Four Wilmington College faculty members will be presented with 2015 Faculty Excellence Awards Friday, Oct. 30 at a banquet hosted by the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) at the Dayton Art Institute.
Paul Moke, Ellen Novar, Steve Szeghi and Jennifer Walker are among the faculty members from 10 SOCHE member colleges and universities that will be honored for their outstanding contributions to teaching and learning.
Erika Goodwin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, will accompany the awardees at the banquet.
Moke, professor of political science and criminal justice, is a graduate of the College and has served on the faculty since 1982. He holds both a Ph.D. and jurist doctorate.
Goodwin said he maintains high standards for coverage of content in his classes and uses a blend of sequential assignments, humor and discussion to assist students in meeting those expectations.
Moke’s service activities, which often complement his course material, includes volunteering as legal counsel on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union in a major voting rights case in Ohio and his recently published biography of former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren. He also is a recipient of the Ohio ACLU’s “Award for Outstanding Contributions to Civil Liberties.
A student’s testimonial stated, “Dr. Moke really does a good job of having fun with students while still teaching us a lot. He is one of the best professors on campus: always positive, very approachable with high expectations, honest.”
Novar, associate professor of marketing, joined the business faculty in 2000.
Goodwin noted her research in the emerging field of multicultural marketing, which she developed into one of the few courses nationally on the topic. Indeed, her presentation, “Multicultural Marketing Mistakes,” at the Global Business Development Institute’s 11th International Conference was awarded the meetings’ “Best Marketing Paper.” Also, the Dayton Chapter of the American Advertising Federation named her its “Educator of the Year” in 2011.
A student testimonial cited Novar’s passion for her work: “She knows every aspect of what she is teaching and is always prepared. She has a great attitude and you can tell she enjoys her students.”
Szeghi, Ph.D., professor of economics, joined the faculty in 1987. Goodwin lauded him for infusing his economics classes with the analysis of socio-political economic issues.
“He has grafted his own passion for social and ecological justice into his courses in such a way that invites and encourages personal self-discovery on the part of his students,” she said, noting that, for this same reason, his research and scholarship also have grown in excellence.
“He constantly rethinks and redoes his teaching and presentation styles to garner interest and engagement.”
Szeghi is co-author of the book, Right Relationship: Building a Whole Earth Economy, and is a much sought after presenter at international economic conferences.
Walker, also a WC alumnus, is an associate professor of athletic training that joined the faculty in 2003. Goodwin said she is dedicated to educating the next generation of Certified Athletic Trainers through such endeavors as attending professional development conferences and co-authoring research with undergraduates.
She recently had abstracts published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Allied Health Sciences and has developed a unique study-abroad program for athletic training students that most recently involved studying sports medicine in Ireland and Australia.
One of her students said her classes “really challenge me as a student and make me want to succeed. I’ve learned more in her class that any other class I’ve ever had. Jen is very professional, organized, has a great attitude and brings out the best in her students.”
