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Faculty, staff honored for teaching, mentoring and more

Hiram Maxim (left), professor and chair of German studies, is among the 2017 winners of the Emory Williams Award for Distinguished Teaching. Carla Freeman, senior associate dean of faculty for Emory College, presented the award May 8 during the Emory College diploma ceremony. Emory Photo/Video

Emory University faculty and staff were recognized with multiple awards at the 2017 school diploma ceremonies.

Among those honored were the winners of the Emory Williams Award for Distinguished Teaching, the university's most prestigious teaching award. It was established in 1972 by alumnus Emory Williams to honor faculty for fostering participation, inquiry and creative expression in the classroom; providing a model for teaching and scholarship; and mentoring students.

The following awards were conferred:


Candler School of Theology

Emory Williams Teaching Award: Teresa L. Fry Brown, Bandy Professor of Preaching

Exemplary Teacher Award from the United Methodist Church General Board of Higher Education and Ministry: Elizabeth Corrie, associate professor in the practice of youth education and peacebuilding, and director of the Youth Theological Initiative

Faculty Person of the Year: Gregory C. Ellison II, associate professor of pastoral care and counseling

On Eagle's Wings Excellence in Teaching Award: Steffen Lösel, associate professor of systematic theology, and Kevin Watson, assistant professor of Wesleyan and Methodist studies


Emory College of Arts and Sciences

Emory Williams Teaching Award: Jaap de Roode, associate professor of biology; Lynne Huffer, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; Hiram Maxim, professor and chair of German studies

Emory College Award for Academic Advising: Patricia Brennan, professor of psychology

George P. Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring: Martine W. Brownley, Goodrich C. White Professor of English and director of the Bill and Carol Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry

Lucius Lamar McMullan Award: Caroline Holmes, graduating with highest honors in physics and biology 


Goizueta Business School

Emory Williams Teaching Award: Kevin Crowley, lecturer in finance

Marc F. Adler Prize for Excellence in Teaching: Kevin Crowley, lecturer in finance

Donald R. Keough Award for Excellence (faculty): Klaas Baks, associate professor in the practice of finance

Donald R. Keough Award for Excellence (staff): Wendy Case, assistant director of student affairs in the Executive MBA Program


Laney Graduate School

Eleanor Main Graduate Mentor Award (faculty): Ken Ono, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Mathematics

Eleanor Main Graduate Mentor Award (student): Michelle Marie Giddens, 2017 PhD graduate in neuroscience


Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

Emory Williams Teaching Award: Ann Connor, associate clinical professor


Oxford College

Emory Williams Teaching Award: Susan Youngblood Ashmore, professor of history


Rollins School of Public Health

Emory Williams Teaching Award: Patrick Sullivan, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Epidemiology

Thomas Sellers Award: Viola Vaccarino, Wilton Looney Chair of Cardiovascular Research and professor and chair of the Department of Epidemiology

Faculty of the Year: Azhar Nizam, senior associate in biostatistics and bioinformatics

Staff of the Year: Brittney Romanson, assistant director of student services


School of Law

Emory Williams Teaching Award: Tim Holbrook, professor of law

Most Outstanding Professor: Richard Freer, Robert Howell Hall Professor of Law


School of Medicine

Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award: Zoher Kapasi, associate professor and director of the Division of Physical Therapy; vice chair of education of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine

Evangeline Papageorge Teaching Award: Barbara Pettit, professor of surgery


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