Faculty Awards

"Ask almost any faculty member on campus about Jonathan Cullick. You’ll hear about someone who is universally valued, universally respected, and universally admired. Even more, you’ll hear about his kindness, generosity, good humor, and positivity. I can think of no more worthy candidate nor anyone who more exemplifies “outstanding achievement across the full spectrum of the NKU mission” than Dr. Cullick. A transformative teacher and mentor, a nationally recognized scholar, and an exemplary university citizen and leader, Dr. Cullick displays a deep and enduring commitment to the mission of NKU and to the role that the regional comprehensive university plays in the life of the community. An effective and joyful advocate for the power of writing, reading, and the centrality of the humanities, Dr. Cullick is quite simply one of the most remarkable faculty members I have ever met."

"Since beginning at NKU in 2016, Dr. Brice has continued to produce scholarship and engage with his field at a level I would say well exceeds the expectations for tenure-track faculty.  I have been endlessly impressed by his dedication to his teaching, department, scholarship, and to Northern Kentucky University, as well. I believe that NKU has for several years profited immensely from Dr. Brice’s dedication and investment in our institution. Indeed, what we have gained is someone who for all practical purposes has performed as a tenure-track (even tenured) faculty member. Frankly, he is exactly the sort of candidate that Michael and Susan had in mind when they endowed the award. NKU is extremely lucky to have him on board."

"She uses technology skillfully to teach, while not overwhelming her students with new tools to learn or distracting them from the topic at hand. She continues to use evidence-based practices and her own course reflections to build innovative experiences into her online instruction.  Dr. Sanctuary exemplifies excellence in online and technology enhanced teaching."

"David’s achievements with students over the past decade show what can be achieved when an innovative Professor brings students and industry together to work on real-world projects. The exemplary work he does with students goes beyond teaching knowledge; he provides students with the skills necessary to succeed after completion of their degree. He cares deeply for his students, constantly assesses learning outcomes of his classes, and re-designs them often. He is a model Professor on the great things that can happen when experiential learning and corporate partners/clients are at the heart of a student’s learning experience."

"Sara Drabik is an outstanding teacher and has been a leader of excellent instruction across our Electronic Media & Broadcasting program. She has taught more than 20 different courses. Many of her classes are project based and demonstrate her creativity. She has led at least 4 different study abroad classes. She is clearly respected by students as not just a teacher but a mentor who will continue to help them navigate their careers as they prepare to possibly work beside her in the professional ranks."

"Lauren, just in her fourth year at NKU, has fully embraced the culture of undergraduate research in our college and has created a vibrant research program involving 26 students already! But I am most proud of her commitment to the success of ALL students, regardless of the skill set they initially bring to her group. I am proud of her dedication to equity and to how she sacrifices speed/efficiency of her work for the sake of training our undergraduate students and giving them this experiential learning that will improve their chances of graduating."

"Kinsey, just in her third tenure-track year, has mentored MANY (incredibly many) graduate students in multiple lines of research – and she helps them reach milestones of their work through the students’ presentations at professional conferences and through their co-authorship on peer-reviewed publications. She promotes experiential learning and engaged service by helping them learn how to apply rigorous scientific methodologies to critical social issues such as discrimination and organizational climate. Her students’ work directly supports the College of Arts and Sciences Inclusive Excellence Plan and NKU’s Success by Design, and the students’ increased diversity competencies transfer to the workforce and community."

"Dr. Cobbs joined the NKU Haile College of Business Faculty in January 2010. Since then, he has developed an interesting and impactful stream of research in the area of corporate sponsorship, motorsports business, and sports rivalry. Over the past 11+ years, he has become a globally well-known expert on the subjects. Dr. Cobbs’ research has also led to a great deal of recognition and acclaim for NKU from national and international media. He has made more than 100 media appearances, including the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal."

"Dr. Sanders is a robust researcher. His scholarship efforts while at NKU have been successful and continuous year after year and show a high likelihood of prolonged sustainability. Dr. Sanders’ national and international impact on the field of exercise science is evident by the consultations he provides to collegiate and professional athletic teams, including the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee Football programs."

"We are so lucky in our college to have faculty who excel in their Outreach and Engagement work and Dick Durtsche is absolutely one of our finest. Dick’s vision for NKU acquiring, establishing, and running a field station has truly transformed NKU and our outreach efforts in this space. Really, because of Rick’s dogged determination, we now proudly host NKU’s first and to date only field station, REFS. Because of this facility, NKU is able to reach out to our community to host summer camps or evening events for the community to learn about anything from owls to wildflowers, from water conservation to trail management."

"Dr. Lawrence has served as the Program Director for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program since 2017, Chair of the Teaching Effectiveness and Enhancement Committee since 2016, in addition to many other university committees since joining Northern Kentucky University in 2012. Today, my nomination of Dr. Lawrence is based on his deeply meaningful and exemplary service contributions to the university in his role as co-chair of the Mental Health Advisory Group. I have always found Christopher’s commitment to enhancing student success through service as both selfless and silent. He strives for calm and adaptive leadership, he is humble and humorous, he is truly others-centered. His willingness to shoulder responsibility and consistently lead a project from the earliest planning stages through implementation to outcomes is unparalleled. ."

"Charlisa has been a consistent advocate for inclusion and shown continual leadership through the department, college, university, and beyond and she has received multiple grants to support her endeavors. Charlisa is heavily involved in service related to the support of women and students of color in STEM and in equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts. She was instrumental in developing a comprehensive plan for parental leave, collaborating with Staff Congress, and ultimately approval by the university leadership. Her work is inclusive of people from different races and gender identities, of people with different abilities and nationalities – she leads by example showing us that inclusive means inclusive."

"As Chair of Biological Sciences, Erin has led our department to deeply consider and implement ways we can improve our efforts toward diversity, equity, and inclusion. For example, she has integrated DEI professional development into our annual performance reviews, making it something that is expected now for faculty rather than just a minor add-on like it was in the past. She has also been a tireless advocate for evidence-based teaching techniques that have been shown to be effective for underrepresented groups, as well as helping to create DEI-related scholarships for students. Erin's efforts have directly contributed to making DEI a part of the department culture."

"Every once in a great while, I encounter a teacher who offers students a transformative experience.  The participants in the Children’s Law Center Clinic begin the course students and leave transformed into lawyers. It would be easy to do the work and let the students watch, but that is not what Susie does; she makes sure the students are as prepared as they can possibly be in advance, she serves as a safety net while they are in court, and she helps them reflect on the experience afterwards.  Her efforts are nothing short of extraordinary."