Falcon News In Brief: A bite-sized briefing of notable BGSU faculty, student and alumni news

Congratulations to faculty, students and alumni on recent accomplishments

Faculty Excellence Awards honor achievement

The 34th annual Faculty Excellence Awards were held April 4 to honor faculty members who demonstrate a commitment to continually improving their teaching and research skills to improve student knowledge and contributions to their respective fields. 

BGSU paid tribute to the achievements of faculty members during a ceremony and reception in the Community Room of the Lenhart Grand Ballroom in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union. Honored during the ceremonies were: 

• Jenn Stucker, School of Art; Dr. Heidi Nees, Department of Theatre and Film - Faculty Senate Distinguished Service Award 
• Dr. Sherri Horner, School of Educational Foundations, Leadership and Policy - Faculty Senate Faculty Mentor Award 
• Dr. William J. Sawaya, Department of Management - Faculty Senate Leadership as a Chair/School Director Award 
• Dr. Dawn Anderson, Department of Public and Allied Health - Faculty Senate Lifetime Achievement Award 
• Dr. Christopher Ward, Department of Biological Sciences - Outstanding Early Career Award 
• Dr. M.D. Sarder, Department of Engineering Technologies; Dr. Jayaraman Sivaguru, Department of Chemistry - Olscamp Research Award 
• Dr. Wan Shen, Department of Public and Allied Health - Elliott L. Blinn Award for Faculty Undergraduate Student Innovative Basic Research/Creative Work 
• Dr. Wei Ning, Department of Mathematics and Statistics - Professorship of Research Excellence 
• Dr. Apollos Okwuchi Nwauwwa, Department of History - Professorship of Service Excellence 
• Dr. Gabriel Matney, School of Teaching and Learning - Professorship of Teaching Excellence 
• Mille Gulbeck, School of Art - Professorship of Creative Arts Excellence 
• Dr. Edgar Landgraf, Department of World Languages and Cultures - Distinguished Research Professor Award 
• Dr. Philip S. Peek, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Distinguished Teaching Professor Award 
• Dr. Janet Hartley, Department of Management - Distinguished University Professor Award 

Graphic design program listed among tops in the U.S.

Graphic Design USA, one of the creative industry's premier publications, has listed the BGSU School of Art as one of the top programs in the nation that prepares students to work in professional graphic design. The publication hails 57 institutions as part of its 60th Anniversary Selections list, noting that the institutions and programs reflect a unique mix chosen from a combination of objective and subjective factors.

"The theme is that education (and educators) are more important than ever in this time of challenge and change — as the lines blur between the classroom and the studio, the academy and the office, the campus and the society," reads part of the Graphic Design USA post.

Earlier in 2023, two BGSU students were recognized by Graphic Design USA, as it named Eddie Santiago Vázquez, a first-generation college student and senior, and alumna and graduate student Lindsy Buser ‘09 as 2023 Students to Watch. They were the first students from the University's Division of Graphic Design to make the list.

English students volunteer with the Mazza Museum at Toledo Zoo

Students in the BGSU English 3430: Picture Book Workshop class volunteered at the Toledo Zoo recently during the Mazza Museum's April 2 Funday Sunday event, assisting zoo patrons with art activities, games, hands-on educational stations, STEAM activities and a presentation by guest illustrator Jim Arnosky.

The Picture Book Workshop class has cultivated a strong relationship with the Mazza Museum and a large part of the course's community engagement comes with the museum, which is dedicated solely to the art of picture books.

Throughout the semester, students in the course read, study and discuss a plethora of picture books and critical sources about picture books. Guest lectures from published picture book authors and illustrators, such as Lindsay Moore and Kate Hoefler, also inform students. Students visit the Mazza Museum for experiential learning as well. For their final project, students write, illustrate, design and present their own original picture book based on a social issue which they read aloud to second graders at Crim Elementary in Bowling Green as their final exam.