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Professors Adams, Rao and Van Horn awarded faculty honors
Faculty members Dr. Amanda Adams, Dr. Diane Rao and Dr. Stephen Van Horn were recognized for excellence in scholarship, teaching and service at 人兽性交 University鈥檚 Opening Convocation ceremony in the Anne C. Steele Center on Tuesday.
The William Rainey Harper Award for Outstanding Scholarship, The William Oxley Thompson Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Cora I. Orr Faculty Service Award are awarded to members of 人兽性交鈥檚 faculty at the beginning of each new academic year.
The William Rainey Harper Award for Outstanding Scholarship, named for an alumnus who was a renowned scholar, educator and the founder and first president of the University of Chicago, was awarded to Associate Professor of English Dr. Amanda Adams.
Dr. Adams earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Miami University, her master鈥檚 from the University of Pennsylvania and her doctorate from the University of Oregon before joining the 人兽性交 faculty in 2010. She has published articles on nineteenth-century literature that have appeared in such journals as Symbiosis: A Journal of Anglo-American Literary Relations and American Literary Realism. Since 2012, Dr. Adams has presented six papers at major conferences in the United States and Europe. In 2014, she published a book, 鈥淧erforming Authorship in the Nineteenth-Century Transatlantic Lecture Tour鈥� with Ashgate Press.
The William Oxley Thompson Award for Excellence in Teaching, named in honor of an alumnus whose career combined teaching, ministry and service as president of Miami University and The Ohio State University, was awarded to Professor of Theatre Dr. Diane Rao.
Dr. Rao earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree from Gannon University, her master鈥檚 and doctoral degrees from Bowling Green State University. She began her career at 人兽性交 in 1995. She instructs courses in theatre performance, theatre history and speech communication. During her time at 人兽性交, Dr. Rao has directed more than 25 productions and written plays for students to present.
The Cora I. Orr Faculty Service Award, named in honor of a 人兽性交 faculty member and administrator who served the university with devotion and distinction for four decades, was awarded to Associate Professor of Geology Dr. Stephen Van Horn.
Dr. Van Horn earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, his master鈥檚 from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his doctorate from the University of Connecticut. He joined the 人兽性交 faculty in 1999.
During his time at 人兽性交, Dr. Van Horn has co-authored nearly thirty conference papers with students, and was key in the development and implementation of 人兽性交鈥檚 Petroleum Geology major. Dr. Van Horn has served as a department chair, a leader of search committees for president and provost, and executive secretary of the faculty.
