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NC State Recognizes Exceptional Faculty

Red Belltower at night

NC State recognized more than two dozen faculty members for their dedication to teaching, research and engagement during the 2018 Celebration of Faculty Excellence on May 1.

The annual event honors faculty who have won prestigious state, national and international awards and created new knowledge and advancements in their respective disciplines.

Chancellor Randy Woodson presented four faculty members with the Alexander Quarles Holladay Medal for Excellence, NC State’s highest award recognizing faculty achievement.

This year’s honorees were:

  • Harald Ade, Goodnight Innovation Distinguished Professor, Department of Physics
  • Barry Goodwin, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
  • Behnam PourdeyhimiWilliam A. Klopman Distinguished Professor in Textiles, Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science; associate dean for Industry Research and Extension, College of Textiles; director, Nonwovens Institute
  • Abdel-Fattah Seyam, department head, Charles A. Cannon Professor of Textiles, Department of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management

Seven NC State Board of Trustees members — Jimmy Clark, Chip Andrews, Tom Cabaniss, Ann Goodnight, Susan Ward, Dewayne Washington and Jess Errico — assisted in the presentation.

Melissa Pasquinelli received the University of North Carolina Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching, the most prestigious award given to faculty for teaching excellence. Pasquinelli is a professor and associate head in the Department of Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science (TECS) in the College of Textiles. She is also the director of graduate programs for TECS, the director of the Laboratory of Multiscale Modeling from the Nanoscale in the College of Textiles and the associate director of the Analytical Instrumentation Facility in the College of Engineering. Pasquinelli will be honored at NC State’s spring commencement on May 12. Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden presented Pasquinelli with her award.

Dr. Pasquinelli is an extraordinary classroom teacher and a sought-after mentor at all levels of education,” said Provost Arden. “Her community outreach broadens STEM participation among young women and underrepresented minority students, and she excellently displays NC State’s Think and Do spirit.”

Provost Arden also recognized the following honored faculty:

  • John Thomas, John S. Risley Distinguished Professor, Department of Physics: American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow
  • Kwesi Craig Brookins, associate professor, Department of Psychology: American Council for Education Fellowship
  • Paul Fyfe, associate professor, Department of English: American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Frederick Burkhardt Fellowship for Recently Tenured Scholars
  • Levi McLaughlin, assistant professor, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies: ACLS Luce Fellowship
  • Megan Cherry, assistant professor, Department of History: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship
  • Heidi Hobbes, associate professor, Department of Political Science: Fulbright Scholar Award.
  • Kumar Mahinthakumar, professor, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering: Fulbright Scholar Award
  • Patricia Marshall, professor, Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences: Fulbright Scholar Award
  • John Nietfeld, professor, Department of Teacher Education and Learning Sciences: Fulbright Scholar Award
  • Julieta Sherk, associate professor, Department of Horticultural Science: Fulbright Scholar Award
  • Patrick Rand, professor, School of Architecture: Fulbright Distinguished Chair
  • Jennifer Kuzma, Goodnight-North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Distinguished Professor in Social Sciences, School of Public and International Affairs: Fulbright Canada Research Chair
  • Joseph DeSimone, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Professor in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: Heinz Award for Technology, Economy and Employment category

Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Economic Development Alan Rebar recognized the following honored faculty:

  • Donald Bitzer, Distinguished University Professor, Department of Computer Science: National Academy of Inventors
  • William Ditto, professor, Department of Physics: National Academy of Inventors
  • Rodolphe Barrangou, Todd R. Klaenhammer Distinguished Scholar in Probiotics Research and associate professor, Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences: National Academy of Sciences Award in Food and Agricultural Sciences
  • David Gilmartin, Distinguished Professor, Department of History: National Humanities Center Fellowship
  • Eric Chi, assistant professor, Department of Statistics: National Science Foundation (NSF) Early Career Development (CAREER) Award
  • Landon Grace, assistant professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering: NSF CAREER Award
  • Alexander Kemper, assistant professor, Department of Physics: NSF CAREER Award
  • Divine Kumah, assistant professor, Department of Physics: NSF CAREER Award
  • Kathryn Stolee, assistant professor, Department of Computer Science: NSF CAREER Award
  • Tye Lidman, assistant professor, Department of Mathematics: Sloan Research Fellowship
  • Richard Longland, assistant professor, Department of Physics: U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Award

2018 marks the seventh year of the Celebration of Faculty Excellence. In recognition of all honored faculty, the university lit the Memorial Belltower red for the night.

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