8/17/23

By FHSU University Communications

HAYS, Kan. – Highlighting Fort Hays State University’s fall convocation Wednesday was the presentation of faculty awards. Awards included the Faculty Member of the Year, John Heinrichs Outstanding Research Mentor, and the President’s Distinguished Scholar Award.

The Faculty Member of the Year award was presented to Dr. Carol Ellis, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders. Commerce Bank provided a $1,000 stipend for Dr. Ellis in recognition of this honor. Dr. Ellis provides academic and clinical education to FHSU students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

“Dr. Ellis’s passion for guiding international students with the Accent Modification program has helped expand numerous students’ knowledge of the English language, culture, and dialects,” said FHSU Provost Jill Arensdorf. “She is a stellar example of the importance and value of our teaching faculty.”

The faculty member of the year is selected from the past year’s recipients of faculty awards for teaching, research and scholarly activity, and service.

The 2022-2023 award for scholarly activity went to Dr. Whitney Whitaker, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Lori Kniffin, assistant professor of leadership studies. Outstanding service awards went to Dr. Jerrie Brooks, associate professor of advanced education programs, and Dr. Karmen Porter, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders. Dr. Carol Ellis, associate professor of communication sciences and disorders, and Dr. Richard Lisichenko, professor of geosciences, were recognized for outstanding teaching.

John Heinrichs Outstanding Research Mentor

Dr. Ziwei Qi, associate professor of criminal justice, was named the John Heinrichs Outstanding Research Mentor. The award is named after our esteemed former colleague, Dr. John Heinrichs, who was active in all research areas.

This award recognizes faculty members’ commitment, time, and energy in promoting undergraduate research. All current faculty and unclassified staff members at levels comparable to academic faculty are eligible. The awardee’s home department is provided $500 of budget funding to benefit the recipient.

Dr. Qi’s student-led projects include individual-to-community-based collaboration on victimology, crime prevention, and legal analysis. She assists her students with these research projects from presentation to publication and successful outcomes in the juris doctorate and graduate programs. One student wrote: “Dr. Qi’s mentorship has helped me achieve academically and professionally.”

President’s Distinguished Scholar Award

Dr. Laura Wilson, associate professor of geosciences, was announced as the 2023 President’s Distinguished Scholar. Dr. Wilson’s interdisciplinary research integrates aspects of the earth and life sciences, specifically the study of animals and the environments from the western interior seaway. She has been awarded four federal grants to support her scholarly activities focused on museum practices, including collection improvements at Sternberg Museum. Her scholarship in teaching and learning continues to impact college students in both informal and formal science education settings.

Dr. Wilson will receive a $1,500 check at the President’s Distinguished Scholar program later in the academic year.

The President’s Distinguished Scholar Award was first conferred in 1989. The evaluation of each candidate for this honor is based on an analysis of their performance in research and creative activities, service, and instruction categories. Acceptable levels of performance must be demonstrated in service and instruction, with the primary focus of this award on research and creative activities.