By College of Liberal Arts
4/12/23

The College of Liberal Arts (CLA) hosted the annual Celebration of Faculty Awards ceremony on March 27, 2023. The Master of Ceremony, Sandra L. Suaréz, CLA Deputy Dean, kicked off the ceremony by acknowledging our faculty's outstanding accomplishments in teaching, research and service before and during this challenging academic year. And to quote the United States Post Office, she remarked, "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night … will keep us from celebrating our remarkable faculty." 

The Edward Buthusiem Faculty Research Award

Dean Richard Deeg took the floor to introduce a new CLA faculty award, the Ed Buthusiem Faculty Research Award. This award is funded by and named for Ed Buthusiem (CLA ' 82), and is dedicated to recognizing our faculty whose applied research advances society by informing public policy or adding to our knowledge of how large-scale societal decisions are made and/or whose research adds significantly to the University's public reputation for scholarly excellence. Deeg was pleased to award the inaugural Ed Buthusiem Faculty Research Award to Criminal Justice Professor Caterina Roman. 

Professor Caterina Roman joined the CLA faculty ranks in 2008 after nearly two decades with the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. She has extensive experience studying the social ecology of neighborhoods, fear of crime, violence and gangs. After being PI or co-PI on over a dozen federally funded evaluations of violence reduction programs, her body of grant-funded work includes studies to assess how the personal social networks of at-risk youth and gang members influence delinquency, gun carrying and gang membership. Recently, she completed a study that assessed help-seeking behavior and social support mechanisms used by African American men and women who have been victims of street violence.   

Faculty Award for Excellence in Community Engagement 

CLA had another inaugural award this academic year. With support from alumna Sue Wieseneck (CLA '64) and family, this award was developed to recognize faculty who, in addition to teaching and research, are taking leadership roles in helping to make our communities better.  The CLA Faculty Award for Excellence in Community Engagement recognizes a faculty member who has done exemplary work to make meaningful change in Philadelphia communities impacted by historical disinvestment. The award recipient will have partnered with community members in carrying out this work, strengthened connections between campus and community, and created a sustainable model for social change in their area of focus. The faculty member will have demonstrated dedication and leadership in moving forward the values of reciprocity, equity, and asset-based engagement in their teaching and research. The award's first recipient Dr. Barbara Ferman Professor of Political Science.  

In 1997, Professor Barbara Ferman founded the University-Community Collaborative (UCC) which offers an incredible suite of programs designed to harness youth leadership to build stronger communities. Over the years, the program has reached more than 3,000 youth from historically disinvested communities, engaged more than 200 Temple students in youth outreach, and raised over $10 million dollars in external funding. This work continues to contribute to life-changing educational outcomes for Philadelphia youth. Professor Ferman continues to develop community-based learning opportunities for her students, like the new course she is course debuting in Fall '23, "Philadelphia: Problems, Participation, Solutions"  

In the words of her chair, Mark Pollack, "At a time when most faculty would be repeating their greatest curricular hits, Barbra Ferman continues to innovate, creating new courses utilizing problem-based learning, and always seeking to build links between Temple's educational mission and its commitment to the community." 

Outstanding Faculty Service Award 

Hiram Aldarondo, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, took the stage next to present the Outstanding Faculty Service Award. This new award is given to a full-time faculty member whose service has extensively advanced the mission of the College.  CLA has expanded the experiential learning opportunities for our students immensely over the past few years, study abroad included. Jaime Durán, Associate Professor of Instruction, Spanish and Portuguese, was the first recipient of this award. Professor Durán is responsible for the organization, management, marketing, implementation, continued review and analysis of the Oviedo, Spain programs. He oversees all aspects of the programs, including arranging for housing, meals, classrooms and trips.  Professor Durán's dedication to the College's study abroad semesters in Oviedo for the past twenty years has led to an extension of the Oviedo program to now be offered to students year-round.   

Aldarondo noted that in the all the years of Professor Durán's leadership, "More than 1,000 students have passed through the programs, and in all these years, we have never received a complaint, or even an expression of concern, from students or their parents." 

Temple University Teaching Award Recipients 

Aldarondo then went on to acknowledge the faculty members who were recipients of two prestigious Temple University teaching awards: 

  • Matt Wray, Associate Professor, Sociology was given the Great Teaching Award. This award recognizes and honors Temple's excellent teachers on behalf of our students. 
  • Judith Levine, Associate Professor, Sociology, had the honor of receiving the Lindback Teaching Award. This award recognizes and honors faculty members who epitomize the highest levels of sustained teaching excellence in a classroom, laboratory or clinical setting. 

CLA Teaching Awards 

Cate Almon, Professor of Instruction, First Year Writing Program and the CLA Teaching Awards Committee Chair then took to the podium to present the CLA Teaching Awards. The following faculty had the honor of being recognized by the College: 

  • Presidential Faculty Award |Seth Bruggeman, Associate Professor, History 
  • Full time Teaching/Instructional Faculty Award | Douglas Greenfield, Professor of Instruction, Intellectual Heritage 
  • Eleanor Hofkin Award | Danielle Scherer, Assistant Professor of Instruction, Global Studies 
  • Graduate Student Instructor of Record Award | Brandon Fairchild, Sociology 

The event was closed out by Deputy Dean, Sandra L. Suaréz, who recognized the past academic promotions of CLA faculty.

Tenure-Line Promotions

Promoted to Professor 

  • Karl-Orfeo Fioretos, Political Science Department 
  • Jay Lockenour, History Department 

Tenured and Promoted to Associate Professor 

  • Michael Sances, Political Science Department 
  • Alese Wooditch, Criminal Justice Department 

Tenured Associate Professor 

  • Elizabeth Moore, English Department 

Promoted to Professor of Instruction 

  • Norma Corrales-Martin, Spanish and Portuguese Department 
  • Amy Friedman, First Year Writing Program 
  • Walter McAllister, First Year Writing Program 
  • Stanley McDonald, First Year Writing Program 
  • Donna-Marie Peters, Sociology Department 
  • Gary Pratt, Intellectual Heritage Program 
  • Dorothy Stringer, First Year Writing Program 

Promoted to Associate Professor of Instruction 

  • Gregory Byala, First Year Writing Program 
  • Alexa Firat, Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Studies Department 
  • Mansi Shah, Psychology and Neuroscience Department 
  • Rani Vasudeva, Psychology and Neuroscience Department 
  • Catherine Wiley, First Year Writing Program