This academic year is wrapping up to be quite successful for the College of Liberal Arts with many of its faculty winning major, notable awards. All areas of emphasis from the humanities, social sciences and the arts have exceptional faculty members achieving the highest standards.

In addition to recognizing extraordinary faculty for their research, teaching and creative work, the College of Liberal Arts celebrates the outstanding achievements of its undergraduate and graduate students and staff who have excelled in their positions.

On April 21, 2023, over 150 faculty, staff, students and administrators gathered in the Joe Crowley Student Union ballrooms to celebrate this year’s remarkable College of Liberal Arts award winners.

“Thank you all who joined us to celebrate the achievements of the College’s outstanding students, faculty and staff who have demonstrated dedication, perseverance and excellence in their pursuits,” Casilde Isabelli, interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts, said. “By consequence, the achievements of these individuals have made incredibly impactful contributions to the College. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all of our incredible donors through their scholarships to support our students. We are able to make a difference on campus, in the community and, truthfully, around the globe because of gifts like theirs.”

University Awards

The College is humbled that five of its faculty members won University awards this year:

• Monica Miller, interdisciplinary social psychology program director and foundation professor, is this year’s recipient of the VPRI Outstanding Research Award.
• Sharon Brush, fiscal and human resources officer, was named the Foundation Administrative Faculty of the Year.
• Marta Elliott, professor and department chair of sociology, was bestowed the Foundation Professor Award.
• Ignacio Montoya, assistant professor of linguistics, received this year’s Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Leadership Award.
• Antone Dolezal was awarded the Foundation LOA Outstanding Instructional Faculty Award.

College Faculty and Staff Awards

The College of Liberal Arts recognizes the accomplishments and achievements of its faculty and staff each year. The list below includes the 2023 winners:

• Yassi Jahanmir, Dean’s Award for Accomplishments in the Area of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Cydney Giroux, Outstanding Administrative Faculty of the Year
• Jennifer Ng, Undergraduate Academic Advising Award
• Sarah Cowie, Graduate Advising Award
• Elizabeth Villalobos, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research: Humanities
• Adam Dunbar, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Research: Social Sciences
• Claire Stanford, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Creative Activity
• Amy Arias, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (non-tenured faculty)
• Christopher Church, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching (tenured or tenure-track faculty)
• Erin Edgington, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service: Humanities
• Jim Cherney, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service: Social Sciences
• Brett Van Hoesen, Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service: Arts
• Jean-Paul Perrotte, Interdisciplinary Activity Award: School of the Arts
• Britni Adams, Interdisciplinary Activity Award: School of Social Research & Justice Studies
• Erica “Ed” Dietlein, Early Career Outstanding Employee of the Year
• Joshua Martinmaas, Outstanding Classified Staff of the Year

Named Awards

• Ned Schoolman received the Mousel-Feltner Award. The Dr. Donald Mousel and Dr. William Feltner Annual Award for Excellence in Research and/or Creative Activity is given in recognition of a single creative or research accomplishment by a faculty member in a particular year.
• Lyndsay Munro received the Alan Bible Award. Erin Stiles was the runner-up for the Alan Bible Award. The Alan Bible Teaching Excellence Award, so named in honor of our former Nevada senator, is intended as a way of ‘building morale and enthusiasm among the staff in Arts and Letters’ by recognizing outstanding teachers in the arts, humanities and the natural and social sciences.

2023 Emeriti

• Miriella Melara, 40 years in World Languages & Literature (French)
• John Marini, 35 years in Political Science

Student Awards

Additionally, each year the College of Liberal Arts recognizes the achievements of its incredibly talented students. The list below included the 2023 winners:

• Quinn Dannies, Excellence in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Ashley Brock, Excellence is Performance/Artistry
• Jaqueline Martinez, Excellence in Research
• Amelia Glowniak, Excellence in Service
• Tanya Nawrocki, Exemplar
• Desiree Vasquez, Outstanding Grad Humanities
• Andrew Paiz, Outstanding Grad School of the Arts
• Hannah Butler, Outstanding Grad Social Science
• Matthew Lacoff, Outstanding Grad SSRJS

4.0 Scholars

• Angelina Bowles
• Adalynn Wells
• Maile Callorina
• Emily Burton
• Andrew Paiz
• Tiffany Pearson

Bilinski Doctoral Dissertation Fellows

• Leah Auchter
• Zara R. Browne
• Megan Lamotte
• Albert Lehman
• Horohito Norhatan
• Jordan Reuter
• Emily Smith
• Katie Wolf
• Nandar Yukyi