CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference announced today the 12 institutional winners for the Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success. This marks the third year that the award has been given out to recognize the outstanding efforts of MAC faculty to support and develop students both inside and outside of the classroom. 
 
This student-focused award is distinguishable from academic or research-based awards as it celebrates the commitment of the MAC to a holistic student experience and the creation of an environment that supports success in school and in life.  
 
Eligibility for this award is broad in nature in an effort to identify a wide range of outstanding means by which faculty are significantly impacting students, and to create an opportunity to recognize the various ways that student success is supported within the MAC.  It is the hope of this award that the twelve nominees represent a diverse community that demonstrate support for student success throughout their entire collegiate experience.

The list of the institutional winners from each MAC school can be found below. The winner of the 2022 Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success will be announced on Friday, March 4.  

2022 Outstanding Faculty Award for Student Success Institutional Winners



Dr. Scott T Palasik, University of Akron
Associate Professor, Director of the MASS (Mindfulness behaviors, ACT, Social cognition and Stuttering) Lab 
Motivated by being a person who stutters and by the clients and students he serves, Dr. Palasik has been a licensed Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) for over 20 years, focusing on the psychosocial aspects that can inhibit people who stutter. He has presented and performed research about various aspects of Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and related counseling skills to better equip current and future SLPs to help people who stutter. At the University of Akron, Dr. Palasik teaches graduate and undergraduate courses, and is a clinical supervisor for graduate students. He also has been an advisor or committee member on 33 Honors projects and various graduate student research projects. Dr. Palasik has performed many service related activities, including being a co-founder of the University of Akron Campus Walk for Suicide Prevention and leading an adult support group for people who stutter. Additionally, Dr. Palasik co-wrote, stars in, and contributed original music for the documentary, WHEN I STUTTER (2017), which has been screened and won several awards world-wide. Further, Dr. Palasik is the co-host, writer, and producer of the Act to Live Podcast and subsequent blog with the same name, helping to apply psychological theories and principles to everyday life to make the world a kinder and a more mindful place for all to co-exist. Finally, Dr. Palasik has been an Assistant Faculty member at Camp Shout Out, a camp to help kids ages 8-18 who stutter to be effective communicators for life. 



David L. Largent, Ball State University
Associate Lecturer of Computer Science
David L. Largent is an Associate Lecturer of Computer Science at Ball State University, where he brings three decades of experience working in industry to the creation of learning environments for his courses. To further enhance learning in an introductory programing class, Largent created an art show where the best image collages (created by programming) are exhibited. This allows learners to highlight their work to peers and others, and motivates learners to be creative and engaged. Largent recruits internal university judges and also recruits judges from external organizations. The success of the show has led to the participation of all faculty teaching the introductory course and has continued every semester for nine years. Largent has developed and taught a wide assortment of courses such as Computer Science Community & School Outreach/CS for Muncie (and Surrounding) Schools (CS4MS+), Computer Science and Algorithms to Live By, Computer Science, Education, and History: The British Isles Connection, and Science, Education, and Diversity. His award-winning CS4MS+ course, which assists local schools in delivering CS-related content, has been featured in several published articles. With nearly 100 publications and presentations, his research covers a broad range of topics, including diversity, equity, and inclusivity, flipped learning, learner-centered education, specifications grading, and stages of group formation. He also provides significant service to his department, college, university, and community. One example: Largent helped develop and deliver IndianaComputes!, a year-long professional development program in Computer Science for K-12 teachers, which is available free to Indiana teachers via State of Indiana funding.



Dr. Jessica Kiss, Bowling Green State University
Assistant Teaching Professor Human Movement, Sport and Leisure Studies Program Coordinator
Exercise Science Laboratory Coordinator
Jessica Kiss is a faculty member in the Exercise Science and Kinesiology Programs, Graduate Coordinator for the Kinesiology and Sport Administration Programs, and Exercise Science Laboratory Coordinator at BGSU. She previously worked as an Exercise Physiologist for the Cleveland Clinic, Human Performance Laboratory Coordinator at Saginaw Valley State University, and in community recreation as a youth and adult fitness instructor. Jessica’s research is focused on the relationship between undergraduate student participation in campus recreation programs and academic success, health behaviors of first year students, and comparing body composition methods for Air Force ROTC cadets. Jessica serves on the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Assembly which is a “think tank,” forward thinking leadership committee that focuses on topics of importance on university campuses in the next 5- 10 years. In the past five years at BGSU, Jessica has been a leader in developing three student centered programs that grant undergraduate and graduate students with the opportunity to work with clients to gain experiential learning experiences. The Exercise Science Lab Services Program provides fitness and body composition testing to BGSU and surrounding communities. The Exercise is Medicine on Campus Program promotes engaging in physical activity to support a healthy lifestyle. In addition to numerous health related programs offered on campus, faculty, staff, and students may participate in a referral program which consists of a physician or counselor referring them to Campus Recreation programs, facilities, and Certified Personal Trainers. Finally, the partnership between the Exercise Science/Kinesiology Programs and the BGSU Air Force ROTC Detachment provides the opportunity for a couple of Exercise Science and/or Kinesiology students to work with Air Force cadets and encourage physical preparedness for their physical training tests and future.



Dr. Jessica Poulin, University at Buffalo
Clinical Associate Professor at University at Buffalo, SUNY in the Department of Biological Sciences
She arrived in Fall 2008 to redevelop the 1st year curriculum for Biological Sciences, and created an innovative “Introduction to Evolution” introductory biology lecture and lab course focused on fusing classroom instruction with experiential, laboratory-based investigations. Dr. Poulin is currently the coordinator of this three-section course, serving ~1400 students per year. Since developing this course, her role has greatly expanded, and she is now the director of the Departmental Honors Program for Undergraduates and teaches multiple 400 level evolution courses. Helping students succeed in UB’s large undergraduate format has defined her career, and she serves on numerous departmental, college, and university-wide committees focused on improving the undergraduate experience. She has been honored by UB’s Student Association for Excellence in Teaching, been chosen as the Student Choice Faculty Speaker for commencement, received a Teaching Innovation Award, and is consistently among the most highly student reviewed professors at UB. Dr. Poulin maintains this level of student appreciation while also being well known for teaching difficult courses with high levels of rigor.
By implementing strategies to support students master challenging material, her students grow and develop into independent scholars who can pursue their passions – even when those dreams end up having little to do with Evolution or even Biology. She is one of UB’s founding members of Women in Science and Engineering and has been committed to diversity and inclusion in Biology and beyond.



John Nicol, Central Michigan University
Professor of Saxophone
John Nichol is Professor of Saxophone at Central Michigan University and a nationally recognized performer and pedagogue. Professor Nichol has performed by invitation at nine World Saxophone Congresses: Chicago, Illinois (1979), Nuremberg, Germany (1982), Kawasaki, Japan (1988), Valencia, Spain (1997) Montreal, Canada (2000), Minneapolis, Minnesota (2003), St. Andrews, Scotland (2012),Strasbourg, France (2015), Zagreb, Croatia (2018). He has also performed at numerous international jazz festivals including the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland (1997), the North Sea Jazz Festival (1997) and the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival (2000, 2001, 2002), in addition to touring with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, the Harry James Orchestra, and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra. Professor Nichol can be heard on multiple recordings including Flights of Fancy (Centaur Recording, 2003), Caught in the Act (White Pine Music, 2007), Woodwind Echoes (White Pine Recording, 2008), and Conspiracy Theory (White Pine Music, 2010). Many of Professor Nichol’s students have achieved success in national and international competitions and gone on to pursue lifelong careers as successful performers and music educators, including as professors and administrators in post-secondary education. Professor Nichol has won two Central Michigan University Outstanding Teaching Awards, (1997, 2008), in addition to the Lorrie Ryan Memorial Excellence in Teaching Award (2008). Professor Nichol is a Yamaha Performing Artist, a Vandoren Artist, and is a former President of the North American Saxophone Alliance.



Dr. Imandeep K Grewal, Eastern Michigan University
Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education
Dr. Imandeep K Grewal is as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education at Eastern Michigan University. She has been supporting and inspiring students to be transformative, community-engaged educators for over twenty-three years. Dr. Grewal is the recipient of the prestigious John W. Porter Endowed Chair and currently serves as the Director for the Office for Place-Based Education as well as the NEXT Scholars program. Dr. Grewal is committed to supporting the recruitment, retention, and graduation of students from traditionally minoritized communities in the teacher preparation program. Dr. Grewal’s teaching, service, and scholarship are anchored in her belief that mentorship changes lives, hopes and opportunities. Her latest project, Hope Partners, exemplifies this by reimagining teacher preparation by partnering NEXT Scholars with experienced, community-engaged, underrepresented teachers in a reciprocal, long-term, teaching and learning mentoring relationship. Dr Grewal’s passion is to make learning accessible, joyful, and meaningful. She is also the founder and Director of a non-profit, Sikhya: Strengthening Girls Voices and Choices Through Education. Sikhya provides mentoring and scholarship support to girls in India experiencing poverty to successfully complete their path to economic independence and is the outcome of her dissertation research. Dr. Grewal was born and raised in India where she completed her first Masters. She came to the US as an international student and has since earned her PhD in Educational Studies with a concentration in Urban Education. She is a proud mother to her two sons, Tej and Kabir.



Dr. Heather K. Caldwell, Kent State University
Professor and Acting Chair in Biological Sciences
Dr. Heather K. Caldwell is the Professor and Acting Chair in Biological Sciences, received her Ph.D. from Georgia State University in 2004 and has been at Kent State University since 2007.  She is a neuroendocrinologist and studies how oxytocin and vasopressin contribute to the neural regulation of behavior.  She has received multiple research grants from the National Institute of Health, and she has mentored undergraduate and graduate students extensively in her research lab and in her classes.  She has been recognized for this work through past awards such as the Excellence in Graduate Research Mentoring Award and the Distinguished Advisor Award both at Kent State University.  She spent years cultivating a student-centered culture within the Department of Biological Sciences and developed programming that supported professional development for students.  In the summer of 2020, in the heart of the pandemic, she worked with a kernel of an idea, and a partnership with the Wick Poetry Center, the Brain Health Research Institute, and the Healthy Communities Research Institute to develop a project called Healing Stanzas, which is a reflective writing initiative to support the mental health of Kent State students. This project brings together the humanities and the sciences to use poetry to improve resiliency and support mental wellness. To date, most every section on First Year Experience at Kent State University has worked with the project to create a community poem. 



Dr. Rodney Coates, Miami University
Professor of Global and Intercultural Studies
Rodney D. Coates is a Professor of Global and Intercultural Studies at Miami University. He is a public sociologist, which, to him, means that the work he does must have an impact in the wider communities — both within and external to the university. He has conducted bias training for school districts and municipalities, police, and universities. He works with local communities, corporations, and Miami University to establish pathways to progress for under-represented students in such fields as STEM, business, and law. At Miami University he was the driving force for the creation of the Miami-Cincinnati Scholars program which provides full scholarships for underrepresented students going into STEM.

He has developed and taught a wide assortment of courses such as Introduction to Critical Race and Ethnic Studies, Introduction to Social Justice, Critical Race and Post- Colonial Structures, Civil Rights and Social Movements, and Human Rights and Social Movements. His course on globalization, social justice, and human rights, which links universities from around the globe (to include the United Kingdom, Moscow, Milano Italy, Spain, British Columbia) has received several awards and been featured in published articles.

Coates developed a summer bridge program for scholar-athletes in their freshman year. This course, treating the athletes as if they were honors students, sets the expectations and curriculum to challenge them to perform way above what they believe they could ever accomplish. Increasing gpa and graduation rates have increased each year the program has been offered.



Dr. Holly Jones, Northern Illinois University
Associate Professor in Biology and the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy
Dr. Holly Jones is an Associate Professor in Biology and the Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy at Northern Illinois University. She is a National Geographic Explorer and Lead Editor of Ecological Solutions and Evidence. Her Bachelor's degree came from UC Santa Cruz and her graduate degrees are from Yale School of the Environment. She is a conservation/restoration ecologist and she uses interdisciplinary, cross- scale methods to answer applied biological research questions both domestically and internationally. Holly trains students to foster curiosity about how ecosystems work and their underlying ecology and to pursue ecological research that enhances environmental stewardship. Her courses feature hands-on experiential learning, public outreach and engagement, and communication with diverse audiences. She uses Course-based Experiences for Undergraduates (CUREs) to ensure students leave her classroom having done a research experience from start to finish. In her Restoration Ecology course, students work in teams to plan, implement, and measure the impacts of their own restoration projects on NIU’s campus, providing hands on experience to students for their future careers and lasting benefits to NIU’s natural areas. Dr. Jones’ lab research focuses on addressing the biodiversity crisis. Her Evidence-based Restoration Lab studies the causes and consequences of ecosystem degradation and species endangerment and pursues research that seeks to understand how to prioritize restoration and conservation efforts, identify innovative restoration/conservation strategies, and highlight solutions to declining biodiversity. Holly works with nonprofit organizations, governmental organizations, land managers, and the public to ensure her research has on-the-ground applications.


Frances Wymbs, Ph.D., Ohio
Assistant Professor of Primary Care in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
Dr. Wymbs is an Assistant Professor of Primary Care in the Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. Her research focuses on treatments for youth and families affected by mental health problems, specializing in the delivery of evidence-based interventions in schools, primary care settings, and other locations in the community for children with social, emotional, and behavioral problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Passionate about understanding ways to improve the patient-provider relationship and engage patients and families in evidence-based treatments in community settings, Dr. Wymbs utilizes models from health economics and marketing research to study parents’, children’s, teachers’, and providers’ preferences for different evidence-based treatment programs. Dr. Wymbs, additionally, studies and works with those who are traditionally "hard-to-reach," including those facing a variety of psychosocial and environmental stressors (e.g., financial stress, single-parent status, limited access to mental health care) which include children, adolescents, and families with severe behavioral and emotional problems, such as comorbid ADHD, eating disorders, childhood depression, and parental depression. For the past 21 years, Dr. Wymbs has participated in federally funded research, and has been the recipient of grant funding from private agencies and the National Science Foundation and has published in peer-reviewed journals. She proudly works with graduate and medical students who specialize in clinical child psychology, primary care, and pediatrics as well as OU undergraduate students who, through hands-on experiential learning opportunities, deliver science-informed interventions for youth with social, emotional, and behavioral problems.



Sandra Robinson, Toledo
Department of Mathematics & Statistics
Sandra Robinson has been teaching mathematics for over 15 years. She earned her M.A. in Pure Mathematics in 2004 and began her teaching career at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Her work with WSU Math Corps and Emerging Scholars Program sparked her passion for student success, diversity, and equity within the classroom. In 2015, Sandra Robinson joined the University of Toledo Department of Mathematics & Statistics faculty. She most often teaches incoming students in their gateway mathematics courses and is heavily involved in initiatives at the university focusing on diversity and inclusivity. Sandra’s focus is on improving the student experience, and she has led efforts to bring Undergraduate Learning Assistants into college algebra, created First Year Experience courses in mathematics, and taken a leadership role with the Equity Champions community of practice, the latter as part of the Student Experience Project. Sandra’s career is focused on creating a caring environment for all students while working on their success in and outside of the classroom. She strives to help every student persist through college and believe in their own abilities through a growth mindset approach. When she is not enjoying time with students, she is with her family. She and her husband, Paul, have five kids, two dogs, and a houseful of love, along with quite a bit of chaos.



Dr. Valerian Kwigizile, Western Michigan
Associate Professor of Civil and Construction Engineering // Associate Director of the Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities
Dr. Valerian Kwigizile is an Associate Professor of Civil and Construction Engineering and Associate Director of the Transportation Research Center for Livable Communities (TRCLC) at Western Michigan University (WMU). Prior to joining WMU, Dr. Kwigizile was Assistant Professor at West Virginia University Institute of Technology. His areas of expertise include traffic safety, transportation planning, intelligent transportation and traffic enforcement. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses related to transportation engineering. He has been effective in mentoring undergraduate and graduate students through capstone design, master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, and externally and internally funded research. He has been successful in recruiting, supervising and graduating students, including female and minority students. Over the past ten years at WMU, he has secured external funding exceeding $8.4 million, through which graduate and undergraduate students have been mentored by being involved in most of these projects as his research assistants. Also, students have been co-authors of research project reports as well as in
most of his more than 80 journal publications and conference papers. As a faculty and Professional Engineer (P.E.), Dr. Kwigizile has provided service to the university, local, national and international communities. Among many service activities at WMU, his focus has been on fostering Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to enhance students’ success by creating an inclusive environment/culture. Dr. Kwigizile holds a doctoral degree in transportation from the University of Nevada Las Vegas; a Master’s degree from the Florida State University, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.