Faculty Awards from Academic Affairs Total Over $70-K

Academic Affairs Announces Winners of Faculty Research and Curriculum Enhancement Awards for Alabama State University

 

By Kenneth Mullinax/ASU

 

Fifteen members of the Alabama State University faculty have been chosen to receive monetary awards totaling more than $70,000 as part of an initiative aimed at propelling academic advancement and scholarship at the University.

 

The awards were given in two categories: Faculty Research and Curriculum Enhancement.   The award recipients were announced by the University's Office of Academic Affairs.

"We are proud to announce the continuation of the program that first began in 2022 after Dr. Carl S. Pettis (provost and vice president of Academic Affairs) originated the idea and asked me to join with him so we might infuse additional scholarly vigor into both our faculty member's research projects, as well as the curriculum that we use to teach our students," said associate provost, Dr. Kennedy Wekesa. "Promoting enhanced learning, scholarly pursuits and critical thought is the hallmark of Alabama State's faculty members and what better way to encourage it than to offer these two awards, which nurture the process."

 

Wekesa has tasked his administrative assistant, Latonia M. Harris, with managing the infrastructure and operational aspects of both sets of awards, which is a process she finds fulfilling.

 

"These two awards are important to the continued growth of the University in that it helps the faculty move forward on collecting data within important research topics that are of interest to them, which ultimately strengthens the academic foundation of the University and in turn, propels our students to greater academic heights," stated Harris.

 

ABOUT THE TWO AWARDS 

The Curriculum Enhancement Awards dispensed over $25,000 in total funding to faculty members with a maximum amount of $4,000 each, which was awarded to seven professors.

"Its purpose is to provide our faculty with funding so they may improve student learning and success by designing courses of study by supporting either existing or new curriculum activities and learning," Harris said.

The seven recipients of the Curriculum Enhancement Awards are Dr. Harvey Hou, $1700; Dr. Raynetta Prevo-Williams, $4000; Dr. Brenda Luchsinger, $4000; Dr. Tabitha Brookins, $3973.75; Dr. L. Simone Byrd,  $3990.99; Dr. Robert Green, $3968.70; and Dr. Sabita Saldanha, $3984.94.

Harris explained that the Faculty Research Awards presented more than $45,000 in funding at a maximum amount of $6,000 per recipient. 

 

"These funds may be used for a myriad of items that includes personal research projects for faculty from all colleges, funding for projects, scholarships and more," Harris added.

 

The eight Faculty Research Award winners are Dr. Manu Sebastian Mannoor, $5500; Dr. Daniel Williams, $6000; Dr. Joseph S. Freedman, $4000; Dr. Sapna Jain, $6000; Dr. Brenda Luchsinger, $6000; Mr. Thomas Rodman, $6000; Dr. Gilaine T. Nettles, $6000; and Dr. M.A. Rahman, $6000. 

 

STIMULATING ADVANCED LEARNING IS IMPORTANT

Wekesa feels that it is important to continue these research and curriculum awards because it advances knowledge and lifts up the academy at Alabama State University.

 

"We feel it is important to continue the awards in 2023 because the faculty who receives the awards grow in knowledge and enhance their individual and the University's collective scholar-pool, which in turn makes our students better learners and more proficient in their areas of learning," said Wekesa.

 

News media contact: Kenneth Mullinax, 334-229-4104.

 

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