For more information, contact Michelle Williams at (919) 843-5365.

April 7, 2005

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHAPEL HILL – The Board of Governors of the 16-campus University of North Carolina has selected some of its most outstanding faculty to receive the 11th annual Awards for Excellence in Teaching. During a recognition luncheon to be held in conjunction with the Board’s May meeting, a faculty member from each UNC campus will receive a commemorative bronze medallion and a $7,500 cash prize.

.The 16 recipients, representing an array of academic disciplines, were nominated by special committees on their home campuses and selected by the Board of Governors Committee on Personnel and Tenure, chaired by John W. Davis III of Winston-Salem. The awards will be presented by UNC President Molly Corbett Broad and Board of Governors Chairman J. Bradley Wilson of Cary.

Winners include Eugene L. Miller, professor of English, Appalachian State University; J. Frank James, professor of psychiatry, East Carolina University; Dipendra C. Sengupta, professor of mathematics, Elizabeth City State University; Kwami Tuprah, associate professor of mathematics, Fayetteville State University; Olenda E. Johnson, associate professor of management, NC A&T State University; Isabel Chicquor, associate professor of art, NC Central University; Patricia D. Casey, instructor of contemporary dance, NC School of the Arts; and Paul Tesar, professor of architecture, NC State University.

Other winners are Ann L. Weber, professor of psychology, UNC Asheville; Trudier Harris, professor of English, UNC-Chapel Hill; Lawrence G. Calhoun, professor of psychology, UNC Charlotte; Colleen E. Kriger, associate professor of history, UNC Greensboro; Nancy Warner Barrineau, professor of English, UNC Pembroke; Louis F. Buttino, professor of film studies, UNC Wilmington; Le Von E. Wilson, professor of business administration and law, Western Carolina University; and Francine G. Madrey, associate professor of education, Winston-Salem State University.

Established by the Board of Governors in April 1994 to underscore the importance of teaching and to reward good teaching across the University, the awards are given annually to a tenured faculty member from each UNC campus. Winners must have taught at their present institutions at least seven years. No one may receive the award more than once.

At Appalachian since 1977, Miller teaches courses in literature and writing, supervises student teachers in local schools, and mentors colleagues. He has combined personal history and scholarly research in developing a course in "Writing and Filming the Second World War." After learning about his father’s role in liberating several Nazi concentration camps at the end of World War II, he researched Army records, visited the sites of several concentration camps, conducted interviews, and developed a slide presentation to accompany texts and films from the period. He also has presented his research as a guest lecturer in an Honors course studying the Holocaust. Miller received his B.A. in English from Xavier University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Toledo. In 1994, he received the Outstanding Teaching Award from ASU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

James’s teaching has been recognized by a number of awards, including the Excellence in Teaching Award from the Brody School of Medicine, the Roeske Award for Excellence in Medical Student Education from the American Psychiatric Association, and a Gender Equity Award from ECU’s chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association. In addition to his classes in the medical school, James also gives a number of lectures to the Physician Assistant undergraduate students. The effectiveness of his lectures has been recognized by the accrediting team for the PA program and in the performance of these students on the psychiatry portion of their national certifying examination. James came to ECU in 1989, having previously served as commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from UNC-Chapel Hill, he received his M.D. from the University of Tennessee Medical School.

After receiving bachelors and master’s degrees in mathematics from the University of Kalyani in India, Sengupta received his M.A. and Ph.D. in mathematics from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and arrived at ECSU in 1984. In addition to his support for students in mathematics courses, Sengupta involves students in his research. He received a NASA Faculty Research Award that provided scholarships for four students who were chosen to present their projects at the Council for Undergraduate Research’s annual "Posters on Capitol Hill" in 2001. That same year, Sengupta received a prestigious NASA Administrator’s Fellowship, which enabled him to work at the NASA Glenn Research Center and in the mathematics department at NC State University conducting research on chaos theory. He was named the 1995-96 Teacher of the Year in ECSU’s Department of Mathematics.

Tuprah’s teaching extends beyond his own courses to include consulting with graduate students on the statistics necessary for their thesis or dissertation research. He also has been active in programs to improve the teaching of mathematics at all educational levels. He collaborated with Mathematics and Science Education Center to introduce graphing calculators to high school students in Cumberland County and in project TEACH-STAT to promote and integrate statistics in elementary schools. He also has contributed to an NSF-sponsored NC Middle Mathematics project to promote and improve mathematics education in the middle grades and to the North Carolina Partnership for Improving Mathematics and Science (NC-PIMS), designed to improve mathematical skills among middle and high school teachers. At FSU since 1989, Tuprah serves as department coordinator for mathematics and has been voted teacher of the year in his department five times. He received his B.S. in mathematics, physics, and education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana, his M.S. in statistics from Marquette University, and his Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (formerly the University of Southern Louisiana).

In addition to her duties at NC A&T, Johnson serves as faculty advisor for the national Management Doctoral Student Association, which is designed to increase the number of people of color who pursue and complete a Ph.D. in business. She also conducts an annual workshop for students entering management doctoral programs. In 2002, Johnson was invited to serve as a visiting professor in organizational behavior and leadership at the U.S. Army War College, teaching uniformed officers, managers from federal agencies, and international fellows. For her dedication to the College both in and outside of her classes, Johnson was awarded the Army Commander’s Award for Public Service. At A&T since 1996, she received her B.S. and M.B.A. in business administration from Florida A&M University and her Ph.D. in organizational behavior from the University of Pittsburgh.

At NC Central since 1977, Chicquor has coordinated a number of arts and community projects on campus, including the Mandala Project, which involved a residency for Tibetan monks creating a traditional sand painting, and the Alphabet Project, in which her students took creative photographs of the alphabet which were presented to Spaulding Elementary School in Durham. She and current and former students created ceramic bowls as part of the "Empty Bowls Project," a community service learning project to provide auction items to benefit the homeless shelter in Durham. Chicquor received her B.F.A. and M.F.A. in ceramic design from the SUNY College of Ceramics at Alfred University and received an M.F.A. in photography from Rochester Institute of Technology. Her ceramics and photographs have been included in numerous solo, invited, and juried exhibitions across the state.

Casey began her career as a dance student at the NC School of the Arts, returning as a faculty member in 1989 and receiving the School’s Teaching Excellence Award in 1997. She has served as a guest artist, director, and choreographer at a number of other schools and has choreographed numerous performances at NCSA and other institutions, including "Surrendering in a Champion’s World," which was first performed at the School and later filmed in collaboration with faculty and students from the Schools of Dance, Design and Production, and Filmmaking. The film won "Best in Showcasing North Carolina Filmmaking Potential" at the River Run Film Festival in 2003 and has been shown at other festivals around the country. After receiving her B.F.A. from NCSA, Ms. Casey received her M.F.A. in dance from New York University.

Coming to the United States from Europe as an architecture student, Tesar has served as a visiting teacher, critic, and consultant to schools of architecture across the United States and Europe and encourages his students to study abroad. He initiated the first College of Design student exchange program in Vienna, initiated faculty and student exchanges with an architecture school in Stüttgart, Germany, and developed the first studio project in the College that took students on-site in a foreign country. At NCSU since 1975, Tesar was named to NCSU’s Academy of Outstanding Teachers in 1978 and named Alumni Distinguished Professor in 1992. He received the College of Design Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2003. Tesar received his diploma in architecture from the Technical University in Vienna, his master’s degree from the University of Washington, and returned to the Technical University in Vienna for his Ph. D. in architecture.

Weber came to UNC Asheville in 1978 fresh from graduate school, and since then has developed a number of courses growing out of her research and personal interests, including courses in psychology and film, environmental issues, consumer psychology, people and animals, and the social psychology of religion. Her accomplishments as a teacher and scholar have been recognized by a number of awards, including the UNC Asheville Distinguished Teaching Award, the Ruth and Leon Feldman Professorship for Scholarship and Service, and an Outstanding Teacher Award from the International Society for the Study of Personal Relationships. Weber received her B.A. in psychology from Catholic University and her M.A. in human experimental psychology and her Ph.D. in social psychology from Johns Hopkins University. She has authored a number of textbooks and articles, especially on social psychology and the psychology of personal relationships.

As the J. Carlyle Sitterson Professor of English, Harris teaches courses in the English department in her specialty area of African American literature, as well as in the Curriculum in Folklore and in African and Afro-American Studies and Women’s Studies and also as an adjunct professor in Speech Communication. She has an extensive record of research as one of the leading scholars of African American Literature and has written or edited numerous books, editions, book chapters, and articles and has been an invited speaker and presenter across the United States and in nearly a dozen foreign countries. She has received the Tanner Award for Teaching of Undergraduates and the William C. Friday Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as an outstanding teaching award from the South Atlantic Modern Language Association. At UNC-Chapel Hill since 1979, Harris received her B.A. in English from Stillman College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from The Ohio State University.

Calhoun’s research and clinical interest is in people’s responses to difficult, sometimes devastating, events and circumstances in their lives. This interest is reflected in courses he has developed such as the Psychology of Adjustment and in the preparation of graduate students as practicing clinicians. The links between his scholarship and his teaching are demonstrated by the 30 articles he has co-authored with undergraduate and graduate students and his publications in the journal Teaching of Psychology. In addition to his disciplinary research and teaching, Calhoun is also drawn to interdisciplinary perspectives. He co-developed an interdisciplinary Liberal Studies course in Ethical Issues in Personal, Professional, and Public Life with colleagues in philosophy. At UNC Charlotte since 1973, Calhoun received his B.A. in psychology and sociology from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College, his M.A. in psychology from Xavier University, and his Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Georgia.

At UNC Greensboro since 1993, Kriger has been active outside the classroom to make African history better known on campus. To encourage students to visit Africa, she has worked closely with the International Programs Center, chairing the Africa Programs Committee, and supporting the development of student exchanges with Africa. She has developed an African Film Series, helping the university obtain a collection of films that reflect the concerns and political awareness of their African makers and give students exposure to Africa through African eyes. She participated in the development of the African American Studies major and has received a teaching award from the African Student Union for making their histories more visible and relevant and making them feel welcome on campus. Kriger received her B.A. from the School of Fine and Performance Art at Portland State University, and her M.A. in African history and her Ph.D. in history from York University on Toronto.

Barrineau uses a variety of techniques to engage her students in learning. With a colleague, she designed a graduate course, "American Writers in Paris," which included a trip to Paris to visit the locations described in the writing of early 20^{th century American expatriates and the creation of a web site about the trip, including sections created by each student. Barrineau was the founding director of UNC Pembroke’s Teaching and Learning Center, establishing the office and library, hosting campus-wide sessions to discuss teaching and learning, organizing workshops with invited experts, and working with the technology office to create a week-long workshop for faculty on web-enhanced courses. Barrineau came to UNC Pembroke in 1989 and has been the winner of the university’s teaching award twice. She received her B.A. in English from Asbury College, her M.A. in English from the University of Kentucky, and her Ph.D. in English from the University of Georgia.}

An award-winning video and filmmaker, Buttino involves students in his documentary productions as writers, researchers, assistant directors and producers, and videographers. Drawing on his experience as a documentary filmmaker, he taught students interviewing and video skills and shared his experience interviewing people in a mining community after a mining accident. Many of Buttino’s films have been shown on PBS, including "The Lessons of September: One School Remembers 9/11," which was nominated for a George Foster Peabody Award. He has published widely as a novelist, biographer, historian, newspaper columnist, dramatist, and magazine writer. At UNC Wilmington since 1995, he has received the Chancellor’s Teaching Award, an Award for Faculty Scholarship, and the Marshall Crews Distinguished Faculty Award. Buttino received his B.A. from Colgate University, master’s degrees from the University of Miami and Crozer Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Syracuse University.

Wilson’s scholarship addresses the teaching of law and ethics, the use of case methodology, the introduction of multicultural perspectives into legal education, and law-related education for higher education administrators. He involves students in his research and also sponsors students participating in WCU’s annual Undergraduate and Graduate Research Conferences and at professional conferences. Wilson received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from WCU and returned as a faculty member in 1991, after teaching at NC A&T State University and serving as assistant county attorney for Guilford County. He received his J.D. from NC Central University and his Ed.D. in adult and community college education from NC State University. He has received the Academy of Educational Leadership Creative and Innovative Teaching Award and has twice received the College of Business Jay I. Kneedler Professor of Excellence Award.

Madrey has been particularly dedicated to preparing teachers for the diverse classrooms they will enter as new teachers. This commitment is reflected in her work with a Hewlett Foundation-sponsored "Pluralism and Unity Project" involving WSSU, Salem College, and Wake Forest University. She worked with students and faculty from all three institutions, leading discussions related to religious pluralism, racial diversity, and issues of gender and sexual orientation. She also serves as the principal investigator for a U.S. Department of Education grant to address problems with the teacher shortage, the lack of qualified teachers to teach culturally and linguistically diverse students, and high attrition rates among new K-12 teachers. Madrey first came to WSSU in 1994 as vice chancellor for student affairs and has received the institution’s Wachovia Award for Teaching Excellence. She received her B.S. in social welfare from the University of Tennessee at Martin, her M.S. from Memphis State University in guidance and personnel, and her Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in student personnel.

The oldest public university in America, the University of North Carolina today encompasses all 16 of North Carolina’s public institutions that grant baccalaureate degrees and enrolls nearly 190,000 students. UNC campuses support a broad array of distinguished liberal-arts programs, two medical schools and one teaching hospital, two law schools, a veterinary school, a school of pharmacy, ten nursing programs, 15 schools of education, three schools of engineering, and a specialized school for performing artists. Also under the University umbrella are the UNC Center for Public Television with its 11-station statewide broadcast network, and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, the nation’s first public residential high school for gifted students.

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