Blinn Award goes to Pahapill for undergraduate collaborations

BOWLING GREEN, O.—Leigh-Ann Pahapill, associate professor in the School of Art at Bowling Green State University, received the 2015 Elliott L. Blinn Award for Faculty-Undergraduate Student Innovative Basic Research/Creative Work.

The award recognizes innovative basic research/creative work conducted by individual faculty members in collaboration with undergraduate students and supports collaboration with additional students. It is given in memory of Dr. Elliott Blinn, a professor of chemistry, who dedicated his career to sharing with his undergraduate students the excitement of the process of discovery by directly involving them in basic research/creative work. Pahapill received a $2,500 award, which included $1,250 transferred to a department account for the continued collaborative research activities with BGSU undergraduate students, as well as a $1,250 cash prize.

In letters of recommendation, Papahill’s students and peers consistently noted her dedication to her work, building partnerships and fostering learning.

“She lives and breathes the principles of collaboration, interdisciplinarity and undergraduate research,” said Dr. Katerina Ruedi Ray, director of the School of Art.  “Her creative partnerships help the emergence of new forms of perception, experience, inquiry and communication.”

Undergraduate art student Kai Lee Liu worked with Pahapill on an electronic art symposium in Dubai. “Professor Pahapill shared her art experience and methodology with me, which allowed the process to move quickly and effectively,” said Liu. “It was a dream come true for me to be able to participate in such a competitive, significant and scholarly event.”

Pahapill employs a teaching methodology that advances visual art as a fundamental mode of inquiry, experience and communication. “I seek to influence my students’ artistic development, research skills, creative interests and career decisions to enable them to take a leading role in knowledge production,” she said.