 
co-director of the pediatric oncology program at the Comprehensive 
Cancer Center.  She holds degrees from Creighton University, the 
University of Nebraska, and Ohio State.

Faculty Award for Distinguished University Service

Service award recipients are:  David O. Frantz and Gerald M. 
Reagan.

David Frantz of UPPER ARLINGTON
Professor of English
College of Humanities

Frantz has taught at Ohio State for three decades, and has 
served as acting and associate dean in the College of Humanities and 
as a vice chair and director of undergraduate studies in the 
Department of English.  A member of the Academy of Teaching, he 
teaches English and Medieval and Renaissance studies on the 
undergraduate and graduate levels.  His university service includes 
extensive committee work and encouragement of student leadership.  He 
has served on the most recent Presidential Search Committee, the NCAA 
Athletic Certification Committee, the Committee for the Evaluation of 
Central Administrators, the University Honors Advisory Committee and 
the University Committee for Undergraduate Curriculum Review, to name 
just a few.  One administrator reported that Frantz is "so selfless 
and dedicated ... to making this institution as effective as 
possible."  A colleague declared, "For the past two decades there are 
few if any faculty members who have been as active in major service 
roles as David Frantz."  He is a graduate of Princeton University, 
the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania, where 
he earned his Ph.D.

Gerald Reagan of WESTERVILLE
Professor of Educational Policy and Leadership
College of Education

Colleagues say Reagan's service to the university has been so 
complete that his influence can be felt in a meeting even when he's 
not on the committee in question.  And when he is on a committee, one 
colleague says, "He is a vital member ... not just because, like the 
Buddha, he knows all, but because, unlike the Buddha, he does all."  
Currently the secretary of University Senate and secretary of 
University Faculty, Reagan has a long history of service to his 
college, the university and his field of expertise, the philosophy of 
education.  "It is not overstating the case to suggest that Dr. 
Reagan has been at the center of the most significant changes at The 
Ohio State University over the past decade," one colleague wrote.  A 
dedicated scholar who has published dozens of articles and made 
numerous presentations, Reagan also received Ohio State's Alumni 
Award for Distinguished Teaching in 1981.  Reagan is a graduate of 
the University of Nebraska, Western Michigan University and Michigan 
State University, where he earned his Ph.D. in philosophy of 
education.  He joined the Ohio State faculty in 1969.

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Contact:  Emily Caldwell, University Communications, 
(614) 292-8309

* Call Emily Caldwell to request photographs of the award recipients.