SoPA faculty honored at convocation for their dedication to students

Fourteen faculty members were honored by the Tulane School of Professional Advancement (SoPA) during the annual Faculty Convocation held Friday, March 25, on the Uptown campus.

The convocation and preceding reception were the first in two years to be held in person and were attended by honorees, guests, and supporting faculty and staff. A virtual option was available for out-of-town faculty members to join the celebration.

“I’m thrilled to once again present these awards in person and celebrate our faculty who are so deserving of recognition for their deep dedication to Tulane SoPA inside and outside of the classroom, especially during another year that tested their resilience through the pandemic and Hurricane Ida,” said SoPA Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Ilianna Kwaske. “Next year, I hope that we’re beyond the need to mention their resilience.”

Last year’s convocation was fully virtual and included both the 2020 and 2021 honorees to make up for the canceled 2020 event. During Faculty Convocation, three categories of awards are presented: Emily H. Vokes Faculty Service Award, John Percy Dyer Awards, and Distinguished Faculty Awards for Excellence in Teaching.  

The Emily H. Vokes Faculty Service Award recognizes lifetime service to the School of Professional Advancement in many avenues, including teaching, advising, administration, advocacy, and leadership. The 2022 recipient was Associate Provost and Professor of Psychology & Africana Studies, Michael Cunningham.

The John Percy Dyer Award is presented to two instructors per year and is SoPA’s highest teaching award. Dyer, for whom the award is named, was the founding dean of University College — now, the School of Professional Advancement. The 2022 recipients are Stephanie Mease and David Rodriguez.

The full list of honorees for the 2022 Faculty Convocation award recipients includes:

Emily Vokes Award
Michael Cunningham- Associate Provost, Professor of Psychology & Africana Studies

Percy Dyer Award
Stephanie Mease, Information Technology
David Rodriguez, Humanities

Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching:
Eric Brown, Business & Leadership Studies
Sara Centorino, Media + Design
Andrew Durta, MATH for SoPA
Mark Funkhauser, Public Administration
Brooke Grant, Pre-K - 12 Programs
Mark Melasky, Information Technology
Krystal Norton, General Legal Studies
Jacinda Roach, Kinesiology
Marko Salvaggio, Social Sciences
Josh Segal, Emergency & Security Studies
Donna Smith, Media + Design