2020-2021 LAS Academic Professional Award

Serenity Desmond

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Serenity is a teaching laboratory coordinator in the Department of Chemistry for the chemistry teaching labs (100-400 level).  She supervises personnel and is responsible for coordinating the efficient and safe operation of the laboratories.

“She functions as the local safety officer, waste disposal officer, maintenance head, assessor of experiment success, and, during COVID-19, something of an informal counselor,” one colleague said. “She keeps our teaching laboratories up and running.”

Read the LAS article here.

COLLEGE OF LAS AWARDS

2019-2020 LAS Staff Award

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Karla Southern

In 1993, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences established the LAS Staff Awards to identify and honor selected staff members for their outstanding contributions to the college.  Karla serves as the Project and Maintenance Coordinator and also as Supervisor of the Storeroom for the School of Chemical Sciences.  She was recognized for her outstanding work performance, for promoting a positive morale through the School, and for demonstrating great initiative in her faithful service to others.

Karla's nominator, D. Chad Stevens, stated, "She excels in working with faculty, staff and students to resolve any issues that arise as a result of construction and maintenance projects...my colleagues and I greatly value her service and are thankful for her many contributions to our success.”

 CAMPUS-WIDE AWARDS

2018-2019 Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Award

The Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Award (CDSA) is designed to annually recognize civil service staff employees for their exceptional accomplishments and service to the university. Through this program, outstanding performance is encouraged in all civil service staff employees as they strive to win this prestigious award.

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Cheryl Kappes

Cheryl received the award for demonstrating excellence in her overall work performance, for promoting positive morale through a congenial, supportive attitude and by providing service to others, and for exhibiting initiative and creativity resulting in improved operating efficiency and an enhanced image of the School of Chemical Sciences and the University of Illinois.

One of Cheryl’s nominators stated that, “Cheryl is the model of an engaged, effective staff person.  I particularly note that when action items passed her desk, they were inevitably handled correctly and that the error rate was nonexistent.”  Another stated, “Whenever I need something done, Cheryl makes it happen, and she does so with outstanding results and virtually no mistakes. Cheryl solves problems before they arise…and is one of the most amazing staff members I have ever worked with on our campus.”

U o I News

2018-2019 Campus Award for Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research

This award is designed to foster and to reward excellence in involving and guiding undergraduate students in scholarly research. Up to two recipients will be selected to receive this award: one tenure-system faculty and one specialized faculty. 

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Mei Shen

Mei Shen joined the Chemistry Department in the Fall of 2012 first as a postdoctoral researcher, and then as a Research Assistant Professor, a position which she currently holds.  Martin Gruebele, current Department Head, said, "Shen’s research area is ideal for undergraduate participation. She studies how signaling molecules move between synapses, sending signals from one nerve cell to the next. Her approach combines ultra-small volume electrochemical detection and mass spectroscopy to unravel how nerves signal. These experiments are very parallelizable, and for this reason undergraduate students have been able to participate in large numbers, " said Gruebele.

Read the Illinois News Bureau's article here

COLLEGE OF LAS AWARDS

2018-2019 LAS Excellence in Academic Advising Award

The purpose of the award program is to reward and honor the college's best teachers. The program is supported by alumni and friends of the college.

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Todd Spinner

Congratulations to Todd Spinner,  Academic Advisor for the School of Chemical Sciences, who was a recipient of the 2018-19 LAS Award for Excellence in Academic Advising Award. Spinner has served Chemical Sciences as an adviser since 2010. Spinner has implemented several services and programs to assist students and collaborates closely with the departments and LAS to implement time-saving technology and to better track and serve students. Colleagues note that Spinner is committed to being available to his students, and students know him for his friendly and engaging demeanor, along with a thorough knowledge of how he can assist their studies. Read more.

2018-2019 LAS Academic Professional Award

In 1993, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences established the LAS Academic Professional Awards to identify and honor selected academic professionals for their outstanding contributions to the college. 

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Jenny Cox

Congratulations to Jenny Cox, Chemistry Department, who was a recipient of the 2018-19 LAS Academic Professional Award.  Jenny Cox is the assistant director for finance and administration in the Department of Chemistry, where she handles financial and administrative tasks.  She works closely with the associate head of budget and operations to develop and implement sound financial policies and procedures, and her colleagues praise her talent, attention to detail, and comprehensive knowledge of her duties.  Since joining the department in 2006, she has become known for reliability and professionalism in personal interactions, organization, and other work skills.  

Read the entire article here.

CAMPUS-WIDE AWARDS

2017-2018  Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

The Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching recognizes sustained excellence in and innovative approaches to undergraduate teaching and contributions beyond classroom instruction that have an overall positive impact on undergraduate student learning.

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Brendan Harley

He developed an innovative course on tissue engineering that introduces undergraduates to cutting-edge research in the biosciences. He supplements traditional lectures by selecting current journal articles that show students how to apply the knowledge from the lectures. He is committed to the active recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, specifically women, in STEM disciplines.

U o I News

2017-2018 Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching

Recipients of this award are honored for sustained excellence and innovation in graduate or professional teaching and their contributions to graduate or professional learning beyond classroom instruction.

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Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

Gregory Girolami

Congratulations to Gregory Girolami for being honored with a 2017-2018 Campus Award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching

Girolami has made a huge difference in the lives of many graduate students since 1983. Shortly after his arrival, he proposed a new graduate-level course in inorganic chemistry that introduced topics not previously included in the curriculum, such as group theory and electronic correlation methods. The new course soon became a requirement for all inorganic graduate students, and Girolami returned to teach it last fall after his second stint as department head.

U of I News

COLLEGE OF LAS AWARDS

2017-2018 LAS Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award

The purpose of the award program is to reward and honor the college's best teachers. The program is supported by alumni and friends of the college.

Brendan Harley

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Congratulations to Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering professor Brendan Harley for winning a 2017-2018 College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

Harley earned the award for his enthusiasm and clarity in the classroom, including his unique "journal club lectures", a style of teaching that involves the use of current journal articles to build fundamental understanding of research techniques and current research in the field.

"As a professor I take a lot of pride in not only the research that my laboratory pursues, but also in my role as a teacher,” Harley said. "We strive to create an instructional program on this campus that inspires and trains future generations of thinkers and leaders across a wide range of disciplines. So I am very honored to be recognized with this group of exceptional teachers."

Harley is a Robert W. Schaefer Faculty Scholar and Associate Professor in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. He also is a research theme leader in the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology. He joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Illinois in 2008. He received his SB from Harvard University in 2000 and SM/ScD from MIT in 2002 and 2006.

Harley, along with other recipients of the college’s annual teaching and advising awards will be recognized at a ceremony on April 18.

LAS teaching and advising awards article.

2017-2018 LAS Staff Award

Kara Metcalf

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Kara is a business administration associate in the Department of Chemistry. Her direct supervisor and nominator, Scott Denmark, said that he has never encountered a more dedicated, organized, reliable, and personable employee among all his support staff. Described as a person who thrives on learning new things and overcoming challenges, Metcalf started her job with the department knowing very little about the role and has become highly valued both for her professionalism and ability to work well with others.

Six staff and academic professionals are being recognized for their particularly noteworthy efforts in advancing the mission of the College of LAS in 2017-18.

CAMPUS-WIDE AWARDS

2016-2017 Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

The Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching recognizes sustained excellence in and innovative approaches to undergraduate teaching and contributions beyond classroom instruction that have an overall positive impact on undergraduate student learning.

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Gretchen Adams

At an April 26 reception at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center, Gretchen Adams was honored with a 2016-2017 Campus Award for Excellence in Instruction - Specialized Faculty. She is a Department of Chemistry instructor and the director of Undergraduate Studies and the Merit Program. Adams is an extremely talented teacher who has had a tremendously positive impact. She has a passion for and commitment to underrepresented students of all ages through her volunteer STEM outreach efforts. In the Chemistry Merit Program, Adams works with over 500 students interested in STEM majors. The program builds study skills, teaches materials that may not have been taught at the high school level and creates a supportive network involving fellow students. She was previously awarded a University Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award. UIUC NewsBureau article.

COLLEGE OF LAS AWARDS

2016-2017 LAS Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Instructional Staff Award

The purpose of the award program is to reward and honor the college's best teachers. The program is supported by alumni and friends of the college.

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Gretchen Adams

Congratulations to Gretchen Adams, who on April 20, 2017, received the 2016-2017 College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Instructional Staff. at the LAS Teaching Excellence Awards Ceremony

 CAMPUS-WIDE AWARDS

2015-2016 Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence Award

The CAPE Award is designed to recognize the importance of contributions made by academic professionals.  Annually, six awards are given.  Nominees are evaluated on three criteria: work, personal, and professional contributions.

Chuck Wallbaum

Congratulations to Chuck Wallbaum, Director of the School of Chemical Sciences Computer and Electronic Services.

The awards were presented, Tuesday, April 12, 2016 in the Ballroom of the Alice Campbell Alumni Center.

Below is an exerpt from the Inside Illinois article about the 2016 CAPE Awards.

“Chuck’s management style is to create a positive and easygoing atmosphere. He is highly encouraging of his staff to expand their education and their experiences,” said Zaida Luthey-Schulten, a professor of chemistry, who nominated Wallbaum.

Wallbaum “created a world-class computational facility, which provides faculty and researchers with rapid access to computational clusters instead of the long wait times at heavily used national resources,” Luthey-Schulten said.

He led the design of the 2,000-square-foot data center facility, and he was instrumental in solving the problems of installing modern-performance computing equipment. He has helped faculty members at the School of Chemical Sciences in maintaining national acclaim and win prestigious awards, according to Luthey-Schulten.

Wallbaum, who has worked at the U. of I. for 12 years, wrote part of the $350,000 grant that was funded by the National Science Foundation’s Critical Resource Initiative Facility program. He also maintains the unique Scientific Software Programs portfolio of commercial software, which provides research groups with access to cutting-edge software for molecular modeling and drug design.

“Chuck brought a new level of communications to his position in the school. When he arrived here 12 years ago, he sought the advice of his peers on campus and forged relationships, which have proved long-lasting and fruitful,” Luthey-Schulten said. “Instead of reinventing the wheel, Chuck was able to take ideas from other units and blend them with his own ideas. Chuck’s management style is one of respect and encouragement for his co-workers. He has encouraged them to recognize the unique qualities they have and develop those qualities so they can take on new challenges.”

Luthey-Schulten said Wallbaum is one of the reasons that the School of Chemical Sciences has maintained its national stature of excellence.

Jonathan V. Sweedler, the director of the School of Chemical Sciences, said, “Chuck demonstrates excellent leadership in mentoring his team, encouraging each member to go beyond his comfort zone and keep pace with new technologies.”

Sweedler said Wallbaum’s ability to anticipate new directions in computing and electronics has significantly helped the faculty and their research missions.

“Our faculty are so impressed with Chuck’s leadership and knowledge that his reputation has spread beyond our campus,” Sweedler said.

 CAMPUS-WIDE AWARDS

2014-2015 University Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award

The objective of the University Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Program is to offer talented faculty members not only recognition but an opportunity to engage in an in-depth analysis of the craft and art of teaching, to consider new approaches, and to put their insights to work in ways that will benefit significantly their students and the campus community.

Gretchen Adams

Gretchen Adams was recognized as a University Distinguished Teacher-Scholar during a reception at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology on April 30. Adams, the Director of the Department of Chemistry's Undergraduate Studies office, used the funding to provide a series of workshops to emphasize the importance of classroom diversity and to offer techniques for improving the recruitment, retention and long-term success of underrepresented undergraduate students. Under her leadership, the Chemistry Merit Program has grown from 80 to nearly 500 students within the last ten years. 

2014-2015 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement

The award celebrates faculty and staff for their extraordinary contributions in connecting the university with the broader community on issues of critical social impact.

Jerrod Henderson

University of Illinois Chancellor Phyllis Wise has honored Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Lecturer Jerrod Henderson with a 2014-2015 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement, which celebrates faculty and staff for their extraordinary contributions in connecting the university with the broader community on issues of critical social impact.

Dr. Henderson was recognized for his efforts to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups who pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. Dr. Henderson coordinates the chemical engineering section of the Girls’ Adventures in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (GAMES) Camp, which provides talented high school girls with an opportunity to explore engineering and scientific fields and encourages them to pursue STEM degrees after high school. He also developed the St. Elmo Brady STEM Academy, which offers hands-on lab experience, inquiry-based science learning modules, and mentoring to underrepresented fourth and fifth grade boys and their families.

Dr. Henderson joined the department in 2010 and has an M.S./Ph.D. from the University of Illinois.

COLLEGE OF LAS AWARDS

2014-2015 LAS Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Instructional Staff Award

The purpose of the award program is to reward and honor the college's best teachers. The program is supported by alumni and friends of the college.

Christian Ray

Congratulations to Christian Ray, who on April 7, 2015, received the 2014-2015 College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching by Instructional Staff.

Dr. Ray, Director of the General Chemistry program, has a great desire to help his students succeed in their endeavors.

Two students, who wrote letters on his behalf said:

"Dr. Ray taught the first class I attended at the university. His jovial nature and warm personality made my transition from high school to college as seamless as possible."

"Dr. Ray is not only an amazing professor inside the classroom but also cares about the well being of his students and truly wants to see them succeed." 

 CAMPUS-WIDE AWARDS

2013-2014 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement

The award celebrates faculty and staff for their extraordinary contributions in connecting the university with the broader community on issues of critical social impact.

Jesse Miller

Jesse Miller

Jesse A. Miller, Jr., Director of Laboratory Facilities for the Department of Chemistry, was named a recipient of the 2013-14 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement. The award is administered by the Office of the Chancellor and honors extraordinary contributions of faculty, staff, students, and projects to connect the university with the broader community on issues of critical social impact.

He is a driving force behind R.E.A.C.T. (Reaching and Educating America's Chemists of Tomorrow), the largest outreach program of its kind at the University of Illinois. Undergraduate students deliver a variety of programs to different communities in East Central illinois. He has also been known to provide chemistry demonstrations for local television stations to air.
 

2013-2014 Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Eleven faculty members, four academic professionals and five graduate teaching assistants at the University of Illinois were honored Tuesday (April 22, 2014) for excellence in teaching and advising. The group was recognized during a reception at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. Don DeCoste was one of this elite group. Soon after he received a Provost's Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Donald Decoste

Donald DeCoste

Donald DeCoste, a specialist in education in the Department of Chemistry, has the ability "to capture the imagination of young people and to make his courses truly memorable". His goals in teaching are that students should "understand the materials at a conceptual level and understand the nature of science". His highest compliment from a student: "I am trying to teach myself how to ask the same questions you do in a lecture, so that I don’t need you anymore." (University of Illinois News Bureau article)

COLLEGE OF LAS AWARDS

2013-2014 LAS Academic Professional Award

Four academic professionals were honored April 22, 2013 at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center

Criteria for the award includes demonstrated excellence overall, a supportive and service-driven attitude, and an eye towards improvement of oneself, ones' employees, and the department and college on the whole.

Beth Myler

Beth is coordinator for the inorganic, materials and physical (IMP) chemistry office and is crucial to the graduate student recruiting process. Beth's nominators write of her excellent managerial and people skills as well as her foresightedness. One nominee stated, "Beth Myler is worth her weight in platinum to our Department". Another wrote, "Beth’s excellence in all aspects of her job, her ability to improve morale not only of other staff but also of students and faculty, her efforts at improving the performance of her office and her supervisees, her creative approach to improved efficiencies, and her projection of the professionalism of her office and the Department of Chemistry are simply unsurpassed".

 COLLEGE OF LAS AWARDS

2012-2013 LAS Academic Professional Awards

These award nominees are evaluated in terms of achievement in work, personal, and professional contributions. The LAS Awards Committee, assisted by previous winners of this award, review and rank nominations, and final recommendations are approved by the Dean.

Chuck Wallbaum

Chuck Wallbaum is director of the SCS Computer Applications & Network Services (CANS). He oversees the School's computer and network services as well as electronic services. Chuck’s nominators write that he has repeatedly demonstrated excellent leadership skills in mentoring co‐workers and encouraging each of them to go beyond their comfort zone and keep pace with new technologies, that his ability to anticipate new directions in computing and electronics has been critical to the faculty and their research missions, that he has created an environment of encouragement and excitement and built an incredible team of dedicated workers, and that he’s an active partner in the research endeavors of the SCS faculty. In a sentence, "Chuck is a rare individual who really makes a difference."

SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL SCIENCES AWARDS

2012-2013 SCS Outstanding Staff Awards

This year's staff awards recognize the following individuals:

Chad Stevens

Chad Stevens is Director of SCS Facilities and Safety. One nominator writes "Chad is an unsung hero that has kept these old facilities functional for staff and faculty for over 12 years. In his new role as Director of Facilities and Safety he continues to go over and beyond expectations." Another nominator writes "He is an outstanding contributor to our Department in so many ways." and "t is clear that he is strongly committed to doing all that he can to create an environment that is conducive to the pursuit of world class research."

Theresa Struss

Theresa Struss is an Office Support Specialist in the Inorganic, Materials and Physical Chemistry office. One nominator writes Theresa is "key to the success of IMP graduate student recruiting" and that she "goes way above and beyond the call of duty." Another writes that she performs her day-to-day service "in a highly professional, resourceful, respectful, and prompt way" and that "Theresa is one of the best employees of SCS and what makes this school so effective, respected, and successful."

SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL SCIENCES AWARDS

Each year the SCS recognizes a few of our many outstanding staff for a special thank-you. This year's staff awards recognize the following individuals:

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Michelle Davis

Michelle Davis is Administrative Clerk in the SCS Business Office. One nominator writes she "has a very difficult job between the world of vendors and professors…" and "her work embodies the meaning of 'meritorious'". Another writes "She has done a truly outstanding job dealing with all of the changes in procurement and is always a helping hand to all in purchasing, with everything from small items to in the millions. She is truly an unsung hero at SCS."

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Julie Sides

Julie Sides is Office Manager in the Analytical Chemistry office. Her nominator writes "Analytical Chemistry Just Works. It’s because Julie knows the players, works hard, and has a heart. She has done enough psychological counseling of graduate students that she should be certified as a clinical psychologist." and "To the outside world, (Julie) is the voice, if not the face, of Illinois Analytical Chemistry."