In years past, the “Honor the Best” ceremony would have brought forth dozens of award winners from across campus for a single ceremony, usually held in the days leading up to the Spring Commencement Exercises.
Unfortunately, this year’s “Honor the Best” ceremony was put on hold, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The University is planning on honoring the award winners at a later time during the fall semester.
“Our ‘Honor the Best’ honorees represent the very best work, service and achievement that we have at our University,” President Marc Johnson said. “I wish to congratulate each and every one of them. In addition, to those who have attained emerita and emeritus recognition, I wish to say ‘Thank You’ for making our University a better place.”
This year’s faculty, staff and student award winners included:
Foundation Early Career Innovator Award: Yftah Tal-Gan
Outstanding Researcher Award: Geoffrey Blewitt
University Graduate Academic Advising Award: Anne Leonard
University Undergraduate Academic Advising Award: Grace Leal
Foundation Professor: Wei Yang
Foundation Professor Matthew Forister
Foundation Professor: Greta de Jong
Outstanding Undergraduate Research Faculty Mentor: Kate Berry
Faculty Senate Outstanding Committee Service Award: Donnie Curtis
Faculty Senate Outstanding Committee Service Award: Tom Harrison
Foundation Innovative Impact Award: Carlos Cardillo
Foundation Administrative Faculty of the Year: Darius Robinson
Foundation Outstanding Leadership/Supervisor Award: Carrie Murphey
Distinguished Classified Employee of the Year: Kimberly Bonnenfant
- Donald Tibbitts Distinguished Teacher Award: Elena Pravosudova
- Donald Tibbitts Distinguished Teacher Award: Amy Fitch
Postdoctoral Award for Exceptional Mentoring: Joshua Jahner
Distinguished Outreach and Engagement Faculty Award: Stephen Rock
Regents’ Academic Advisor – Graduate: Anne Leonard
Regents’ Academic Advisor – Undergraduate: Grace Leal
Regents’ Creative Activities: Dmitri Atapine
Regents’ Researcher Distinguished: Kenton Sanders
Regents’ Researcher Award Mid-Career: Wei Yan
Regents’ Rising Researcher: Mozart Fonseca
Regents’ Rising Researcher: Kostas Alexis
Distinguished Service: Chuck Price
Distinguished Faculty: Ken Hunter
Global Engagement Award: Zeb Hogan
Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Leadership Award: TBA
Regents’ Scholar – Undergraduate: Edward Cruz
Regents’ Scholar – Graduate: Bruce (Taylor) Lensch
State of Nevada Governor’s Award: Ryan Lutz
Outstanding Graduate Student Researcher: Chevonne Sutter
Outstanding Graduating Graduate Student: Sima Aznavi
Student Employee of the Year: Quentin Burgess
Phi Kappa Phi Award: Aqib Hossain Chowdhury
Phi Kappa Phi Award: Samantha De Leon
Henry Albert Senior Public Service Award: Jacquelynn Tran
Henry Albert Senior Public Service Award: Shelly Shea
Henry Albert Senior Public Service Award: Mackenzie Kent
Henry Albert Senior Public Service Award: Anthony Martinez
Outstanding Senior: Kaitlyn McKenna
Outstanding Senior: Emily Olsen
Thornton Peace Prize: The Young Feminists
Cavanaugh Community Volunteer Award: Jamie Poston
Professor of Philosophy, Emerita: Deborah Achtenberg
Associate Director of Workforce Development, Emerita: Shera Alberti-Annunzio
Associate Professor of Nursing, Emerita: Christine Aramburu-Alegria
Professor of Pediatrics, Emerita: Miriam Bar-on
Associate Professor of Special Education, Emerita: Ann Bingham
Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Emeritus: Gary Blomquist
Director of State Training, Nevada Small Business Development Center, Emerita: Kathleen Carrico
Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations, Emeritus: John Carothers
Director of Government Relations and Associate Professor of Political Science: Robert Dickens
Operations Accountant, Emerita: Rhonda Dome
Associate Professor of Finance, Emerita: Sheri Faircloth
Associate Professor of Journalism, Emeritus: Robert Felten
Principal Lecturer of English, Emeritus: David Fenimore
Senior System Administrator, Emeritus: Daniel Fenwick
Associate Professor of Education, Emerita: Margaret Ferrara
Executive Director of 365 Learning Program, Emerita: Kerri McCulloch Garcia
Professor of Journalism, Emeritus: Howard Goldbaum
Associate Director, Gerontology Academic Program, Emerita: Susan Harris
Professor of Counseling and Educational Psychology, Emeritus: Thomas Harrison
Associate Professor of Nursing, Emeritus: Glenn Hagerstrom
Professor of Political Science, Emeritus: Eric Herzik
Vice Provost of Extended Studies and Community Engagement, Emeritus: Fred Holman
Professor of Surgery, Emeritus: Daniel Kirgan
Operational Manager, Emerita: Kristina Kruse
University Writer, Emerita (posthumously): Roseann Langlois
Associate Professor of Natural Resources & Environmental Science, Emerita: Nancy Markee
Coordinator, Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities, Emeritus: George McKinlay
Professor of History, Emeritus: Bruce Moran
Professor of Mathematics, Emerita: Swatee Naik,
Lecturer, Justice Management Program, Emerita: Jane Robinson
Director, Nevada Center for Excellence in Disabilities and Professor of Special Education, Emeritus: Stephen Rock
Professor of Economics, Emerita: Kimberly Rollins
Foundation Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Emeritus: Mehdi (Saiid) Saiidi
Academic Advisor, Emerita: Laura Scott
Professor of Chemistry, Emeritus: Lawrence Scott
Professor of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Emeritus: Thom Seal
Associate Professor of Sociology, Emerita: Meri Shadley
Professor of Internal Medicine, Emerita: Neila Shumaker
Principal Lecturer of English, Emerita: Lorena Stookey
Senior Computer Systems Administrator, Emeritus: Jonatahn Studebaker
Professor of Rangeland and Riparian Ecology Management, Emeritus: Sherman Swanson
Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Physician Studies Program, Emerita: Maria Valecik
Professor of Internal Medicine, Emeritus: John Anthony Varras
Professor of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, Emeritus: Mark Walker
Lecturer of French, Emerita: Lynni Weibezhal
Professor of Economics, Emerita: Jeanne Wendel
Professor of Psychology/Behavior Analysis, Emeritus: W. Larry Williams
Director, Board of Trustees Operations, Emeritus: Patricia Fogarty
Foundation Professor of Literacy Studies, Emerita: Diane Barone
Foundation Professor of Geography, Emeritus: Paul Starrs
Coordinator of Student Recruitment, Mackay School of Earth Sciences & Engineering, Emerita: Elizabeth Ball
Chair and Professor of Family and Community Medicine, Emerita: Elissa Palmer
