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Faculty and staff honored by their schools for teaching, mentoring and more
Emory professor Molly McGehee holding award plaque

Molly McGhee (center) of Oxford College received the 2024 Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award from Provost Ravi V. Bellamkonda (left) and Oxford College Dean Badia Ahad during the Oxford ceremony. Many other faculty and staff were recognized during school diploma ceremonies.

— Paul Beezley

Emory University faculty and staff were recognized with multiple awards in conjunction with the 2024 school ceremonies and the conclusion of the academic year. The following awards were conferred across the university’s nine schools:


Candler School of Theology

  • Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Thomas W. Elliott Jr., professor in the practice of practical theology and Methodist studies
  • Outstanding Service to the Candler Community by a Faculty Member: Keith Menhinick, visiting assistant professor of pastoral care and pastoral theology
  • Outstanding Service to the Candler Community by a Staff Member: Marielle Thomas, director of career services, and Carmen Toussaint, assistant director of programs for contextual education
  • On Eagle’s Wings Excellence in Teaching Award: Khalia J. Williams, associate dean of worship and spiritual formation and associate professor in the practice of worship

Emory College of Arts and Sciences

  • George P. Cuttino Award for Excellence in Mentoring: Vicki Powers, professor of mathematics
  • Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award:
    • Christopher Eagle, associate teaching professor, Center for the Study of Human Health
    • Gillian Hue, assistant teaching professor, neuroscience and behavioral biology program and senior faculty fellow, Center for Ethics
    • Brajesh Samarth, teaching professor, Department of Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies

Emory University School of Law

  • Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: George S. Georgiev, associate professor of law
  • Most Outstanding Professor Award: Richard D. Freer, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law and incoming dean of Emory Law
  • Distinguished Adjunct Professor Teaching Award: Sam Donaldson
  • Faculty Marshal: Fred Smith Jr., Charles Howard Candler Professor of Law 

Emory University School of Medicine

  • Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Adriana P. Hermida, professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  • Evangeline T. Papageorge Distinguished Teaching Award: Dimitri Cassimatis, associate professor, Department of Medicine

Goizueta Business School

  • Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: J.B. Kurish, professor in the practice of finance
  • Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: Richard Berlin, associate professor in the practice of organization and management
  • Keough Faculty Award: Kristy Towry, John M. & Lucy Cook Chaired Professor of Accounting
  • Keough Staff Award: Krystle Arnold-Moore, administrative assistant, BBA program office
  • Department Distinguished Teaching Awards:
    • BBA Distinguished Educator:  Emily Bianchi, Goizueta Foundation term associate professor of organization and management
    • Evening MBA Distinguished Core Educator: Omar Rodríguez-Vilá, professor in the practice of marketing
    • Evening MBA Distinguished Elective Educator: Kevin Crowley, associate professor in the practice of finance
    • Executive MBA Distinguished Educator (Core): Omar Rodríguez-Vilá, professor in the practice of marketing
    • Executive MBA Distinguished Educator (Elective): Kevin Crowley, associate professor in the practice of finance
    • Full-Time MBA Distinguished Educator: J.B. Kurish, professor in the practice of finance
    • Full-Time MBA Distinguished Educator: Marina Cooley, assistant professor in the practice of marketing
    • MSBA Distinguished Core Educator: Rajiv Garg, associate professor of information systems and operations management
    • MSBA Distinguished Elective Educator: Emma Zhang, associate professor of information systems and operations management
    • MAF Distinguished Educator: Kevin Crowley, associate professor in the practice of finance

James T. Laney School of Graduate Studies 

  • Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: David A. Steinhauer, associate professor, microbiology and molecular genetics, immunology and molecular pathogenesis, Emory University School of Medicine
  • Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award: Yang Lui, chair and Gangarosa Distinguished Professor in the Gangarosa Department of Environment Health, Rollins School of Public Health 
  • Eleanor Main Graduate Student Mentor Award (Faculty): Valerie Loichot, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of French and English and chair, Department of French and Italian, Emory College of Arts and Sciences
  • Eleanor Main Graduate Student Mentor Award (Student): Ninon Vessier, French

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

  • Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Lori A. Modly, assistant clinical professor
  • Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: LisaMarie Wands, associate clinical professor
  • MN Heart of the Students Award: Patti Landerfelt, clinical assistant professor
  • BSN Heart of the Students Award: Shannon Stevenson, clinical assistant professor
  • DABSN Heart of the Students Award: Tammi Tanner, clinical assistant professor

Oxford College

  • Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award: Molly McGehee, Senior Associate Dean for Teaching, Scholarship, & Strategic Initiatives; Professor of English & American Studies
  • Emory Williams Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award: Sarah Fankhauser, Associate Professor of Biology

Rollins School of Public Health

  • Provost’s Distinguished Teaching Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Education: Lauren Christiansen-Lindquist, assistant teaching professor, epidemiology
  • Vulcan Materials Company Teaching Excellence Award: Yang Lui, chair and Gangarosa Distinguished Professor, Gangarosa Department of Environment Health
  • Thomas F. Sellers Jr. Award: Ben Lopman, professor, epidemiology and environmental health
  • Student Government Association Professor of the Year Award: Azhar Nizam, research professor
  • Student Government Association Staff Member of the Year Awards: Jennifer Ducksworth 
  • Department Excellence in Teaching Awards: 
    • Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health: Noah Scovronick, assistant professor 
    • Executive MPH Program: Vijaya Kancherla, associate professor
    • Department of Behavioral, Social and Health Education Sciences: Whitney Rice, assistant professor 
    • Department of Health Policy and Management: Michal Horný, assistant professor  
    • Hubert Department of Global Health: Bob Bednarczyk, assistant professor 
    • Department of Epidemiology: Jeb Jones, assistant professor 
    • Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics: Jeff Switchenko, associate professor

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