Miami University Regional Locations Honor Faculty Members
August, 21 2012
Miami University Regional locations recently honored faculty members for teaching excellence, service, and scholarship or artistic achievement.
Dr. Michelle Abraham, assistant professor of psychology, is recipient of the Hamilton campus full-time faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. She has made major curricular contributions, including the development of seven psychology courses, a Bachelor of Integrative Studies seminar and a course for Miami’s Luxembourg program. Abraham also coordinated two study abroad experiences designed for Regional Campus students. Recently she worked with three Miami Hamilton students to develop an anti-bullying program that they presented to middle school students. In course evaluations, students praise her ability to connect course material to everyday life and to challenge them to think critically. She joined Miami Hamilton in 2008
Deb Neyer, instructor in Kinesiology and Health Science, is recipient of the Hamilton campus part-time faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. She teaches a variety of kinesiology and health classes and is devoted to promoting health and wellness in her classes and in her community and giving students hands-on learning. In her course on Understanding Drugs for Health Promotion Professionals, for example, she requires students to attend an AA or NA meeting to hear first-hand why people abuse drugs and alcohol. “Neyer devotes an incredible amount of time and energy into creating these highly effective learning experiences for our students,” said her nominator.
Dr. Dave Berg, professor of zoology, is recipient of the Hamilton campus Excellence in Service Award. He has offered multifaceted service to his discipline and profession as well as the university during his career. He is an associate editor for the journal American Midland Naturalist, serves on the executive committee of the Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society, and provides policy advice to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Forest Service. He also reviews grant and fellowship applications for the National Science Foundation. He currently holds the position of MUH Coordinator of Faculty Research and Scholarship and for many years has co-organized the Faculty Seminar Series, which provides a venue for share their research with their colleagues. Berg has served on many campus, departmental, and divisional committees. He joined the Miami Hamilton faculty in 1993.
Dr. Mark Krekeler, assistant professor of geology, is recipient of the Hamilton campus Excellence in Scholarship Award. He has conducted research near and far, from Butler County, Ohio, to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and holds four patents. Krekeler has been awarded over $100,000 in external funding for his research from Proctor & Gamble and Duracell. At Miami, he has received funding from the Committee on Faculty Research, an OARS Research Incentive Award, and a Shoupp Award for work with industrial partners. “One of the most impressive aspects of Krekeler’s scholarship is his commitment to mentoring undergraduates in research,” said his nominator. Krekeler has been a faculty member at Miami Hamilton since 2008.
Dr. Al Cady, professor of zoology, is recipient of the Middletown full-time faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. He has taught twelve different courses during his twenty-three years with Miami. His willingness to innovation is shown through his involvement with Communication across the Curriculum, the Bachelor of Integrative Studies degree, service learning, the First Year Research Experience program, EDL 110 (the University and the Student), and as a pilot faculty member for the Niihka course management system. He states that his ultimate goal is “students taking their core of current understanding, adding the bits-and-pieces of coursework, and taking ownership by assembling it within the contexts of their lives.” Cady came to Miami in 1989.
Janet Sauter, instructor in communications, is recipient of the Middletown part-time faculty Excellence in Teaching Award. She served as Miami Middletown’s representative on the Top 25 redesign team for COM 135, the basic interpersonal communications course, and has been responsible for bringing this new curriculum to the Middletown campus. Sauter’s campus involvement includes serving as an academic advisor, being the faculty advisor for the student organization Grace at Miami, chairing numerous community events and coordinating the annual Humanities and Fine Arts Student Awards for Academic Excellence. She has been an instructor at Miami University since 1985 and exclusively at Miami Middletown since 1993.
Andy Au, associate professor of art, is recipient of the Middletown campus Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activity Award. As a printmaker, Au has had his work shown locally, nationally and internationally. “His work is hard to describe, but when you see it and hear him talk about it, you realize what a depth of intellectual commitment, conceptual strength, and technical skill he brings to bear on it,” said his nominator. Au has been a Miami Middletown faculty member since 2006.
Dr. John Heyda, associate professor of English, is recipient of the Excellence in Service Award. He has co-led a grassroots admission effort, chaired a committee on Communications across the Curriculum for many years, led and contributed to various charitable causes and advised the student newspaper, radio station while chairing the campus Communications Board. Heyda has held leadership positions in two national organizations, the Conference on College Compositions and Communications and the Council of Writing Program Administrators. He has held board level positions Middletown Arts Central Foundation, the Middletown City School District Curriculum Committee and the Monroe-Middletown Relay for Life. “He has served our campus in numerous ways and he deserves to be noted for energetic devotion to multiple areas of service,” said his nominator. He has been on the Miami Middletown faculty since 1981.
"These award winners are standouts even considering the high level of achievement we expect from Regional Campus faculty members in all areas of their professional life. Their recognition is richly deserved," said Dr. Rob Schorman, Regional Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
