College Award Winners

2023-2024

Each year, the College of Social Science recognizes outstanding members of the College of Social Science Community who have made a difference.

 


Lifetime Achievement Award for Teaching, Research, and Service

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This award is presented MSU faculty in the College who have served for at least 20 years, but may currently hold emeritus status. Recipients have excelled in areas of research, teaching and service.

Ed McGarrell
Professor
School of Criminal Justice

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Outstanding Faculty Award

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Presented annually, this award recognizes a current faculty member in the College who takes pride in and is committed to quality teaching and who demonstrates substantial continuing involvement in undergraduate education. Nominations are submitted by chairs and directors with input from current students.

PJ Pettis
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology

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Faculty Teaching Innovation Award-Fixed Term

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This award recognizes a fixed-term faculty member for their innovation in undergraduate teaching and impact on student learning.

Laurie Bulock
Assistant Professor-Fixed Term
Department of Human Development and Family Studies

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Faculty Teaching Innovation Award-Integrative Studies

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This award recognizes teaching excellence, dedication to student success, commitment to MSU undergraduate learning goals, and emphasis on international, multicultural, or national diversity in Integrative Studies in Social Science.

Anna Gurinskaya
Assistant Professor
School of Criminal Justice

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Faculty Research Award-Disciplinary/Cross Disciplinary

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This award recognizes significant cross-disciplinary research with researchers from a distinctly different discipline across Michigan State University. 

Jon X. Eguia
Professor
Department of Economics

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Graduate Student Teaching Award

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This award recognizes a graduate student who has demonstrated evidence of dedication to instruction through experimentation and successful implementation of innovative techniques and/or contribution to the scholarship of teaching and learning, including experiential learning; and evidence of excellence in instruction as demonstrated by the impact on students’ careers and colleagues’ teaching/advising practices.

Uriel Saldivar
School of Human Resources and Labor Relations 

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Graduate Student Research Award

This award recognizes a graduate student who has conducted student initiated and led original research that demonstrates a clear potential for continued research excellence, while demonstrating conceptual and/or methodological rigor. Special consideration was given to work that incorporates emerging scholarly perspectives or interdisciplinary approaches.

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Bernard Moore
Department of History

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Youchuan Zhang
Department of Human Development and Family Studies

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Staff Award

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This award recognizes a academic/support staff person who plays a leadership role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Sean Hankins
Academic Specialist
Department of Psychology

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Graduate Student Award

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This award recognizes an graduate student who has played a significant role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Qi Huang
Department of Human Development and Family Studies

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Matt Hansen Support Staff Award

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This award recognizes support staff who demonstrate commitment to excellence and service to the community as evident in their impact and professionalism, and by fostering positive culture/climate. This award is in honor of the late Matt Hansen, the very first recipient of this award who served as an Administrative Assistant in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

Shelly DeJong
Communication Manager
Department of Psychology/Dean's Office

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  • 2022-2023 Winners

    Lifetime Achievement Award for Teaching, Research, and Service

    Deborah KashyThis award is presented MSU faculty in the College who have served for at least 20 years, but may currently hold emeritus status. Recipients have excelled in areas of research, teaching and service.

    Deborah Kashy
    Professor
    Department of Psychology

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    Outstanding Faculty Award

    Heather McCauleyPresented annually, this award recognizes a current faculty member in the College who takes pride in and is committed to quality teaching and who demonstrates substantial continuing involvement in undergraduate education. Nominations are submitted by chairs and directors with input from current students.

    Heather McCauley
    Associate Professor
    School of Social Work

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    Faculty Teaching Innovation Award

    This award recognizes a fixed-term faculty member for their innovation in undergraduate teaching and impact on student learning.

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    Allison RojekAllison Rojek
    Instructor
    School of Criminal Justice


    Karen HoltKaren Holt
    Assistant Professor
    School of Criminal Justice

     

     


    Integrative Studies in the Social Sciences Teaching Award

    This award recognizes teaching excellence, dedication to student success, commitment to MSU undergraduate learning goals, and emphasis on international, multicultural, or national diversity in Integrative Studies in Social Science.

    Brandy Ellison
    Assistant Professor
    Center for Integrative Studies in Social Science

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    Rising Star Research Award from the College of Social Science

    Yijie WangThis award recognizes early in career, tenure system faculty for research that has resulted in notable products such as high quality peer-reviewed publication(s), grant funding, and/or media appearances. This faculty member demonstrates innovative or transformative achievement beyond the norm.

    Yijie Wang
    Assistant Professor
    Department of Human Development & Family Studies

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    Faculty Outreach and Engagement Award

    Sarah DouglasThis award is given to a faculty member for their significant impact on the larger community through creative and innovative outreach or applied knowledge.

    Sarah Douglas
    Associate Professor
    Department of Human Development & Family Studies

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    Graduate Student Research Award

    Megan MikhailThis award recognizes a graduate student who has conducted student initiated and led original research that demonstrates a clear potential for continued research excellence, while demonstrating conceptual and/or methodological rigor. Special consideration was given to work that incorporates emerging scholarly perspectives or interdisciplinary approaches.

    Megan Mikhail
    Department of Psychology

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    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Faculty Award

    Heather HowardThis award recognizes a faculty member who plays a leadership role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

    Heather Howard
    Associate Professor
    Department of Anthropology

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    Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Undergraduate Student Award

    Mariah SmithThis award recognizes an undergraduate student who has played a significant role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

    Mariah Smith
    School of Human Resources and Labor Relations

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    Matt Hansen Support Staff Award

    This award recognizes support staff who demonstrate commitment to excellence and service to the community as evident in their impact and professionalism, and by fostering positive culture/climate. This award is in honor of the late Matt Hansen, the very first recipient of this award who served as an Administrative Assistant in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

    Aubree Montie
    Human Resources Coordinator
    School of Social Work

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  • 2021-2022 Winners

    The Faculty Cross-Disciplinary Research Award

    Joseph HammThis award is given to a tenure-stream faculty member who has conducted significant and innovative cross-disciplinary research that had broad community impact with researchers from a distinctly different discipline that has resulted in notable products such as high quality peer-reviewed publications, grant funding, and/or media appearances.

    Joseph Hamm
    Associate Professor
    School of Criminal Justice

     


    Faculty Research Award

    Bill Chopik This award is given to a tenure-stream faculty member whose research has resulted in notable products such as high quality peer-reviewed publications, grant funding, and/or media appearances, demonstrating innovative or transformative achievement beyond the norm.

    Bill Chopik
    Associate Professor
    Department of Psychology

     


    Integrative Studies in the Social Sciences Teaching Award

    Ronen SteinbergThis award recognizes teaching excellence, dedication to student success, commitment to MSU undergraduate learning goals, and emphasis on international, multicultural, or national diversity in Integrative Studies in Social Science.

    Ronen Steinberg
    Associate Professor
    Department of History

     


    Tenure System Faculty Teaching Innovation Award

    Ben BushongThis award is given to a faculty member who teaches undergraduate courses who takes an innovative approach to educating our students successfully.

    Ben Bushong
    Assistant Professor
    Department of Economics

     


    Matt Hansen Support Staff Award

    Melinda McLouthThis award recognizes support staff who demonstrate commitment to excellence and service to the community as evident in their impact and professionalism, and by fostering positive culture/climate. This award is in honor of the late Matt Hansen, the very first recipient of this award who served as an Administrative Assistant in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies.

    Melinda McLouth
    Administrative professional
    Department of Psychology

     


    Dean’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence Staff Award

    Veda HawkinsThis award recognizes a staff member who plays a leadership role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

    Veda Hawkins
    Assistant Director of Academic and Student Affairs
    College of Social Science

     


    Outstanding Teacher Award

    Emily DurbinPresented annually, this award recognizes a current faculty member in the College who takes pride in and is committed to quality teaching and who demonstrates substantial continuing involvement in undergraduate education. Nominations are submitted by chairs and directors with input from current students.

    Emily Durbin
    Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Education, Professor of Psychology

     


    Lifetime Achievement Award

    Peter SchmidtThis award is presented MSU faculty in the College who have served for at least 20 years, but may currently hold emeritus status. Recipients have excelled in areas of research, teaching and service.

    Peter Schmidt
    Professor of Economics & University Distinguished Professor

     


    Dean's DEI Grad Student Award

    Melissa YzaguirrThis award is presented to a graduate student who has played a significant role advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Successful nominees have actively served underrepresented populations, developed or implemented innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhanced the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

    Melissa Yzaguirre
    Doctoral student in Human Development and Family Studies


     

  • 2020-2021 Winners

     


    Rising Star Research Award

    This award recognizes early in career, tenure system faculty for research that has resulted in notable products such as high quality peer-reviewed publication(s), grant funding, and/or media appearances. This faculty member demonstrates innovative or transformative achievement beyond the norm.

    Caitlin CavanaghDr. Caitlin Cavanagh
    Assistant Professor
    School of Criminal Justice

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    Graduate Student Research Award

    This award recognizes a graduate student who has conducted student initiated and led original research that demonstrates a clear potential for continued research excellence, while demonstrating conceptual and/or methodological rigor. Special consideration was given to work that incorporates emerging scholarly perspectives or interdisciplinary approaches.

    Anh Sy Huy LeAnh Sy Huy Le
    PhD student
    Department of History

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    Graduate Student Teaching Award

    This award recognizes a graduate student who has demonstrated evidence of dedication to instruction through experimentation and successful implementation of innovative techniques and/or contribution to the scholarship of teaching and learning, including experiential learning; and evidence of excellence in instruction as demonstrated by the impact on students’ careers and colleagues’ teaching/advising practices.

    Mark SuchytaMark Suchyta
    PhD student
    Department of Sociology

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    Dean's Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award: Undergraduate Student

    This award recognizes an undergraduate student who has played a significant role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

    Jasmine JordanJasmine Jordan
    Department of Political Science

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    Honorable Mention

    Chloe Majzel
    Department of Economics

     


    Dean's Diversity and Inclusion Excellence Award: Faculty

    This award recognizes a faculty member who plays a leadership role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion by demonstrating activities which may include serving underrepresented populations, developing or implementing innovative programs that enhance participation and opportunity, or enhancing the ability and effectiveness of the College to be an inclusive and welcoming environment.

    Dr. Najib HouraniDr. Najib Hourani
    Associate Professor
    Department of Anthropology and the Global Urban Studies Program

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    Faculty Teaching Innovation Award: Fixed-Term

    This award recognizes a fixed-term faculty member for their innovation in undergraduate teaching and impact on student learning.

    Eddie BoucherDr. Eddie Boucher
    Assistant Professor
    Center for Integrative Studies

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    Integrative Studies in Social Science Teaching Excellence Award

    This award recognizes teaching excellence, dedication to student success, commitment to MSU undergraduate learning goals, and emphasis on international, multicultural, or national diversity in Integrative Studies in Social Science.

    Dr. Erin GrahamDr. Erin Graham
    Assistant Professor
    Department of History and Chicano/Latino Studies

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    Faculty Outreach/Engagement Award

    This award is given to a faculty member for their significant impact on the larger community through creative and innovative outreach or applied knowledge.

    Dr. Jennifer CarreraDr. Jennifer Carrera
    Assistant Professor
    Department of Sociology

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    Matt Hansen Support Staff Award

    This award recognizes support staff who demonstrate commitment to excellence and service to community as evident in their impact and professionalism, and by fostering positive culture/climate.

    Melissa ChristleMelissa Christle
    Graduate Secretary
    School of Criminal Justice

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    Women's Leadership Institute Tomlanovich Equity Research Award

    This award is given to faculty and undergraduate student teams to conduct research that advances understanding of intersectionality and gender equity to realize the vision of the Women’s Leadership Institute - to advance leadership equity for women globally.

    Dr. Nazita Lajevardi with student Jasmine Jordan
    Dr. Cristina Bodea and Dr. Andrew Kerner with students Zac Ozormoor and Lillian Meng

    Department of Political Science

    Dr. Nazita Lajevardi

    Dr. Nazita Lajevardi

    Dr. Cristina  Bodea

    Dr. Cristina Bodea

    Dr. Andrew  Kerner

    Dr. Andrew Kerner

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