Dr. Margaret E. McMillan, associate professor in the Department of Earth Science, received UA Little Rock’s most coveted faculty honor, the Bailey Teaching Award at the university’s annual Faculty Excellence Awards ceremony Friday evening, April 12.
UA Little Rock associate professor and scientist Dr. Margaret “Beth” E. McMillan was honored for her dedication to preparing future scientists for cutting-edge careers. She recently revised lab exercises and projects and encouraged the learning of her students by placing each one in the role of a newly hired professional completing assigned tasks as if part of his or her duties. McMillan received a $10,000 monetary award.
Dr. Nidhal Bouaynaya, assistant professor in the Department of Systems Engineering, won the $5,000 Faculty Excellence Award in Research sponsored by the UA Little Rock Society of Philanthropy. Dr. Bouaynaya is a principal investigator of a million-dollar National Institute of Health research award and seeks to develop better methods for intervening in living organisms when they have gone awry.
Dr. Nancy Landrum, associate professor of management, won the $5,000 Faculty Excellence Award for Public Service sponsored by PepsiAmericas. She is committed to serving the community and developed UA Little Rock’s first undergraduate and graduate courses in sustainable business practices, in which students engage in service learning projects, along with teaching her students how to conduct sustainability audits and assessments and related market research for several Little Rock businesses and organizations.
The celebration of UA Little Rock’s top faculty has been a tradition since 1988 when the university set aside an evening to honor the contributions and achievements of the faculty. The university winners, selected by a panel of national judges from college-level winners, were announced at a ceremony at the Stella Boyle Smith Concert Hall.
College-level winners were:
TEACHING
Dr. Margaret E. McMillan, College of Science
Dr. Judith A. Hayn, College of Education
Dr. Gaurav Kumar, College of Business
Dr. Stacy Caroline Moak, College of Professional Studies
Dr. Hirak Patangia, College of Engineering and Information Technology
Stacy M. Pendergraft, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Coleen M. Barger, William H. Bowen School of Law
RESEARCH
Dr. Nidhal Bouaynaya, College of Engineering and Information Technology
Dr. Ibrahim Duyar, College of Education
Joseph R. Bell, College of Business
Dr. Kwasi Boateng, College of Professional Studies
Dr. Tansel Karabacak, College of Science
Dr. David Mastin, College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Frances S. Fendler, William H. Bowen School of Law
PUBLIC SERVICE
Dr. Nancy Landrum, College of Business
Dr. Anarella Cellitti, College of Education
Amy O. Barnes, College of Professional Studies
William Jay Sims, College of Science
Dr. Angela Hunter, College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Catherine Lowry, College of Engineering and Information Technology
Kelly Browe Olson, William H. Bowen School of Law