Central Washington University Board of Trustees May 20, 2022 ACTION – Distinguished Faculty Awards
Since 1977, CWU has honored excellence in faculty teaching, service, and research or creative expression. The recognition, the highest honor for faculty at CWU, is embedded in the Faculty Code (Section III), which establishes awards for Distinguished Faculty and for Non-Tenure Track Faculty. Distinguished Faculty Awards are reserved for individuals who have, at a minimum, served for six years and have worked at least 135 WLU. The awardees are nominated by the Faculty Senate, which may choose not to make an award in any given category. Nominations are authorized by the Board of Trustees. Recipients of the annual Distinguished Faculty Awards in teaching, scholarship, and service receive a one-time $2,500 stipend. Recipients of the Board of Trustees Distinguished Faculty Award receive a $5,000 stipend and a one-quarter release from teaching during the academic year following their award. r Distinguished Teaching Awards are given for teaching excellence, as demonstrated by breadth and depth of knowledge; clarity in methodology and organization of materials, and effective methods of presentation; continued scholarship and integration of scholarship into course work; assistance to students in understanding the value and relevance of the subject matter and course materials, both within the discipline and in a broader context. Following are this year’s nominees. Karisa Terry, Distinguished Non-Tenure Track Faculty for Teaching, Department of Anthropology. Dr. Terry earned her Ph.D. in Anthropology at Washington State University in 2010. She has taught in the Department of Anthropology since 2009. Her hands-on approach to pedagogy is impressive. Dr. Terry coordinates and leads an intensive field experience in archeology every summer, affording students valuable hands-on experience. Her thoughtful course design and creative assignments encourage students to apply course material and consider its relevance in their own lives. Dr. Terry’s commitment to students extends beyond the classroom. She is an active researcher with a productive research record. Dr. Terry’s commitment to teaching and mentorship is extraordinary. She is a faculty member in the highest tradition. Over the course of more than a decade at Central Washington University she has invested in intentional course and assignment design and building meaningful relationships with students. Blaise Dondji, Distinguished Faculty, Teaching, Department of Biological Sciences. Professor Dondji made his way from a remote village in Cameroon to the University of Yaoundé, Cameroon for his Bachelor’s and Master’s level degrees, completing his Ph.D. in parasitology at University of Jos, Nigeria, then continuing to postdoctoral fellowships at Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, and Yale School of Medicine, finally accepting an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biological Sciences at CWU in 2008. Dr. Dondji is a recognized expert in the fields of parasitology, immunology, and infectious diseases. In a collaborative effort led by Dondji, grant money totaling approximately $350,000 was obtained to purchase a Flow Cytometer lab instrument to enhance the technical expertise of Biology graduates, enabling them to be more competitive in the job market. For this and other contributions enhancing the reputation of the Sciences at CWU, Dr. Dondji was awarded the College of the Science’s (COTS) Force of Nature award in 2016.
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