Dr. Art Vanden Houten, Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs, commended Flagler College faculty and staff for the "extraordinary work they've done these past two years, meeting the challenges before us." He further shared, "every member of the faculty and Academic Affairs staff deserves recognition for the achievement of our ranking by U.S. News and World Report as Number 1 in Undergraduate Teaching for our region."
The Dean's Awards were founded in 2008 by former Dean of Academic Affairs, Alan Woolfolk, to acknowledge individuals who contributed to the College in distinctive and important ways. The award list brings attention to people's hard work and success, which deserves to be appreciated and celebrated with others.
The names of award recipients and a brief description of why they were chosen are listed below by achievement category.
Outstanding Academic Affairs Staff Award
(Director Online Education & Instructional Design) won the Outstanding Affairs Staff Award for going above and beyond during unforeseen challenges that surfaced from the pandemic. Planning last year was in some ways even more difficult than previous years, but Amy was vital to that effort and worked through it all. Her voice was always a clear, smart, and sure compass.
(Senior Director of CACE), who achieved the Outstanding Affairs Staff Award, is one of the brightest stars in the bright firmament of Academic Affairs. Despite the pandemic bringing extreme hardships to everyone on campus, Jill remained a positive force and played a critical role in shaping registration, FlagSHIP, and CORE Academic Experience for the College.
Award for Leadership and Service
(Public Speaking Coordinator & Core Mentor for Oral Communication) won the Leadership and Service Award for her devotion to the Communication Department. She plays a vital role at the college, where she develops a unified vision throughout multiple public speaking classes and lending a hand during Com Week. In addition to being an excellent teacher who motivates her students in powerful ways, her overall work and service have been characterized by her chair as "bold, creative, fun and enriching."
(Graphic Design Program Coordinator) is another recipient of the Leadership and Service Award. Her strong advocacy and commitment to Community-Integrative Education have allowed her to become an important voice in the development of the Brown Innovation Center, FlagSHIP Program, and QEP. Her department chair states, "she serves for the benefit of the students, collaborating on and implementing ideas that make initiatives seem inevitable and self-evident."
Award for Professional Development
(Associate Professor & Director of Historical Studies) received the Professional Development Award. Her department chair praises her for "her ability to weave together her research interests with her teaching which embodies the teacher-scholar model." She has recently submitted a publication, two book manuscripts, and delivered a paper presentation to the National Association of Interpretation in her spare time.
(Professor of Economics) was distinguished for the Professional Development Award, citing, the past two years have been productive for him. During this time, Yvan has published "The Economics of the Super Bowl" book, and his 4th edition Ululian Economics textbook was issued this fall. His current research focuses on the economics of the entertainment industry and on modeling the nature of home-field advantage in sports.
Award for Teaching Excellence
(Assistant Professor & Coordinator for Writing) received the Teaching Excellence Award for having a strong passion for her students and her capacity for deep reflection about the craft of teaching. According to her students, while Kim has faced the challenges of teaching writing, she has "made it clear she was there for us" and "captured my interest" in the material.
(Professor in the Accounting Department) is another recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award. As a professor, he has a long reputation for being demanding, devoted, and fair. Students thoroughly enjoy taking his courses because they are organized, highly engaging, and characterized by "genuine concern for student learning."
Rookies of the Year(s)
(Associate Professor) earned the Rookie of the Year Award. Allen possesses a consistent willingness to reflect on the effectiveness of his pedagogy and adjust throughout each semester. In addition, he's part of crucial roles of services through the Business Advisory Board, Business Week, and a search committee for his colleague in Business, Charles White, a Freytag Professor of Management. He accomplished all this while publishing an article in the Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice.
(Associate Professor of Strategic Communication) received the Rookie of the Year Award for quickly adapting to the learning environment and working alongside undergraduate students to help them earn a research grant. His high level of performance in teaching ability, popularity among students, energy, expertise, and professional manner have made him invaluable to the Flagler community. He also has two publications under his belt on topics regarding acupuncture and doctor-patient communication.
Outstanding Adjunct Award
(Adjunct Instructor) landed the Outstanding Adjunct Award for his inspiring teaching and devotion to helping each one of his students succeed. He has worked with multiple students to gain confidence, allowing them to flourish into strong writers. For example, a student stated, "He has made me gain hope in myself and made me a better writer," and "His essay topics encourage students to self-reflect and get in touch with themselves, which is important for a student transitioning to college."
Outstanding Faculty in the School of Business, Education and Mathematics
(Business, Education, and Mathematics) received the Outstanding Faculty Award in her field of expertise due to her exceptional passion and commitment to Flagler College. She serves as a Co-Director of the FlagSHIP Program, Co-Chair of the QEP Implementation Committee, and Faculty Mentor for the Women's Volleyball team. In addition, she always supports her students; one stated, "Dr. Adeyemi encourages her students the whole semester and is always available for any questions. I'm so thankful I had her as my professor for Calculus."
Outstanding Faculty in the School of Humanities and Sciences
(Humanities and Sciences) has achieved the Outstanding Faculty in the School of Humanities and Sciences Award for his strong work ethic in all three areas of teaching, professional development, and service. As a superb scholar, he published a Routledge textbook, signed a book contract with Springer, and he and a student presented at a national conference. In addition, he's never afraid to step up to the plate and serve on the senate, sit on the executive committee, lead discipline as a director, and co-chair the IRB committee.
Outstanding Faculty in the School of Creative Arts and Letters
(Assistant Professor & Program Director) is the recipient of the Outstanding Faculty in the School of Creative Arts and Letters Award. Leah received stellar reviews from her students and has worked hard as Theatre Arts Director, overseeing many facilities, staff members, and faculty. She takes her responsibilities seriously, including conducting a seminar on grade inflation and has incorporated BIPOC voices in her curriculum.
