Faculty Association Will Salute 28 Additions to Distinguished Faculty Wall of Honor
JONESBORO – The Arkansas State University Faculty Association will recognize 28 individuals, whose names have been selected for inclusion on the Distinguished Faculty Wall of Honor, during the fall Faculty Conference Wednesday, Aug. 17. The recognition is scheduled to begin about 10 a.m. in Centennial Hall of the Reng Student Union.
Recognition of Distinguished Faculty began during the university's Centennial Celebration in 2009-10, when the Faculty Association selected the "First 100 Distinguished Faculty."
Through a faculty committee nomination process, the association selected the retired faculty who have made long-term significant contributions to Arkansas State’s success. A second group of 31 was selected and recognized in 2014; selection of the current group was delayed by the pandemic.
"As president of the Faculty Association, it has been a pleasure to work with the historical committee to receive nominations from each college for the Distinguished Faculty awards,” said Donna Caldwell, associate professor of medical imaging and radiation sciences and Faculty Association president. “This is the highest honor bestowed to faculty by Arkansas State University and the Faculty Association. I am honored to be a part of honoring and recognizing these 28 amazing key faculty members.”
Dr. John D. Hall, chair of the Faculty Association Historical Committee, cited former history professor Lee A. Dew’s book, The ASU Story: A History of Arkansas State University 1909-1967, as the source of a line reproduced on the Wall of Honor: "The most vital part of any college is the faculty, for without a skilled and competent faculty no college can function effectively." The Wall of Honor is in front of Centennial Hall.
“These 28 retired faculty members who have most recently been nominated by their colleagues and selected by the Faculty Association Executive Committee according to the Faculty Association by-laws represent a most distinguished group of skilled and competent faculty,” Hall added. “These faculty, like those selected before them for this high honor, have moved their departments, colleges, university and disciplines forward in an exemplary manner.”
During the brief ceremony, each newly Distinguished Faculty member, or a representative, will receive a certificate signifying their selection for the prestigious recognition.
Here are the 28 newly designated Distinguished Faculty:
— Thomas M. Adams, Ed.D., Professor of Exercise Science, 1981-2016
— Neale K. Bartee, Ph.D., Professor of Music, 1973-2014
— Sandra K. Bevill, Ph.D., Professor of Business Communications, 1991-2021
— Lew E. Brinkley, Ph.D., Professor of Agricultural Economics, 1969-2005
— David W. Cox, Ed.D., Professor of Educational Leadership, 1992-2014
— Carole L. Cramer, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology, 2004-2018
— William R. Crumpton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering, 1980-2006
— Robert D. Engelken, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical Engineering, 1982-2016
— David E. England, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Political Science, 1988-2006
— Richard K. Freer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Social Work, 1994-2014
— Anne A. Grippo, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, 1995-2021
— Julie J. Isaacson, MSN, Associate Professor of Nursing, 1987-2016
— Craig H. Jones, Ed.D., Professor of Psychology and Counseling, 1977-2017
— James Howard Keene, Ph.D., Professor of Animal Science, 1964-1995
— Coy N. London, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Accounting, 1970-1996
— Gregory B. Meeks, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Teacher Education, 2003-2018
— Richard A. Neeley, Ph.D., Professor of Communication Disorders, 1987-2018
— William C. Payne, MS, Associate Professor of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, 1988-2019
— Jeffrey R. Pittman, J.D., Professor of Business Law, 1983-2021
— Daniel F. Ross, DMA, Professor of Music, 1973-2018
— Robert F. Rossa, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics, 1969-2004
— Ralph Ruby Jr., Ed.D., Professor of Computer Information and Technology, 1979-2020
— Pat S. Shackelford, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Agricultural Engineering, 1976-1998
— Russell E. Shain, Ph.D., Professor of Journalism, 1990-2010
— Robert P. Smith, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mathematics, 1969-2008
— Curtis E. Steele, MFA, Professor of Graphic Design, 1978-2017
— Dennis W. White, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Speech Communication, 1974-2007
— Raymond F. Winters, M.S., Associate Professor of Radiological Sciences, 1995-2018
Nameplates, complete with each individual’s academic title and years of service, are being added to the recognition wall for public view beginning Wednesday.
