Ten Central College faculty members received awards this spring for outstanding commitment, energy and innovation:
Keith Ratzlaff, professor of English, (B.A., Bethel College-Kansas; M.F.A., Indiana University) received the Dr. John Wesselink Award for scholarship with a direct impact on teaching. Ratzlaff has published poetry and essays widely in national magazines, authored three books of poetry, and won two Pushcart Prizes and inclusion in the 2009 edition of “The Best American Poetry.” A colleague writes, “Keith’s courses, Poetry Writing, Personal Essay and Travel Writing … are all impacted and informed by Keith’s active career as a poet.” Ratzlaff has taught at Central since 1984.
Ashley Scolaro, assistant professor of psychology, (B.S., Drake University; M.S., Ph.D., Iowa State University) received the David Crichton Memorial Teaching Award for excellence in teaching. Scolaro is a cognitive neuroscientist dedicated to helping students understand how the brain produces behavior. She recently added courses in clinical neuroscience, forensic neuroscience and social, affective and developmental neuroscience to the psychology course catalog. A student writes, “Professor Scolaro knows how to teach students, rather than simply present information …. She is a teacher, mentor and inspiration.” Scolaro has taught at Central since 2012.
Jim Shriver, professor of chemistry, (B.S., M.S., West Virginia University; Ph.D., University of Texas‑Austin) received the Frank W. Moore Faculty Award for promoting student learning in the natural sciences. He has done collaborative research with 35 students. Of these, 19 completed honors theses, 22 completed a terminal degree and six were published in “The Writing Anthology,” the oldest continuing interdisciplinary writing anthology of its type. Shriver has taught at Central since 2003.
Amy Young, associate professor of German, (B.A., Simpson College; M.A., Bowling Green State University; Ph.D., University of Nebraska) received the Huffman Award for Outstanding Support of International Education. This award recognizes the contributions made by Donald and Maxine Huffman to Central’s programs in international education, including cross-cultural areas and foreign language courses, with particular emphasis on study abroad. Young was co-recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a new, open-access, first-year curricular resource for German language and culture. She has taught at Central since 2008.
The ad hoc Committee on Faculty Culture and Communication received the Hutch Bearce Community-Building and Faculty Leadership Award for community building and mentorship or leadership. The committee surveyed faculty, helped clarify faculty communication roles and channels and energized faculty participation in Central’s governance. Committee members included Shelly Bradfield, associate professor of communication studies; Andrew Green, professor of political science; Kathy Korcheck, associate professor of Spanish; Linda Laine, associate professor of communication studies; Cynthia Mahmood, Frank Moore Chair in Anthropology and professor of anthropology; and Maggie Schlerman, assistant professor of accounting.
Three Central faculty members were granted tenure and promotion to associate professor:
- Ashley Garr, (S., Truman State University; M.S., Ph.D., University of Minnesota) department of chemistry
- George Nwaogu, (A., University of Botswana; M.A., Ph.D., Western Michigan University) department of economics, accounting and management
- Ashley Scolaro, (S., Drake University; M.S., Ph.D., Iowa State University) department of psychology
Three Central College faculty members were promoted to professor:
- Mark Babcock, (A., Central College; M.M., Westminster Choir College) department of music
- Russell Goodman, (S., M.S., University of Texas‑Arlington; Ph.D., University of Oklahoma) department of mathematics and computer science
- Linda Laine, (A., Abilene Christian University; M.A., Ph.D., University of South Florida) department of communication studies
Two Central College faculty members were recognized for 25 years of service:
- Peggy Fitch, (B.A., Stevens College; M.A., University of Maryland; Ph.D., University of Kansas) professor of psychology
- Jon Witt, (B.A., Trinity College; M.A., Ph.D., Loyola University of Chicago) professor of sociology
From left: Cynthia Mahmood, Ashley Scolaro, Shelley Bradfield, Amy Young, Kathy Korcheck, Linda Laine, Maggie Schlerman, Keith Ratzlaff, Andrew Green, Jim Shriver
