Eight Ashland University faculty and staff members were honored during the University’s 24th annual Academic Mentor Awards recognition ceremony on Friday.
The program recognizes faculty whose academic leadership with regard to students extends beyond the classroom. The mentors, each nominated by an Ashland student, were presented an engraved silver plate at the event held in John C. Myers Convocation Center.
This year’s Mentor Award recipients are: Dr. Iyad Ajwa, professor of computer science; Dr. Thomas Dence, professor of mathematics; Catherine Geletka, director of residence life; Paul Lewis, professional instructor of marketing; Dr. Mitchell Metzger, professor of psychology; Jan Rinehart, professional instructor of early childhood education; Dr. Barb Schmidt-Rinehart, professor of foreign language; and Dr. Howard Walters, associate professor of education.
Friends, colleagues and family members attended the luncheon, joined by members of Ashland’s administration and Board of Trustees. Provost Dr. Frank Pettigrew welcomed the guests and presided over the event, while President Dr. Frederick Finks commended the award recipients and the students who nominated them.
Dr. Jeffrey Russell, interim dean of the Dauch College of Business and Economics; Dr. James Van Keuren, dean of the Schar College of Education; Dr. Dawn Weber, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences; and Sue Heimann, vice president for Student Affairs, presented the awards.
Students nominated faculty and staff members using the criteria of: history of their relationship, how they benefited academically, how their personal development has been enhanced by their mentor and what impact the mentor has had on the student’s progress at the University. Selections were made by the Academic Affairs Committee of the Ashland University Board of Trustees solely from the information included on the nomination forms.
Students who submitted winning nominations included: Kim Hohl, a senior from Sunbury, Ohio, majoring in computer arts/graphics, nominating Ajwa; Teresa Schermerhorn, a senior from Mt. Vernon majoring in integrated mathematics, nominating Dence; Ligia Garcia, an MBA student from Valinhos, Brazil, majoring in international business, nominating Geletka; Hilary Wilkins, a sophomore from Shelby majoring in marketing, nominating Lewis; Jennifer Seda, a senior from Parma majoring in psychology, nominating Metzger; BreAnn Fennell , a senior from Ashland majoring in early childhood education, nominating Rinehart; and Ken Brubaker, a doctor of education student from Mansfield majoring in Leadership Studies, nominating Walters.
In nominating the recipients of this year’s Mentor Awards, the students wrote one-page essays about their mentors. Passages from these essays were distributed at the luncheon.
