Their remarkable work takes place in studios, classrooms, laboratories and outdoors. They have been published in prestigious journals, authored books and received significant research grants. Now, they add a new honor to their list of notable achievements.
Kent State University President Beverly J. Warren recently presented 13 Kent State faculty members with the 2018 President’s Faculty Excellence Award, which recognizes exceptional performance that leads to the achievement of national or international recognition in the faculty member’s discipline.
“At its core, higher education is about the primacy of ideas, and behind every extraordinary idea is an extraordinary person – our world-class faculty are not only tirelessly dedicated to making a difference through the power and application of ideas, but by leading and inspiring the next generation of scientists, artists, makers, entrepreneurs and others to do the same,” President Warren said. “Those recognized by this awards program truly exemplify what it means to be excellent at Kent State, through learning-centered teaching, innovative and meaningful research, and an approach to their work that looks beyond the walls of their classrooms or laboratories.”
Tenured and tenure-track faculty members in all disciplines and from all eight campuses were eligible based on recommendations to department chairs and deans. A total of 74 nominations and self-nominations were received, and 13 were recommended by the provost and approved by the president.
The President’s Faculty Excellence Award was created in 2015 and represents an investment in the university’s overall vision and aspirations. Kent State will award a pool of $400,000 in the form of special salary adjustments over a three-year period. This year, each recipient receives a special salary adjustment of $10,000.
2018 President’s Faculty Excellence Award Recipients
- Mahwish Chishty, School of Art
- Yanhai Du, College of Aeronautics and Engineering
- John Gunstad, Department of Psychological Sciences
- Kim Hahn, The Fashion School
- Phillip Hamrick, Department of English
- Matthew Lehnert, Department of Biological Sciences
- Jian Li, School of Foundations, Leadership and Administration
- Antal Jakli, Chemical Physics Interdisciplinary Program
- Françoise Massardier-Kenney, Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies
- Robert Twieg, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
- James Tyner, Department of Geography
- James Tyner is a professor in the Department of Geography. In December 2017, he was named Fellow of the American Association of Geographers in recognition of his exceptional and sustained scholarship. His 2009 book titled “War, Violence and Population” won the Meridian Award for outstanding work in geography. In 2007, the American Association of Geographers bestowed the Glenda Laws Award for outstanding scholarship on social issues on Dr. Tyner. He has won five additional outstanding research and service awards, and he has authored 16 books on subjects ranging from the killing fields of Cambodia to the geography of Malcom X to the legacies of war.
- Robin Vande Zande, School of Art
- Yin Zhang, School of Information
These are just a few of the outstanding faculty at Kent State who are transforming the lives of students and creating game-changing discoveries in their fields. The dedication of all Kent State faculty is helping to illuminate the path for students to discover their passion and find their purpose.
Learn more about the recipients and their outstanding contributions, as well as past recipients