As another successful and exciting academic year draws to a close, the College of Charleston took a moment this week to recognize its faculty for all their accomplishments and the many ways they contribute to the caliber of this institution. The Office of the Provost hosted the annual Celebration of the Faculty at the Stern Center Ballroom on Tuesday, April 24, 2018, where six faculty received distinguished awards and a number of other faculty were honored for their achievements.
President Glenn F. McConnell ’69 welcomed and congratulated all of the faculty. “We have almost 11,000 students, but we are able to offer them a personalized education because of you. You’ve changed their lives. You’ve challenged them … you’ve delivered a high impact education.”
Provost Brian McGee said that faculty “serve as stewards of the curriculum,” noting the critical role professors have in shaping the academe of the College.
“We have an accomplished faculty and choosing among the nominees was exceptionally difficult for each of the award committees,” McGee said.
The six faculty recipients of distinguished awards are:
David E. Desplaces with Provost Brian McGee and President Glenn McConnell.
David E. Desplaces, an associate professor in the Department of Management and Marketing, received the Distinguished Service Award. Described as “clearly irreplaceable” by the selection committee, Desplaces is greatly respected for the revival of his department’s internship program. Desplaces also serves as a Global Business Resource for the International Business program and the Certified Global Business Partner Program, coordinator of Global Entrepreneurship Week, host of the Spaulding Speaker Series, and long-time member and sometimes chair of the Faculty Education and Technology Committee.
Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann at the Celebration of Faculty awards.
The College of Charleston’s Distinguished Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award went to Laurie A. Lattimore-Volkmann, adjunct faculty from the Department of Communication, for her work molding students with a passion for writing into great critical thinkers and journalists. With a background in journalism, Lattimore-Volkmann has been primarily teaching a 300-level writing course that focuses on journalism and strategic communication, where she challenges students and makes them stronger candidates for jobs as they enter the workforce.
Provost Brian McGee surprised William Russell ahead of the awards with a visit to his class.
William Russell, associate professor of English, won the Distinguished Teaching Award. Russell, who teaches twelve courses on an unpredictable rotation as needed, has an enthusiasm for learning, an infectious love for and devotion to the materials he teaches, and a sincere commitment to the varied goals of the wide range of courses he delivers, all of which make him an extraordinarily effective teacher. Russell also co-developed Bridging Between, a community reading group of veterans from the College of Charleston, the Citadel and Trident Technical College.
Eric Sotka at the Celebration of Faculty Awards.
The Distinguished Research Award recipient, Erik Sotka, professor of biology, has built a remarkable research program involving significant extramural funding, consistent involvement of both undergraduate and graduate students, diverse collaborations locally and around the globe, and prolific publications in major journals during his 13 years at the College of Charleston. He has published 18 papers since 2015, and his papers have been cited a total of 2,068 times (1,030 times since 2013) which is among the best citation records earned by College of Charleston faculty.
Provost Brian McGee with Beth Sunstrom.
The William V. Moore Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award was awarded to Beth L. Sundstrom, associate professor of communication. Sundstrom has recently published a monograph on reproductive justice and has written or contributed to 26 refereed journal articles, and recently received a Fulbright Award to study reproductive justice activism in Ireland. Her work has been well supported with collaborative grants and contracts from the Donnelly Foundation, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the South Carolina Coalition for Healthy Families, among others.
Provost Brian McGee with Jesslyn Collins-Frohlich.
Jesslyn R. Collins-Frohlich, an instructor in the Department of English, won the Distinguished Advising Award. Known as one who “commits herself to advising students in terms of their lives beyond the College and outside of the classroom,” Collins-Frohlich also actively advises students outside of the classroom and is the co-sponsor of the English honors society Sigma Tau Delta. She has been a Fulbright application reader, a position heavily involved with advising students in their work to best represent themselves and their accomplishments to the national Fulbright selection committee.
A complete list of all the award recipients is available on the Academic Affairs website.
