Five faculty members were honored Wednesday for their scholarship, teaching, and service to the university with Oscar and Shoshanna Trachtenberg Faculty Prizes. The prizes are endowed by former GW President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg in memory of his parents and their great respect for higher education.
"We have an incredibly accomplished and dedicated faculty, and their ability to motivate students contributes to GW's excellence,” said Provost Steven Lerman.
Trachtenberg Prizes for scholarship were presented to Eric Cline, associate professor classics and anthropology, and Michael Bukrinsky, professor of microbiology/tropical medicine and biochemistry/molecular biology. Scheherazade Rehman, professor of international business and international affairs, received a prize for teaching. Charles Garris Jr., professor of engineering, and Teresa Murphy, associate professor of American studies, received prizes for university service.
Dr. Cline was honored for major contributions to archeology of the Middle East, including codirection of two major archeological excavations and publication of numerous books and journal articles both in scholarly and general-interest publications. Dr. Bukrinsky was selected based on his biomedical research on HIV/AIDS, which has made GW a major player in the area of HIV molecular pathogenesis.
Trachtenberg Prize for teaching winner Dr. Rehman’s ability to present international business concepts in a relevant and engaging manner has earned consistent praise from her students. “Professor Rehman completely reshapes students’ thinking about the world and is relentless in her desire for students to truly understand the material,” said Professor of Geography and International Affairs Marie Price, a 2005 Trachtenberg Prize winner and presenter of the 2011 awards.
Service prize winner Dr. Garris’s dedication to the university has included years of leadership in the Faculty Senate and devotion to the betterment of the university, all while maintaining a reputation as a dedicated researcher in his field. Dr. Murphy, also a service prize awardee, has served in numerous academic leadership positions, including on the University Strategic Planning Committee on Academic Excellence, the Learning Committee of the Innovation Task Force, and the Columbian College General Education Curriculum Reform Committee, for which she served as chair. Her work on reforming the undergraduate curriculum showed “extraordinary dedication and high energy,” Dr. Price said.
Senior political science major Sally Nuamah spoke at the ceremony about her growth as a scholar—from her first days on campus as a product of a struggling Chicago public school to her recent acceptance into a competitive doctoral program—and credited several GW faculty members for their dedication in helping her develop her academic interests. “Professors often see things in students that we do not see in ourselves,” said Ms. Nuamah. “These professors made time for me and worked with me in any way they could.”
GW President Steven Knapp praised the university’s faculty for creating a “community of scholars” both among themselves and among the students they teach. “We recognize that our primary achievement as an institution is the caliber of the students we send out into the world,” said Dr. Knapp. “And at its core, the university depends on the greatness of our faculty.”
The award ceremony also recognized winners of other prestigious university awards, some of which had been previously announced, including the Morton A. Bender Teaching Awards, presented in October 2010 to Jeffrey Brand-Ballard, associate professor of philosophy; Takae Tsujioka, assistant professor of Japanese; Marie Matta, assistant professor of decision sciences; Christine Pintz, assistant professor of nursing education;and John Sides, assistant professor of political science.
Also honored Wednesday were winners of the Writing in the Disciplines Distinguished Teaching Awards and the Philip Amsterdam Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards for Outstanding Teaching. Twenty-two new emeriti faculty members and 21 Silver Anniversary faculty members—each with 25 years of continuous full-time service to the university—were also honored. Faculty members who recently received awards from disciplinary societies, the Fulbright Scholar program, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars were also acknowledged. A complete listing of award winners is available here.