Presidential Faculty Awards

During this year’s Opening Convocation, Spelman College President Helene Gayle, Ph.D., MPH, kicked off the 2022-2023 academic year by honoring several faculty with presidential awards for their commitment to scholarship, excellence and mentoring.

Excellence in Teaching, Tracie Anjanette Levert, MFA
Excellence in Scholarship, Alexandria Lockett, Ph.D.
Excellence in Service, Tina Pavri, Ph.D.
Excellence in Mentoring, Yonas Tekle, Ph.D.
Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence, Retina Burton, M.S.

Previous Award Recipients

2019 Recipients

• Shanina Sanders-Johnson, Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Luis González-Barrios, Assistant Professor, Spanish, World Languages and Culture
• Kai McCormack;Chair, G-STEM Director, Associate Professor, Psychology
• Yan Xu, eSpeman Online Program Director, Associate Professor of History
• Cynthia Neal Spence,Co-chair of Sociology and Anthropology, Social Justice Fellows Program Director, UNCF/Mellon Programs Director and Associate Professor

2018 Recipients

• Robert Brown, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of political science, Excellence in Mentoring Award)
• Moon Charania, Ph.D., assistant professor of international studies, Excellence in Scholarship Award
• Michelle Hite, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, Excellence in Teaching
• Kathleen Phillips Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor of history, Excellence in Service Award
• Shay Welch, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy, Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence

2017 Recipients

• Richard Benson II, Ph.D., assistant professor of education, Excellence in Scholarship Award
• Margery Ganz, Ph.D., professor emerita of history, Excellence in Service Award
• Jerry Volcy, Ph.D., Brown-Simmons professor of computer and information sciences, director of the Spelman Innovation Lab, Excellence in Mentoring Award
• Ashante' Reese, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, Excellence in Teaching Award
• Dorian Crosby, Ph.D., assistant professor of political science, Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award

2016 Recipients

• Pushpa Parekh, Ph.D., professor of English, Excellence in Teaching Award
• Kimberly Jackson, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, Excellence in Mentoring Award
• Anastasia Valecce, Ph.D., assistant professor of world languages and literature, 
  Vulcan Award for Teaching Excellence

Newly Tenured Faculty

• Jacqueline Alvarez-Ogbesor, Ph.D., associate professor of world languages and literature
• Tracy Lang, M.F.A., associate professor of drama and dance
• Unislawa Williams, Ph.D., associate professor of political science
• Yonas Tekle, Ph.D., associate professor of biology
• Xuexin Liu, Ph.D., professor of world languages and literature

2015 Recipients

• Jeffrey Ehme, Ph.D., professor and chair of mathematics, Senior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
• Jimmeka Guillory, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, Junior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
• Christine Sizemore, Ph.D., professor emerita of English, Senior Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award
• Jakita Thomas, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, Junior Faculty Excellence in Scholarship Award
• Anne Bradford Warner, Ph.D., associate professor of English (retired) and director emerita of the Comprehensive Writing Program, Distinguished Service Award
• Leyte Winfield, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of chemistry and biochemistry, Vulcan Award for Teaching Excellence

2014 Recipients

• Michael Burns-Kaurin, Ph.D., associate professor of physics, Senior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
• Jennifer Kovacs, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, Junior Faculty
  Excellence in Teaching Award
• Aditi Pai, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, Senior Faculty Scholarship Award
• A. Nayena Blankson, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, Junior Faculty Scholarship Award
• Soraya Mekerta, Ph.D., director of the African Diaspora and the World Program and associate professor of French and Francophone studies, Distinguished Service Award
• Angelino Viceisza, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, Vulcan Award for Teaching Excellence

2013 Recipients

• Mark Lee, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, Senior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
• Jakita Thomas, Ph.D., C'99, assistant professor of computer information science, Junior Faculty Excellence in Teaching Award
• Colm Mulcahy, Ph.D., professor of mathematics, Senior Faculty Scholarship Award
• Yonas Tekle, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, Junior Faculty Scholarship Award
• Pushpa Parekh, Ph.D., professor of English, Distinguished Service Award
• Erica Williams, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology and anthropology,
  Vulcan Award for Teaching Excellence