On the evening of October 23, the Simmons community gathered in-person and online for the 2024 Faculty Awards. Simmons faculty from various disciplines received awards in undergraduate and graduate teaching, research, service, and a commitment to DEI.
“Faculty awards are a kind of passage to the future and a bridge to the past. They celebrate excellence in teaching as the truest signature strength that has distinguished Simmons for the past 125 years and that will score the inspired composition of our future,” said Professor and Graduate Program Director of Children’s Literature Cathryn Mercier, as she opened Simmons’ 2024 Faculty Awards ceremony on October 23.
“At Simmons, my friends, excellence surrounds us,” Mercier continued, “and we do well tonight to pause for a bit, to take notice of that excellence, to honor it, and to share in its luminosity.”
Assuming the podium, President Lynn Perry Wooten extolled the dedication and passion that Simmons faculty embody. “Whether it is in my conversations talking to students on campus or visiting alumnae/i across the country, one unifying theme always shines through. And that is the deep and lasting impact that your expertise, commitment, and generosity of spirit has on our students and alums. This impact is something that unites our students and alums of all ages and disciplines. And it is something that continues to elevate this institution.”
Provost Stephanie Cosner proceeded to announce the recipients and presented them with their respective awards.
Lena Zuckerwise, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Politics and Policy, received the University Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. “Students regularly celebrate her depth of knowledge of her subject matter and her dedication to her craft,” said Cosner.
Reading words of praise from Zuckerwise’s students, Cosner said, “She [Zuckerwise] is truly an expert in political theory and race. I think she is excellent at helping students broaden their horizons, and she is absolutely brilliant, so it is a joy to learn from her.” Another student remarked, “She really cares deeply for students and treats us as academic equals, not inferiors.”
Professor Cathryn Mercier, who oversees master’s degree programs in Children’s Literature within the Department of Humanities of The Gwen Ifill School of Media, Humanities, and Social Sciences, received the University Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching. As Cosner recounted, “Many of her [Mercier’s] students note in their evaluations their fear of ‘theory,’ but they also remark on how this professor helps them to overcome that fear and to experience joy in being able to take those theories and apply them to literature. As one student put it, ‘If I didn’t understand a theory coming into class, I definitely did by the end of class.’”
Cosner continued, “Leading up to a completed manuscript for each student, she [Mercier] holds monthly meetings with students, provides critiques of their projects, and, over the course of the semester or the year, she works with students to build their skills and to make this experience as close to real-world as possible. Her role in these impactful experiences includes finding mentors, placing the students with an appropriate mentor, and providing the students with the support that they need to be successful.”
This year, Simmons bestowed two faculty research awards upon outstanding scholars. Vanessa Robinson-Dooley, Professor and Director of the PhD Program in the School of Social Work, received the first University Award for Excellence in Research. In Cosner’s words, Robinson-Dooley “has an impressive record of research and success in garnering federal research funding, which has generated applause and significant acknowledgement from her colleagues and community. Since coming to Simmons in 2019, this faculty member has published twelve articles in peer-reviewed journals and has been co-PI on over $600,000 of federally-funded grant projects. Her work is engaged in the understudied area of a marginalized population, namely the health and wellness of Black men.”
Since Robinson-Dooley is a remote faculty member, Dean of the School of Social Work Michael LaSala joined her in Kansas City to celebrate her award over a glass of champagne.
Associate Professor Arpita Saha from the Department of Chemistry and Physics won the second Research Award. Saha “is passionate about undergraduate research, mentoring, science education, and empowering women and underserved communities to diversify STEM fields,” said Cosner.
At Simmons, Saha directs the NASA-supported DREAM_WSTEM (Dynamic Research Education Academy for Mentoring Womxn in STEM) program. “DREAM is a holistic and tiered mentorship program, and the goal is to provide support and guidance throughout our students’ four-year undergraduate college experience, as well as during a DREAM-paid summer internship for our first-year DREAM scholars. She was the PI on this $749,000 NASA grant, a first of its kind at Simmons,” said Cosner.
LaDonna Christian, Associate Professor of Practice in the School of Nursing, received the University Award for the Promotion of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Cosner praised Christian for her work “with underrepresented and underprivileged multicultural nursing students, where she has assisted over 130 scholars to reach their goal of becoming Bachelors-prepared registered nurses and leaders in their communities.”
At Simmons, Christian “has been the Director of the Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program for nearly fourteen years,” Cosner elaborated. “The Dotson program is designed to address the social and academic barriers faced by many first-generation and African American, Latina, Asian, and Native American (ALANA) nursing students, as well as to prepare them for the workplace through the mentoring relationship.”
Since Christian was unable to attend the ceremony, Teaching Professor of Nursing Chaluza Kapaale accepted the award on her behalf.
Charlotte “Charlie” Russell, Teaching Professor in the Department of Biology, received the final recognition: the University Award for Excellence in Service. Russell has served on the Faculty Senate, Curriculum Committee, Benefits Advisory Committee, and the Library Advisory Steering Group. “As a member of the Senate, she implemented important public health policies on the Infrastructure Committee of the COVID-19 Task Force and the COVID On-Ground working group,” noted Cosner.
Russell has also played key roles in the Undergraduate Symposium, the Keynote Speakers Session, the Biology Forum, and the Academic Redesign. Moreover, she “represents Air Force and Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFROTC/ROTC) and serves as a military service advisor. She has made it possible for students to serve in the military and complete their degrees at Simmons by negotiating agreements with Boston University and Northeastern University to transfer credits and to fulfill PLAN [core curriculum] requirements,” Cosner explained.
Dr. Leanne Doherty, Associate Provost of Academic and Faculty Affairs, delivered closing remarks during a champagne toast to the awardees. “Thank you for your commitment, your passion, and the countless hours you invest in shaping the future. Your achievements inspire us all and set a standard for excellence in higher education. Here’s to you and your continued success!”