University Honors Faculty Dedication with Presentation of Five Awards
At the final Faculty Senate meeting of the academic year, University administrators underscored the crucial role that faculty play in making Reinhardt a true community of challenge and care. Among the outstanding faculty honored at the meeting were Tina Boosel, Dr. Matt Anderson, Dr. Kathy Hyatt, Dr. Graham Johnson and Dr. Richard Summers.
Jane England Award – Tina Boosel
Tina Boosel, instructor of business and a resident of Canton, Ga., was honored with the Jane England Faculty Award for Excellence. The $500 award is named for a long-time Reinhardt faculty member who retired in May 2001 and passed away in January 2007. England was a professor of history and political science for 31 years at Reinhardt. She also served in numerous leadership roles, including advisor to the student newspaper and faculty chair. Upon her retirement, Reinhardt established this annual faculty award, along with a scholarship fund, in her honor.
“In my 10 years at Reinhardt, I have always tried to teach our students not only the technical and management skills that they will need to prepare for the work force, but also the importance of accountability, time management, and strong communication skills,” said Boosel. “Through professional development and experiences teaching, I constantly try to revamp my classes, so I can best help my students learn most effectively. I am honored that I was chosen for this award.”
Faculty Research and Scholarship Awards – Dr. Matthew Anderson and Dr. Kathy Hyatt
Dr. Matthew Anderson, instructor of music, received a Faculty Research and Scholarship Award for his contributions to the artistic community. Anderson, a resident of Cumming, Ga., has taught at Reinhardt for almost two years.
“It is always nice to be recognized ‘at home’ for contributions to the community at-large,” Anderson said. “I am so grateful to be at Reinhardt; the support I get from Dr. McIntire [dean of the School of Performing Arts], my colleagues, the students, and the administration in general, is a blessing that I try never to waste. I have had a busy year of recording a guitar duo CD in England, teaching at a festival in Italy, and touring in both China and California. This award is a wonderful way to bring the academic year to a close!”
Also honored with the Faculty Research & Scholarship Award was Dr. Kathy Hyatt, assistant professor of business and a resident of Jasper, Ga., who has taught at the University for more than 5 years.
“It is an honor and a privilege to receive the faculty research and scholarship award,” said Hyatt. “It means a lot to me because we have many wonderful professors that are experts in their field and who have presented and published in their respective fields on a regular basis. I am humbled and grateful to have been chosen.”
United Methodist Exemplary Teacher Award – Dr. Graham Johnson
Dr. Graham Johnson, assistant professor of English, received the prestigious United Methodist Exemplary Teacher Award. Johnson, a resident Canton, Ga., has taught at Reinhardt for more than six years.
“It is an honor even to be nominated for one of the Reinhardt teaching awards—especially considering how many dedicated, talented teaching professors work here,” Johnson said. “One quality of my classroom teaching is my unflagging enthusiasm for the material, an enthusiasm that ideally becomes infectious, so that the students can tell how much I care, and then they care too. Whether I am lecturing on the comma or reading a passage of Beowulf in the original Old English, I am equally excited about imparting knowledge and aiding in students’ intellectual development—for me, nothing is more important than that.”
Funded by the Division of Higher Education of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, the Exemplary Teacher Award is given annually to a Reinhardt faculty member to recognize excellence in teaching, commitment to value-centered education and service to students at the University.
Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award – Dr. Richard Summers
Honored with the Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award was Dr. Richard Summers, professor of mathematics. Summers, who is a resident of White, Ga., has taught at the University for more than 17 years.
“I was very honored that the faculty chose to give me this award,” said Summers. “I was impressed by the reading of the qualifications of all who were nominated for this award. They were all very talented and capable.
“I believe I was chosen for this award because I work with students well inside and outside the classroom. I tutor students one-on-one in the Center for Student Success, and I am always available to my students if they need extra help. I also broaden their viewpoints on mathematics by giving extra talks and lectures.”
Vulcan’s Southeast Division has sponsored the Teaching Excellence Award since the early 1990s through the Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Inc. The award is presented to a faculty member at each of the GFIC’s 25-member institutions, in recognition of outstanding contributions to undergraduate education, student learning, and campus life.