The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will reveal the winners of the 2020 Faculty Excellence Awards at 2 p.m. Thursday, April 23. The results will be announced on the Faculty Excellence website and the UA Little Rock Facebook page. 

“Though we cannot celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our faculty members in person because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are proud to honor our dedicated faculty members for their hard work and perseverance in educating our students, providing groundbreaking research, and serving the public good,” Provost Ann Bain said. “Please join us on April 23 as we celebrate this bright spot at the university, our Faculty Excellence Award winners!”

UA Little Rock annually celebrates the achievements of the top professors of the year who are making a difference in the community through their contributions in teaching, research and creative works, and public service. This is the highest honor UA Little Rock awards its faculty members.

Created in 1989, the Faculty Excellence Awards has provided a way to recognize the great work of UA Little Rock faculty for the past 31 years and is made possible through the valued contributions of the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost, the UA Little Rock Chancellor’s Circle, Bailey Foundation, and UMR. 

The UA Little Rock Board of Visitors will select the university-wide winners from the 17 faculty members who were selected as the top faculty member for the 2019-20 academic year in each of the three categories in their respective colleges. 

UA Little Rock is also initiating a new award program that recognizes schools and departments that have made significant contributions to improving the success and retention of undergraduate students.  

Awards will be given to a department or school within each of the university’s five colleges. One of the college winners will receive the university-wide award. The awards are funded by gifts from Provost Bain and Dr. Daryl Rice, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs.  

Congratulations to the UA Little Rock college-level winners:

 Public Service

• David Briscoe, professor of sociology, College of Social Sciences and Communication
• M. Keith Hudson, professor of chemistry and director of the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium, College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences
• René Shroat-Lewis, assistant professor of Earth Sciences, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
• Anastasia Boles, associate professor of law, William H. Bowen School of Law
• Linda Stauffer, professor of interpreter education, College of Education and Health Professions
• Joe Felan, associate professor of management, College of Business

Research/Creative Endeavors

• Heidi Skurat Harris, associate professor of rhetoric and writing, College of Social Sciences and Communication
• Anindya Ghosh, associate professor of chemistry, College of Arts, Letters, and Science
• Mariofana Milanova, professor of computer science, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
• Nicholas Kahn-Fogel, professor of law, William H. Bowen School of Law
• Jim Vander Putten, associate professor of higher education, College of Education and Health Professions

Teaching

• Londie Martin, assistant professor of rhetoric and writing, College of Social Sciences and Communication
• Stacy Pendergraft, associate professor of theatre arts, College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences
• Michael DeAngelis, associate professor of Earth Sciences, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
• Terrence Cain, professor of law and associate dean for faculty development, William H. Bowen School of Law
• Jami Hollingsworth, senior instructor of interpreter education, College of Education and Health Professions
• Gary Geissler, professor of marketing and advertising, College of Business

Department Student Success and Retention Awards

• Department of Sociology and Anthropology, College of Social Sciences and Communication
• Department of English, College of Arts, Letters, and Sciences
• Department of Earth Sciences, George W. Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology
• Department of Nursing, College of Education and Health Professions
• Department of Management, College of Business