ISSUED: 21 September 2021
MEDIA CONTACT: Dana Costa
SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV — The Shepherd University Foundation provided more than $25,000 through endowed faculty excellence funds during the 2020-2021 academic year to nine recipients in seven departments across campus.
Faculty excellence endowments help further professional development by covering costs such as travel, conference registration fees, and reimbursement for supplies. Additionally, Shepherd University’s two endowed chairs—the Edward L. Snyder Endowed Chair for Business and the Ray and Madeline Johnston American History Chair Endowment—provide funds which enable Shepherd to attract, recognize, and retain exceptional scholars and academic leaders.
The 2020-21 faculty excellence recipients are:
- Dr. Cindy Vance, chair, Department of Accounting, Jerry and Carol Kerr Faculty Excellence for Accounting
- Michelle Files, adjunct professor of accounting, Jerry and Carol Kerr Faculty Excellence for Accounting
- Angela Busila, assistant professor of accounting, Jerry and Carol Kerr Faculty Excellence for Accounting
- Dr. Yu-Hsuan Liao, associate professor of music, Create the Future Faculty Excellence Award
- Dr. Austen Showen, assistant professor of music, Guy J. Frank Memorial Faculty Enrichment Fund for Music
- Kay Dartt, clinical assistant professor of art, M. Louise Shimp Faculty Excellence Award and President’s Faculty Excellence Award
- Dr. Ben Martz, interim provost, Edward L. Snyder Endowed Chair for Business
- Dr. James Broomall, associate professor of history, Ray and Madeline Johnston American History Chair Endowment
In addition to the above recipients, Dr. Samuel Greene was awarded the Mentzer Award for Inspirational Teaching (MAIT) during the Faculty Awards Ceremony in spring 2021. The $1,000 annual Mentzer Award is given to a fulltime professor in recognition for having profound impact on students.
The university’s success in advancing breakthrough research and developing the next generation of leaders depends on recruiting, retaining, and advancing great faculty through faculty excellence endowments like the ones named above. To learn more about donating to an existing or creating a new faculty excellence fund, visit the Shepherd University Foundation webpage or contact Monica Lingenfelter, executive vice president, at 304-876-5286, mlingenf@shepherd.edu or Sherri Janelle, executive director of development, at 304-876-5043, sjanell@shepherd.edu.
— 30 —
