Kalamazoo Times

Western Michigan University (WMU) will hold its Fall Awards Celebration on Friday, Oct. 11, to honor faculty and staff for their exceptional contributions in teaching, service, and scholarly work. The event will commence at 11 a.m. in Kirsch Auditorium of the Fetzer Center.

President Edward Montgomery and Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig, provost and vice president for academic affairs, will lead the ceremony. The annual celebration acknowledges recipients of several prestigious awards: Distinguished Service, Distinguished Teaching, Distinguished Faculty Scholar, Emerging Scholar, Excellence in Diversity, and Make a Difference awards.

The recipients of the 2023-24 Make a Difference Awards are:

- Grant Allers from WMU Public Safety

- William Mitchell from Valley Dining Center

- David Prellwitz from Landscape Services

- Karmella Todd from the office of the vice president for business and finance

Dr. Lisa DeChano-Cook, professor of geography, will receive the Distinguished Service Award.

Distinguished Teaching Awards will be presented to:

- Dr. Whitney DeCamp, professor of sociology

- Dr. Timothy Palmer, director of the Center for Sustainable Business Practices and professor of management

- Dr. Dee Sherwood, associate professor of social work

Distinguished Faculty Scholar Awards go to:

- Dr. Lisa Baker, professor of psychology

- Dr. Kristina Lemmer, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering

- Dr. Elena Litvinova, professor of physics

The Emerging Scholar Award will be given to Dr. Daniel Macfarlane, associate professor of environmental and sustainability studies.

Excellence in Diversity Awards recipients include:

- Dr. Cynthia Klekar Cunningham from the School of Communication

- College of Health and Human Services’ Department of Information Technology

- College of Health and Human Services’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

For more information about WMU news and events visit WMU News online.