Five Baldwin Wallace professors have been recognized for excellence at this year’s Fall Conference.

There are four awards periodically given to professors: the Strosacker Award in for excellence in teaching, the Bechberger Award for human development, the Gigax Faculty Scholarship

award, and the Excellence in Community Engagement Award. This year, these awards were given to Dr. Joseph Yavornitzky, Dr. Karen Munroe, Dr. Swagata Banik, Dr. Lori Long, and Dr. Karen Barahona respectively.

The selection process for each award is different. For example, the Strosacker Award has nominees submitted by both faculty and students, and a committee of faculty who have won the award over the last 4 years then selects who wins. According to Lisa Henderson, Assistant Provost, student nominations have been very passionate in the past.

“Last year, 12 faculty were nominated by students. We had two or three letters written for each professor nominated, and they were all very well-written and incredibly thoughtful,” said Henderson. “There was almost some begging from the students. You can really tell the letters are coming from the heart.”

Henderson said these awards are for pointing out when faculty go “above and beyond,” and that they are given to “the ones that rise above everyone else,” as well as always doing something positive for morale.

Typically these awards are given out at Ovation, but this year they were presented at Fall Conference. Dr. Steve Stahl, Provost, said this is because Fall Conference is a better event for faculty to show the awards off to their peers.

“Ovation is more a day for students, and is usually attended by very few faculty,” said Stahl. “Fall Conference is attended by most faculty, so it is in front of their peers, and is motivational for the beginning of the academic year.”

Boosting morale and encouraging other faculty to go out of their way to be better employees is one of the most important aspects of the awards, said Stahl.

“It is important to honor faculty for more than what was expected and for them to get recognition from their peers,” said Stahl.