Recognizing Research, Scholarship and Mentoring

The Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSAs) (formerly the Distinguished Scholar Award):

  • The Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awards (ORSAs) are intended to honor Kent State's exceptional researchers and scholars. 
  • The Outstanding New Faculty Research and Scholarship Awards are intended to honor Kent State’s exceptional researchers and scholars who are within 7 years of first becoming an Assistant Professor.

Review of nominations for the ORSAs and Outstanding New Faculty Research and Scholarship Awards are overseen by the University Research Council. See the list below for previous winners.

Excellence in Research Mentoring Awards:

  • The Excellence in Graduate Research Mentoring award honors faculty members who excel in guiding and supporting graduate students through graduate research, scholarship and/or artistic productions. 
  • The Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring award honors faculty members who excel in guiding and supporting undergraduate students through research, scholarship and/or artistic productions. 

Nominations for the Excellence in Graduate Research Mentoring award are reviewed by a committee of graduate students assembled from members of the Graduate Student Senate and nominations for the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring award are reviewed by a committee of undergraduate students. These nominations are overseen by the Office of Student Research. For more details go to Excellence in Research Mentoring. See the list below for previous winners. 

Previous Awardees

2022

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award Recipients

  • Ruoming Jin - Department of Computer Science
  • Deric R. Kenne - College of Public Health
  • Jihyun Vick - School of Fashion

New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award Recipients

  • Christie Bahlai - Department of Biological Sciences
  • Leigh Garcia - School of Art
  • Shannon Navy - School of Teaching, Learning and Curriculum Studies

Excellence in Graduate Research Mentorship Award Recipients

  • Clarissa Thompson - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Sara Bayramzadeh - College of Architecture and Environmental Design 
2021

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award Recipients

  • Jonathan Maletic - Department of Computer Science
  • Tara Smith - College of Public Health

New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award Recipients

  • Shana Klein - Art History
  • Metin Eren - Department of Anthropology

Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentorship Award Recipients

  • Jean Jaminet - College of Architecture and Environmental Design
  • Edgar Kooijman - Department of Biological Sciences

Excellence in Graduate Research Mentorship Award Recipients 

  • Heather K. Caldwell - Department of Biological Sciences
  • Jennifer McDonough - Department of Biological Sciences
2020

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Recipients

  • Scott Sheridan - Department of Geography
  • Yuko Kurahashi - School of Theatre and Dance
  • Angela Neal-Barnett - Department of Psychological Sciences

New Faculty Research and Scholarship Award Recipients

  • Sara Bayramzadeh - College of Architecture and Environmental Design
  • Taryn McMahon - School of Art 
Awardees Before 2020
2019

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Recipients

  • Mahwish Chishty - School of Art
  • Joseph D. Ortiz - Department of Geology
  • Timothy V. Rasinski - School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies

New Faculty Research and Scholarship Award Recipients

  • Elizabeth M. Herndon - Department of Geology
  • Karl W. Kosko - School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies
  • Joseph L. Underwood - School of Art 

Excellence in Faculty Mentoring Award Recipients

  • Amoaba Gooden - Department of Pan-African Studies
  • Jayne Moneysmith - Department of English (Stark)

Distinguished Undergraduate Mentoring Award Recipients

  • Sanjaya Abeysirigunawardena - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • Adam Jajtner - Exercise Science/Physiology

Distinguished Graduate Mentoring Award Recipients

  • Katherine Rawson - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Michael Strickland - Department of Physics
2018

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees

  • Fabio Polanco - School of Theatre and Dance
  • Torsten Hegmann - Advanced Materials and Liquid Crystal Institute/Chemical Physics 
  • Greg Smith - School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences 

New Faculty Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees

  • Gemma Casadesus Smith - Department of Biological Sciences
  • Chanjuan Chen - School of Fashion
2017

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees

  • Deng-Ke Yang - Chemical Physics
  • David Fresco - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Susanna Fein - Department of English 
2016

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees

  • Richard Ferdig - School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences
  • Joel Hughes - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Polycarp Ikuenobe - Department of Philosophy 
2015

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees

  • Mark Bracher - Department of English
  • LC Chien - Chemical Physics
  • Doug Delahanty - Department of Psychological Sciences
2014

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees

  • Quan Li - Chemical Physics
  • James Tyner - Department of Geography
  • Marcia Lei Zeng - School of Information
2013

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees

  • Michael Loderstedt - School of Art
  • Carrie Schweitzer - Department of Geology (Stark)
  • Katherine Rawson - Department of Psychological Sciences
2012

Outstanding Research and Scholarship Awardees*

  • Carmen Almasan - Department of Physics
  • Ken Bindas - Department of History 
  • Antal Jakli - Chemical Physics
  • John Gunstad - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Thomas Janson - School of Music
  • Laura Leff - Department of Biological Sciences

 

 

 

*The Distinguished Scholars Award was renamed to the Outstanding Research and Scholar Awards in 2012. 

2011

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Theodore Albrecht - School of Music
  • Ran Barniv - Department of Accounting
  • Declan Keane - Department of Physics
2010

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Robert Flexer - School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences
  • John Dunlosky - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Phillip Rumrill - School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences

Awardees Before 2010

2009

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Owen Lovejoy - Department of Anthropology
  • Carol Maier - Department of Modern and Classical  Language Studies
  • Lewis Fried - Department of English
2007

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Nancy Docherty - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Satyendra Kumar - Department of Physics
  • Oleg Lavrentovich - Liquid Crystal Institute/Chemical Physics
2006

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Daniel Flannery - Institute for the Study of Prevention and Violence
  • Michael Hu - Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship
  • Phillip Bos - Chemical Physics
2005

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Kathleen Browne - School of Art
  • Per Enflo - Department of Mathematical Sciences
  • Marvin Troutt - Department of Management and Information Systems 
2004

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Raj Aggarwal - Department of Finance
  • Maggie Anderson - Department of English
  • Edwin Gould - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry 
2003

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Yossef Ben-Porath - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Rathindra Bose - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • William Kenney - Department of History 
2002

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Yoshinobu Hakutani - Department of English
  • Mietek Jaroniec - Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  • John Logue - Department of Political Science
2001

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Terry Miller - School of Music
  • Nancy Padak - School of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies
  • Peter Tandy - Department of Physics
2000

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Rodney Feldmann - Department of Geology
  • John Graham - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Janice Lessman-Moss - School of Art 
1999

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Stevan Hobfoll - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Peter Palffy-Muhoray - Department of Physics/Liquid Crystal Institute
  • John Ryans - Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship
1998

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • Sid Reid - Department of English
  • Susan Jones - College of Nursing
  • J. David Glass - Department of Biological Sciences
1997

Distinguished Scholars Awardees

  • David Riccio - Department of Psychological Sciences
  • Alan Graham - Department of Biological Sciences
  • Manuel de Costa Fontes - Department of Modern and Classical Language Studies
© 2024 Kent State University All rights reserved.