CLASS awards honor alumni, students and faculty

The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences honored recipients of our distinguished alumni awards, student paper competitions, and faculty teaching and diversity awards during the annual CLASS Awards Ceremony Oct. 26 in the Biosciences Building at Central Michigan University.  

Dean Richard Rothaus and Associate Dean Marcy Taylor welcomed back to campus four alumni who are skilled practitioners in their fields and who have made a positive impact on their communities. They also recognized the scholarly and professional endeavors of the recipients of the CLASS Student Paper Competition and the Joyce Henricks Paper Prize in Women and Gender Studies.

The CLASS Excellence in Teaching & Learning Awards honor CLASS faculty members who go above and beyond what is expected in creating exceptional learning opportunities for our students. This year, the college also announced the recipients of the inaugural CLASS Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging Awards for Inclusive Excellence in Teaching and Service. These awards recognize the efforts CLASS faculty and staff make to transform the educational experiences of students and enhance the sense of belonging for all.

Alumni awards

• Isabel Montemayor, '05, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Global Engagement
• Dan Eichinger, MPA '14, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Professional Practice
• Kris Phillips, '03, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Scholarly Activity
• Kadi Prout, '08, CLASS Alumni Award of Distinction for Public Service
  

Student paper awards

• Clare Flaherty, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “Banshees and Fairy Faith in Modern Day Ireland” (REL 303WI)
• Evan Grossnickle, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “Female-Authored Early Modern Recipe Books: A Nexus of Identity Formation in the British Empire” (HST 496)
• Haley Hill, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “The Role of Ghosts in Early Modern England” (HST 741A)
• Weston Wise, CLASS Student Paper Competition, “Aqkaqghanr: A Unique Past, Troubled Present, and Hopeful Future” (ANT 400)
• Adeline Renberg, Joyce Henricks Paper Prize in Women and Gender Studies, “Queer Identities and Witchcraft” in REL/WGS 302

Faculty teaching and diversity awards

• Maria Chouza-Calo, Maroon Excellence in Teaching & Learning Award for regular faculty
• Kyla Stepp, Maroon Excellence in Teaching & Learning Award for regular faculty
• Grace VanDeMark, Gold Excellence in Teaching & Learning Award for fixed-term faculty
• Dr. Michelle Cassidy, Individual Award for Inclusive Excellence in Teaching and Service
  
• Institute for Transformative Dialogue, Team Award for Inclusive Excellence in Teaching and Service