By Jim Patterson
Bonnie Pilon, Ph.D., R.N., a professor of Nursing who is nationally known for her advocacy of nurses “practicing at the top of their license,” is the 2015 recipient of the Alexander Heard Distinguished Service Professor Award.
Pilon was honored at Vanderbilt University’s Spring Faculty Assembly on Tuesday for her 15 years of service as senior associate dean for Clinical and Community Partnerships at the School of Nursing. Pam Jones, DNP, MSN, R.N., succeeded her in that role in January.
“The award recognizes scholarship that increases and informs our understanding of social challenges and honors faculty members who seek and propose solutions to the issues that confront humanity,” said Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos.
“With health care reform at the forefront of America’s political and policy discussion, Bonnie’s dedication to finding and implementing effective solutions to ensure access for underserved populations and her utilization of multi-disciplinary teams in the delivery of this care make her an ideal recipient of the Heard Award,” Zeppos said.
Five awards were handed out during the event in Langford Auditorium. Paul Lim, Ph.D., chair of the Faculty Senate and associate professor of the History of Christianity in the Vanderbilt Divinity School, delivered opening remarks and assisted Zeppos in passing out the awards.
Each recipient received $2,500 and an engraved silver tray or pewter cup and will carry the award title for one year.
Keivan Stassun, Ph.D., professor of Physics and Astronomy, was honored with the Harvie Branscomb Distinguished Professor Award, in part for establishing a program to help minority students earn Ph.D.’s in the natural sciences.
“As a founder and co-director of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-Ph.D. Bridge Program, he has provided a strong foundation for historically underrepresented students in the natural sciences to pursue a Ph.D.,” Zeppos said. “This pioneering program has become a national model.”
Stassun was part of a group of astronomers who in 2007 detected for the first time a brown dwarf eclipsing binary system. He has attracted $15 million in research grants to Vanderbilt.
Ted Hasselbring, Ed.D., research professor of Special Education in the Peabody College of Education and Human Development, received the Joe B. Wyatt Distinguished University Professor Award.
A leader in the use of technology to enhance learning for students with mild learning disabilities, Hasselbring has secured grants totaling more than $36 million, the chancellor said.
“His research is targeted toward helping those struggling with literacy and math skills and has yielded several widely used computer intervention programs that develop math fact fluency and deliver individualized phonics instruction and corrective feedback for beginning readers,” he said.
Zeppos also announced the winners of the university’s top teaching awards.
David Lewis, Ph.D., William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Political Science, received the Madison Sarratt Prize for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. The prize rewards outstanding efforts in classroom presentation, concern for student learning and clarity and fairness in the criteria used for awarding grades.
“A recurring sentiment in the (student) evaluations confirms that David holds high expectations and is a tough grader,” Zeppos said. “Interestingly, there were just as many who commented that although they might receive a less-than-perfect grade, it was well worth the enormous amount of knowledge gained from taking his class.”
Cynthia Paschal, Ph.D., professor of Biomedical Engineering and of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, won the Ellen Gregg Ingalls Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching, which is endowed by the Ingalls Foundation.
“When asked to create a distinctive, engaging experience that could be an exemplar for undergraduate education at Vanderbilt, Cynthia responded by developing a service learning course and corresponding trip to Guatemala with students devoting their spring break to work alongside faculty to improve medical instrumentation,” Zeppos said.
“Students commented that they learned more about circuits and devices in Guatemala than they ever would in a classroom, and they praised the experience for giving them a sense of gratitude and an increased philanthropic vision.”
Nominations for each of the teaching awards are made on-line by undergraduates of all schools and colleges with final selection made by the Chancellor.
Prior to the awards ceremony, David Michelson, Ph.D., assistant professor of the History of Christianity, gave a short presentation, “Nineveh No More: Cultural Genocide in Contemporary Iraq and Syria.”
