Faculty and staff recognized for outstanding service and performance

April 8, 2025

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From left, SRU President Karen Riley presents the 2025 President’s Award for Outstanding Service to Edward Grossman, campus grounds supervisor.

As an organization committed to being a first choice for professionals to thrive in their careers, Slippery Rock University annually celebrates the excellence of its nearly 1,000 employees. SRU recognized several faculty and staff with awards at events at the Smith Student Center Ballroom, including the Celebration of Achievement, April 1, and the Employee Service Recognition ceremony, April 8.

See image gallery below for recipients. A list of employee service milestones is also available online.

From left, SRU President Karen Riley presents the 2025 President’s Award for Outstanding Service to Edward Grossman, campus grounds supervisor. Grossman has worked at SRU for the past 32 years, including the last nine in his current role. He leads a grounds team of 19 employees that maintains the lawns and landscapes on campus so that campus is looking its best for major events such as Homecoming, Commencement and Week of Welcome, while also leading snow removal efforts during winter, ensuring campus safety for students, staff and visitors. Established in 1981 and funded by SRU supporters, the late Donna and Robert McMullen, ’51, the President’s Award for Outstanding Service recognizes extraordinary commitment to University service and citizenship beyond the scope of an employee’s job function.

From left, Emily Dolan, associate professor of strategic communication and media, is presented the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (tenure track category) by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The award recognizes individuals who clearly and consistently strive for and achieve the highest standards in teaching. The criteria include teaching as a primary responsibility, an exemplary commitment to teaching and student learning, a classroom that promotes high student engagement, and pursues scholarly growth that enhances teaching.

From left, Sunita Mondal, professor of finance, accounting, marketing and economics, is presented the President’s Award for Outstanding Academic Advising by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The award honors extraordinary faculty in their role as academic advisers. Many factors are considered, including faculty commitment to academic advising as a key element in student success and its effect on individual student’s lives. Students nominate faculty members, with a set of finalists invited to submit additional supporting information.

From left, Timothi Williams, instructor of music, is presented the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (non-tenure track category) by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The award recognizes individuals who clearly and consistently strive for and achieve the highest standards in teaching. The criteria include teaching as a primary responsibility, an exemplary commitment to teaching and student learning, a classroom that promotes high student engagement, and pursues scholarly growth that enhances teaching.

From left, Melissa Ford, assistant professor of history, is presented the President’s Awards for Scholarly and Creative Achievement by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The award recognizes faculty members who have published, presented, developed, or performed work in the last three years as a member of the SRU faculty. This award is in recognition of Ford’s 2022 book, “A Brick and a Bible: Black Women’s Radical Activism in the Midwest During the Great Depression.”

From left, Heike Hartmann, professor of environmental geosciences, is presented the President’s Awards for Scholarly and Creative Achievement by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. From left, Melissa Ford, assistant professor of history, is presented the President’s Awards for Scholarly and Creative Achievement by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The award recognizes faculty members who have published, presented, developed, or performed work in the last three years as a member of the SRU faculty. This award is in recognition of Hartmann’s article “Comparison of Precipitation Rates from Global Datasets for the Five-Year Period from 2019 to 2023.”

From left, Betsy Kemeny, professor of recreational therapy, is presented the President’s Award for Faculty Service (experienced category) by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The award recognizes faculty who have stood out for their record of extensive and meaningful service beyond their home department. Two faculty members were honored, one a senior colleague with a long and consistent record of service, and a second for a newer colleague who has been particularly active in service beyond their department.

From left, Amber Hamilton, assistant professor of exploratory studies and academic progress, is presented the Above and Beyond Award by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The Above and Beyond Award recognizes faculty for exceptional levels of service. This award specifically encompasses historically invisible or unassigned work done in support of the University’s shared values regarding community and belonging. Among other activities, this would include such contributions as peer training and mentoring, student support and advising, and contributions to university recruiting, retention and outreach efforts.

From left, Louis Christensen, assistant professor of engineering is presented the President’s Award for Faculty Service (emerging category) by President Karen Riley at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The award recognizes faculty who have stood out for their record of extensive and meaningful service beyond their home department. Two faculty members were honored, one a senior colleague with a long and consistent record of service, and a second for a newer colleague who has been particularly active in service beyond their department.

From left, Becky Thomas, associate professor of parks and conservation, is presented the Academy of Teaching Scholars award by Brian Danielson, director of the Center for Teaching Learning and Jerry Lynch, faculty development fellow for the Center for Teaching and Learning, at SRU’s Celebration of Achievement ceremony, April 1, at the Smith Student Center Ballroom. To be eligible for induction into the Academy, faculty members must demonstrate a commitment to professional development in teaching and learning. They must be a leader among peers by fostering a culture of academic innovation, and they must contribute to the scholarly literature on evidence-based teaching practices. They will join a cadre of faculty advocates committed to serving as a resource and inspiration to their colleagues, thereby elevating the quality of education across our institution.

By Justin Zackal, April 8, 2025

Justin is SRU’s director of communications and the University's primary media relations contact.

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