Top faculty honored at annual Honors Convocation Three outstanding faculty members were recognized at the annual Honors Convocation ceremony on Friday, March 16. President William A. Bloodworth, Jr., presented Robert Johnston, professor of sociology, with the Outstanding Teaching Award; Michael Searles, assistant professor of history, with the Richard S. Wallace Distinguished Service Award; and Anthony Kellman, professor of English, with the Louis K. Bell Research Award. Dr. Johnston was awarded the Outstanding Teaching Award for his outstanding teaching and service to the community. Since 1996, he has been a member of the Mayor’s Brownfield Commission, an organization that does site assessments on improving the living standards of the people in the Hyde Park community. He develops service learning projects for students in his research courses so they have the chance to apply what they have learned in class work. Dr. Johnston received the Richard S. Wallace Distinguished Service Award in 2003, and he was also named a 2006 Outstanding Faculty Member by ASU’s Student Ambassador Board. Dr. Johnston earned an associate’s degree from Jefferson Community College, a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, both from the University of Louisville, and a doctoral degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University. The Richard S. Wallace Distinguished Service Award, presented to Mr. Searles, recognizes outstanding service to the university and community. An expert on African-American cowboys, Mr. Searles is the author of a chapter on the famous cowboy Addison Jones, which appears in the book, Black Cowboys of Texas. He has given numerous presentations about African-American cowboys to elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as to civic clubs and churches. Mr. Searles is a member of the Bogg’s Real Life Center and the Authors Club of Augusta. He serves on the membership committee of the Western Writers of America and is a member of the Western History Association and the Organization of American Historians. He is also the membership chair of the Georgia Association of Historians. Mr. Searles earned a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree from Howard University, and is working on a doctoral degree from the Union Institute. Mr. Kellman received the Louis K. Bell Research Award for his outstanding contributions in research, scholarship, and creativity. Born and raised in Barbados, he was among the writers nominated for the prestigious International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Nominated for his fiction novel, The Houses of Alphonso, Mr. Kellman was also nominated for the Townsend Prize for Fiction for the same book. He released his first CD, Wings of A Stranger, in 2000. He has also written a book-length poem titled Limestone and made a CD by the same title which features his Island-folk/World music style and is the soundtrack to Limestone. Mr. Kellman received a diploma of journalism from the London School of Journalism, a bachelor’s degree from the University of the West Indies in Cave Hill, Barbados, and a master’s degree from Louisiana State University. Other News:
April 2007 |
