Faculty and Staff Awards: Northern Kentucky University, Greater Cincinnati Region

Congratulations to NKU's 2025 Faculty and Staff Award Winners!

Frank Sinton Milburn Oustanding Professor

Richard Durtsche

Department of Biological Sciences

Dick’s incredible nomination letter included pages of quotes from students and colleagues praising his impact. These included, “Dr. Durtsche changed the entire trajectory of my life. Without his mentorship, I am not sure that I would be the person that I am today. Through my work with Dr. Durtsche I was able to build a strong foundation as a scientist regarding quality, integrity, creative and independent thought, and remaining resilient to challenges. As far as his impact in the classroom, faculty colleague Charles Acosta summed it up best “one thing I often hear from students is: ‘his class is SO hard with too much work but it was the best class ever!’” Dr. Carol Swarts said, “Dr. Durtsche has been thoroughly devoted to research, service and teaching. He built the Field Station almost single handedly, and it is unique in the state in what it provides and is attracting more researchers every season.”

Outstanding Staff Service

Ashley Siemer

Chase College of Law

Ashley’s nominator wrote, “Ashley truly is the heart and soul of Chase. She has so many responsibilities and commitments pulling her in many directions, but somehow, she always finds the time to give every person and every task the best effort that it deserves. She consistently exceeds expectations, innovates to improve programs and services, and creates a lasting positive impact on the university community.”

Mike Ruwe

Department of English

Mike’s nominator said, “I have seen the vast impact he has made on hundreds of students. As an academic advisor for English majors as well as a writing composition instructor, Mike has been dedicated to Northern Kentucky University and student success. He has helped hundreds of students find their passion and set a solid foundation for their path to graduation.”

Jennifer Stephens

Strategic Enrollment Planning

Her colleague spoke of Jennifer’s work in UCAP: “Jennifer prepares for every scheduled meeting, skillfully piecing together the myriad aspects of a student’s experience. Throughout and after the meeting comes customized strategies with students for next steps, coordinating care among many departments across campus and in the community. Through her committee work, tabling presentations, faculty and staff consultations, innovative approaches to our work, birthday celebrations with gifts perfectly-suited to those being celebrated, Jennifer listens, cares, and makes a difference at NKU.”

Michael C.C. Adams & Susan S. Adams Oustanding Non-Tenure Track Faculty Member

Lindsey Caldwell Thomas

Department of English

Lindsey’s support letter stated, “Her students regularly express admiration for her commitment to their success, with one commenting, “She made me actually enjoy going to class.” Her excellence as a teacher and tireless service to the department and university make her an outstanding candidate for this award. Her work is truly indispensable to the success of our program and our students, and I cannot think of a more deserving individual for this honor.”

Lynissa Hillman

Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Philosophy

Her students speak glowingly, “She provided real life examples and visuals that helped us to understand the content we were learning at the time. She created a fun environment to learn in and made you enjoy attending class that day. You are able to relate to her.” This is in addition to important research, such as the MCRC project and extensive service to the university and community.

Excellence in Teaching & Instruction

Kathleen Quinn

Department of History

Her colleague said, “Students do not simply appreciate her courses—they are profoundly inspired by her teaching, often expressing how transformative their learning experiences with her have been. Professor Quinn employs a dynamic and multifaceted approach to instruction, incorporating methods such as Reacting to the Past, artistic projects, and thought-provoking discussions to foster active learning. Her ability to create an immersive and engaging classroom environment is so impactful that I recently received what I consider the highest compliment—a student told me they enjoyed my lecture because it reminded them of Professor Quinn’s class.”

Patrick Schultheis

Department of Biological Sciences

One of Patrick’s students related, “In a world of knowledge, we are in a time that has forgotten what it means to engage in what we’re learning. Dr. Schultheis not only reminded me what it feels like to acknowledge what you’re learning but to find joy in it as well. He truly has helped me to find that value and love in what I'm learning.”

Excellence in Research/Creative Activity Mentoring

Allyson Graf

Department of Psychological Science

Her nominator was effusive, “Dr. Graf is a lifespan developmentalist, studying topics including, but not limited to, healthy aging, diversity and inclusiveness, and age-related experiences in the classroom. Since joining NKU in 2018, Dr. Graf has published 12 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, with 7 of them including NKU student co-authors. Even more impressive is that undergraduate students have served as first-author on 3 of these manuscripts. This means that Dr. Graf exerted considerable effort training these students how to complete each step of the research project.”

Excellence in Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity

Kristy Hopfensperger

Department of Biological Sciences

Her colleague said, “Dr. Hopfensperger has established a robust research program that significantly advances our understanding of ecosystem ecology, specifically about the relationships between community dynamics and ecosystem processes in response to human disturbances. She has published 29 peer-reviewed scientific articles since 2006, which have collectively garnered over 2,700 citations, has consistently secured many competitive research grants including 28 external grants and 16 internal grants since 2010, totaling millions of dollars, as well as mentoring more than 90 students in her research.”

Jang-Chul Kim

Department of Accounting, Economics, and Finance

His nominator articulated, “Dr. Kim’s expertise in market microstructure research, focusing primarily on liquidity and information asymmetry, has been cited over 2,500 times. In 2024 Dr. Kim had sixteen papers either published or accepted, all in A/B-rated journals, including 7 A-level journals. Most researchers achieve that feat in their careers and Dr. Kim did it in one year.”

Excellence in Career and Professional Preparation

Tracy Songer

School of Media and Communication

A former student of Tracy’s wrote, “Tracy has become the cornerstone of so many students' careers through her time as a professor at NKU. From the immense knowledge in the industry and her ability to educate she has developed so many students into talented individuals with successful careers in the industry. Even after students graduate or move on she is still a mentor to so many talented individuals.”

Excellence in University Service

Jacqueline Emerine

School of Media and Communication

Dr. Emerine’s colleague said, “To say that she is dedicated to advocating for NKU faculty, staff, students, and the community is a vast understatement. Her service on countless department, college, and university committees, key faculty roles such as Faculty Regent and Faculty Senate President, and exceptional teaching and mentorship have left an indelible mark on the NKU community.”

Inclusive Excellence Leadership

Kinsey Bryant-Lees

Department of Psychological Science

Her nominator said, “I cannot think of another individual that has incorporated inclusiveness in all aspects of their work like Dr. Bryant-Lees has. She has been able to teach students about inclusivity, to work with students and other faculty on DEI-related projects, to work on improving the culture of NKU, and to make our community a better place. Most importantly, inclusive excellence is not something Dr. Bryant-Lees merely teaches students or studies, it is a guiding principle that shapes how she lives.”

Colleen Deel

Steely Library

An NKU faculty member was effusive in her praise: “In just the last three years, Colleen has helped over 1,000 students in 37 courses avoid expensive textbooks by guiding instructors in converting their course materials to open educational resources. This has saved students over $100,000 in textbook costs. For students with lower socioeconomic status, this conversion has led to a much higher level of inclusion and understanding in their courses.”

Outstanding Student Affairs Newcomer

Samantha Mason

Student Engagement

One of Sam’s nominators said, “Sam spends time working with individual students to develop their skills and make them successful in their roles. She has an open door and helps students navigate rough waters. Sam is a community builder and is one of the hardest working new professionals I have had the pleasure to work with in my thirty-year career.”

Provost Award for Excellence in Student Learning Outcomes Assessment

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Degree Program

Haile College of Business

The College of Business demonstrated excellence in assessment and the review committee praised how the program demonstrated their work of

· clearly making improvements based on multi-year assessment results,

· had a committed culture of assessment which involves faculty from across the college; several committees are involved in assessment work which lead to a unifying vision for the program; and

· had a willingness to evolve and adapt measures to continue to improve student learning.

Faculty and Staff Award Nominees

Congratulations to all of the faculty and staff nominated for awards this year. All are deserving of recognition!

Allison Parker
Allyson Graf
Amanda Kilmer Shryock
Amy Clark
Andrea Brooks
Andrea Lambert South
Angela Boyd
Ankur Chattopadhyay
Anthony Burk
Ashley Siemer
Betty Russell
Bob Alston
Brittany Combs
Brittany Smith
Carrie Hipple
Christina Knight
Cindy Knox
Colleen Deel
Debbie Abner
Dick Durtsche
Dolores White
Donelle Dreese
Emily Taylor
Eric Alden
Erin Kelley
Hans Schellhas
Hanson Nguyen
Haoqiang Jiang
Holly Attar
Jack Harrison
Jacqueline Emerine
James O'Bannon
James Taylor
Jang-Chul Kim
Jason White
Jeff Fox
Jennifer Lape Kaiser
Jennifer Stephens
Jessica Ferguson
Jessica Hindman
Jitana Benton-Lee
Joe Lepone
Jonathan Jackson
Joseph Mester
Julia Sebastian
Karen O'Connell
Kathleen Fuegen
Kathleen Quinn
Katie Terhune
Keith Collins
Kelly Fallon
Kelly Smith
Kinsey Bryant-Lees
Kristy Hopfensperger
Kylie Graves
Lindsey Caldwell Thomas
Lynnissa Hillman
Mahdi Yazdanpour
Maureen Doyle
Melanie Hall
Mike Ruwe
Nancy Bowers
Paige Wideman
Patrick Schultheis
Paul Tenkotte
Peiwei Li
Rhonda Davis
Robert Brice
Robin Bartlett
Ryan Alverson
Samantha Mason
Sandra Spataro
Shannon Fredrick
Sharon Vance
Shawn Faulkner
Suk-hee Kim
Tamara O'Callaghan
Teresa Huber
Terrance Anderson
Thomas Bowers
Tonya Krouse
Tracy Songer
Tyler Olges
Ursula Doyle
Vickie Hugo
Yasue Kuwahara

2025 Faculty and Staff Awards

FACULTY AND STAFF AWARDS

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