USI announces award recipients, recognizes achievements at annual Faculty Convocation

The University of Southern Indiana held its second Faculty Convocation on Friday, October 12 in Carter Hall located on the USI campus. The convocation featured a keynote address from Dr. Kevin Celuch, Blair Chair of Business Science, remarks from USI President Dr. Ronald Rochon and Interim Provost Dr. Mohammad Khayum, and the premiere performance of USI's new alma mater, "Constant, Faithful and True," an original piece of music composed by Daniel Craig, USI associate professor of music, with lyrics by Dr. David O'Neil, USI assistant professor of English.

During the Convocation, the following awards were presented:

University of Southern Indiana Distinguished Professor Award 

Dr. Glenna G. Bower, Associate Dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education

Dr. Glenna Bower, professor of kinesiology and sport and associate dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education, is the 2018 recipient of the Distinguished Professor Award, which was established in 1983 and is given in recognition of significant achievement in teaching, scholarship and service. As a recipient, Bower will receive a $15,000 stipend underwritten by generous donors to the USI Foundation. She also will deliver the address at one of USI's Fall Commencement ceremonies.

Bower began her career at USI in 1998 as an instructor in the Kinesiology and Sport Department. In 2010, she became associate professor of kinesiology and sport, and in 2015, professor of kinesiology and sport. She has served as the chair of the Kinesiology and Sport Department, assistant dean and is currently the associate dean of the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education.

During her time at USI, she has been instrumental in the development of programs that benefit students and the community. She has been the director of the Screaming Eagles Running Series and Doggie Dash since 2011. The implementation of these events has raised more than $84,000 for student scholarships and professional development, while also providing hands-on experiences for students.

She is highly engaged with students through various Pott College organizations. Bower oversees the college's Student Campus Community and Student Advisory Board (SAB), is the creator of the SAB Peer Mentoring Program, and developed the Student Organization Council. She is an interviewer for the Medical Professions Academy (MPA) Scholarship and the MPA Task Force. She also is an active member in the Physical Activities Center renovation and arena design task force.

Over the course of her career, she has published three books and five book chapters. She has 43 refereed publications and five student-refereed publications, along with 60 refereed presentations and four student-refereed presentations. Her efforts have helped the University collect over $927,689 in grant funding.

Bower graduated from USI in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and has a master's degree in physical education from Indiana State University and a doctoral degree in educational leadership and organizational development with a concentration in sport administration from the University of Louisville. Prior to her career at USI, she was an instructor of the Sport Administration at the University of Louisville and worked in non-academic roles with USI and the Mead Johnson Nutritional Fitness Center after completing her bachelor's and master's degrees.

Lee Cooper Core Curriculum Teaching Award

Xavia D. Harrington-Chate, Instructor in English, College of Liberal Arts

Xavia D. Harrington-Chate is the 2018 recipient of the H. Lee Cooper Core Curriculum Teaching Award, which was established in 2000 and honors a USI faculty member whose work in University Core courses (UCC) has been especially creative and successful in furthering UCC goals. As a recipient, Harrington-Chate will receive a $10,000 stipend underwritten by longtime and generous University friends, Ann and H. Lee Cooper III. She also will deliver the address at one of USI's Fall Commencement ceremonies. 

Harrington-Chate began her career at USI in 2013 as an instructor in English. She was interested in better preparing students, who struggled with English foundations, for the academic regor of collegiate writing. Prior to her arrival at USI, she was a composition and rhetoric graduate research and teaching assistant and later instructor of record at Auburn University, and years later an instructor of English at Kentucky State University.

She culminated her Alice Carson Tisdale Honors College experience at Claflin University with a bachelor's degree in English education in 2010. She went on to obtain a master's degree in composition and rhetoric with a minor concentration in technical and professional communications from Auburn University in 2012. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at Bellarmine University, writing her dissertation toward the requirements for the Leadership in Higher Education doctoral degree with a focus on multicultural issues of diversity, equity and inclusion within higher education.

Harrington-Chate is recognized as a professor who treats each student with equal respect and sees them as capable of greatness. She attends to students' needs and meets one-on-one with them to strengthen their writing skills; she maintains student-centered class environments utilizing real-world examples.

Students appreciate the time Harrington-Chate takes to teach them the conventions associated with English grammar, punctuation, mechanics and syntax, and how that foundational knowledge applies to other areas of their lives as well as writing more advanced essays, cover letters, emails to future employers and clients, and other post-graduate writing.

She also is known for her innovative teaching methods and interesting assignment topics that grab the attention of her students and other core curriculum professors and connecting students to local, national and global communities and issues.

Sydney and Sadelle Berger Faculty Community Service Award

Julie B. St. Clair, Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Professions

Julie St. Clair is the 2018 recipient of the Sydney L. and Sadelle Berger Faculty Community Service Award, which was established in 1977 and recognizes a USI faculty member for distinguished community service to groups, agencies and institutions external to the University of Southern Indiana.

St. Clair began her career in nursing in 1978 as a staff nurse. She worked as a public health nurse and Director of Nursing at the Vanderburgh County Health Department from 1980 to 1990. She began her academic career at USI in 1990 and has been a member of the nursing faculty for 28 years.

Using her public health background, St. Clair has identified opportunities for students and faculty to participate and contribute to the health and wellbeing of the University and the community. She has written multiple grants that resulted in student opportunities to participate in community-related activities leading to improved health outcomes in the Tri-State area. She serves on numerous health care-related boards at the local and state level.

St. Clair is the lead organizer for "Camp-Nota-Gona-Wheeze," a free, week-long asthma day camp for elementary-aged students funded by community partners. The camp focuses on education of symptoms, triggers, medications and maintenance related to asthma. Not only does she bring her students to help with asthma teaching for the campers, but she is fully involved with the campers as well.

For several years, she has participated in activities in the community including health fairs, health-related camps and leadership roles with many community organizations. She is often called upon by these community organizations because of her recognized expertise in population health. These experiences allow her to remain current in the field and to bring the latest content in population health to her students.

St. Clair received a bachelor's degree in nursing from Western Kentucky University in 1980 and a master's degree in nursing from the University of Evansville in 1988.

USI Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award by New Faculty

Dr. Christos Deligkaris, Assistant Professor of Physics, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education

Dr. Christos Deligkaris is the recipient of the USI Foundation Outstanding Teaching Award by New Faculty, which recognizes truly exceptional teaching performance by a new faculty member in his or her discipline, and whose primary responsibility is teaching at the University of Southern Indiana. Deligkaris is the faculty advisor for biophysics majors; was a member of the organizing committee for the 2017 and 2018 Celebration of Teaching and Learning Symposia and currently sits on the Student Affairs Committee.

USI Foundation Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award

Dr. Jason D. Hardgrave, Associate Professor of History and Chair, History Department, College of Liberal Arts

Dr. Jason Hardgrave is the recipient of the USI Foundation Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award, which recognizes truly exceptional teaching performance by a new faculty member in his or her discipline, and whose primary responsibility is teaching at the University of Southern Indiana. Hardgrave serves as the faculty advisor for the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honors Society at USI and is recognized for his devotion to engaging students in the material and his dedication to their success in and out of the classroom.

In addition to the above awards, the following achievements were recognized:

Faculty Promoted to Professor

John Donnelly, Professor of Mathematics, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education
Kathy Elpers, Professor of Social Work, College of Liberal Arts
Kevin Valadares, Professor of Health Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Professions

Faculty tenured and promoted to associate professor

Austin Anderson, Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Sport, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education
Lorinda Coan, Associate Professor of Dental Hygiene, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Jessica Garcés Jensen, Associate Professor of French, College of Liberal Arts
Shannon Pritchard, Associate Professor of Art History, College of Liberal Arts
Jill Raisor, Associate Professor of Education, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education
Jack Smothers, Associate Professor of Management, Romain College of Business
Rebecca Sparks-Thissen, Associate Professor of Biology, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education

Doctoral and Terminal Degree Completion

Lindsey DiTirro, Assistant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, College of Liberal Arts - Doctor of Philosophy from Purdue University
Lindsay Greer, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, College of Liberal Arts - Doctor of Philosophy from Southern Illinois University
L. Morgan Hanson, Assistant Professor of English, College of Liberal Arts - Doctor of Philosophy from Middle Tennessee State University
Heather Himes, Instructor in Dance, College of Liberal Arts - Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Washington University in St. Louis
Grace Howard, Assistant Professor of Gender Studies and Criminal Justice, College of Liberal Arts - Doctor of Philosophy from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
Stacey Keown, Assistant Professor of Education, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education - Doctor of Education from Murray State University
Todd Nelson, Assistant Professor of Engineering, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education - Doctor of Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University
David O'Neil, Assistant Professor of English, College of Liberal Arts - Doctor of Philosophy from Purdue University
Sung Eun Park, Assistant Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, College of Liberal Arts - Doctor of Philosophy from The University of Alabama
Ángela Martin Pérez, Assistant Professor of Spanish, College of Liberal Arts - Doctor of Philsophy from the University of Connecticut
Ekta Rathee, Instructor in Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Professions - Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Southern Indiana
Erika Williams, Contract Assistant Professor of Management, Romain College of Business - Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville

25 Years of Service

Shan Jensen, Professor of Theatre, College of Liberal Arts
Brett Long, Associate Professor of Accounting and Business Law, Romain College of Business
John Morris, Instructor in Radio and Television, College of Liberal Arts
Paul Raymond, Associate Professor of Political Science, College of Liberal Arts
Jeffery Seyler, Professor of Chemistry, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education

Emeriti Honors

Joanne Artz, Assistant Director Emerita of Library Services, David L. Rice Library
Joan DeJong, Assistant Dean Emerita and Professor Emerita of Art, College of Liberal Arts
Craig Ehlen, Professor Emeritus of Accounting, Romain College of Business
Matthew Graham, Professor Emeritus of English, College of Liberal Arts
Roberta Hoebeke, Professor Emerita of Nursing, College of Nursing and Health Professions
Marilyn Hurst, Instructor Emerita in Chemistry, Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education
Brett Long, Associate Professor Emeritus of Accounting and Business Law, Romain College of Business
Martin Reed, Associate Professor Emeritus of Radiologic Technology, College of Nursing and Health Professions