Category: Professional Notes

The University of Mary Washington presented its top honors during commencement ceremonies Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7.

Teresa A. Kennedy, professor of English and chair of the Department of English, Linguistics, and Communication, was presented the Grellet C. Simpson Award, the institution’s most prestigious annual award for excellence in undergraduate teaching. The recipient is routinely a senior member of the faculty.

Krystyn Moon, associate professor of American Studies, received the UMW Alumni Association Outstanding Young Faculty Member Award, which is presented annually to an exceptional member of the faculty who has served the institution for at least two years but no more than five years.

Charles M. Murphy, assistant professor of political science, received the Mary W. Pinschmidt Award. The winner is selected by the graduating class as the faculty member “whom they will most likely remember as the one who had the greatest impact on their lives.”

Laurie B. Abeel, associate professor of education, was presented with the Graduate Faculty Award, which recognizes an exceptional full-time faculty member who has demonstrated excellence in graduate teaching and professional leadership in a graduate program. The person selected must have served in a full-time position at the university for at least two years.

This UMW alumna, `07 M.Ed., is executive director for the National Delphic Council USA. Michelle describes the Delphic Games as the Olympics for the arts. It incorporates artistic disciplines from architecture to performance, writing to film in 6 categories and 18 sub-categories. Sixty countries participate. “UMW is my Alma Mater, and I believe the university can be a great partner and facilitator. Please take this message to those who are likely to see the vision and help us ignite the spark,” says Michelle. See the International website at www.delphic.org.

For more information, contact Michelle at artistpowell@juno.com.

Emile Lester, Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Affairs, has had his book published, “Teaching About Religions: A Democratic Approach for Public Schools.”

http://press.umich.edu/titleDetailDesc.do;jsessionid=96706B2E5A1D7240FDFF52E73627E189?id=2180004

Nabil Al-Tikriti, associate professor of history, is currently serving as a short term observer (STO) for the May 8 municipal elections in Durres, Albania. For these elections, he is affiliated with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and will be in the country from 5-12 May, 2011.

Laurie Abeel, associate professor of Graduate Education and Program Director for Advanced Licensure, is also the State Director for Destination ImagiNation (DI), a creative problem solving program for ages four through college level. She and her state board successfully ran the April 2 state tournament, which included 97 teams from around the state, with about 1,500 people attending. 

Abeel will take 41 teams from Virginia to Global Finals to be held in May at the University of Tennesee in Knoxville, where more than 1,000 teams from around the country and world will present creative solutions to DI challenges. For more information about DI, go to www.idodi.org.