College Award Winners
2024-2025
Each year, the College of Social Science recognizes outstanding members of the College of Social Science Community who have made a difference.
Outstanding Faculty Award
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.
Ashlee Barnes-Lee
Assistant Professor
School of Social Work
Faculty Teaching Innovation Award - Tenure System
This award is given to a faculty member who teaches undergraduate courses who takes an innovative approach to educating our students successfully.
Helen Veit
Associate Professor
Department of History
Faculty Teaching Innovation Award - Integrative Studies
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.
David Baylis
Professor
Center for Integrative Studies
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.
Michelle Kaminski
Associate Professor
School of Human Resources and Labor Relations
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.
Ryan Scrivens
Assistant Professor
School of Criminal Justice
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.
Soyeon Park
Graduate Student
Department of Political Science
Excellence in 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.
Joe Karisny
Graduate Student
Department of History
Matt Hansen Outstanding 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.
Mike Chapko
Graduate Program Coordinator
School of Criminal Justice
Institutional Access Award - Tenure Stream
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.
Karen Holt
Assistant Professor
School of Criminal Justice
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2023-2024 Winners
Lifetime Achievement Award for Teaching, Research, and Service
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
Outstanding Faculty Award
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
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.
Laurie Bulock
Assistant Professor-Fixed Term
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Faculty Teaching Innovation Award-Integrative Studies
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
Faculty Research Award-Disciplinary/Cross Disciplinary
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
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.
Uriel Saldivar
School of Human Resources and Labor Relations
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.
Bernard Moore
Department of History
Youchuan Zhang
Department of Human Development and Family Studies
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Staff Award
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
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Graduate Student Award
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
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.
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
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.Deborah Kashy
Professor
Department of Psychology
Outstanding Faculty Award
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.Heather McCauley
Associate Professor
School of Social Work
Faculty Teaching Innovation Award
This award recognizes a fixed-term faculty member for their innovation in undergraduate teaching and impact on student learning.
Allison Rojek
Instructor
School of Criminal Justice
Karen 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
Rising Star Research Award from the College of Social Science
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.Yijie Wang
Assistant Professor
Department of Human Development & Family Studies
Faculty Outreach and 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.Sarah Douglas
Associate Professor
Department of Human Development & Family Studies
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.Megan Mikhail
Department of Psychology
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Faculty Award
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.Heather Howard
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Undergraduate Student Award
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.Mariah Smith
School of Human Resources and Labor Relations
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 -
2021-2022 Winners
The Faculty Cross-Disciplinary Research Award
This 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
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
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.Ronen Steinberg
Associate Professor
Department of History
Tenure System Faculty Teaching Innovation Award
This 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
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.Melinda McLouth
Administrative professional
Department of Psychology
Dean’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence Staff Award
This 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
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.Emily Durbin
Associate Chair and Director of Graduate Education, Professor of Psychology
Lifetime Achievement Award
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.Peter Schmidt
Professor of Economics & University Distinguished Professor
Dean's DEI Grad Student Award
This 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
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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.
Dr. Caitlin Cavanagh
Assistant Professor
School of Criminal Justice
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 Le
PhD student
Department of History
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 Suchyta
PhD student
Department of Sociology
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 Jordan
Department of Political Science
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 Hourani
Associate Professor
Department of Anthropology and the Global Urban Studies Program
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.
Dr. Eddie Boucher
Assistant Professor
Center for Integrative Studies
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 Graham
Assistant Professor
Department of History and Chicano/Latino Studies
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 Carrera
Assistant Professor
Department of Sociology
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 Christle
Graduate Secretary
School of Criminal Justice
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. Cristina Bodea
Dr. Andrew Kerner