Niagara University Honors Two Professors with Distinguished Faculty Awards

Two Niagara University faculty members were honored during an event celebrating the start of a new academic semester on Aug. 29, 2024.

Dr. Krieg Tidemann, assistant professor of economics and finance, was recognized with the university's Excellence in Teaching award, and Dr. Susan Mason, professor of psychology and director of the gerontology program, received the Excellence in Scholarship award.

The Niagara University Excellence in Teaching award recognizes a full-time faculty member who demonstrates a consistent record of extraordinary performance as a teacher-scholar and who embraces innovative, active, and integrative teaching strategies. Dr. Tidemann, who joined Niagara University's faculty in 2019 and teaches courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level, receives high praise from his students regarding his teaching style and his ability to help them work through concepts they have trouble understanding.

He earned his Ph.D. in economics from Syracuse University, and his M.S. in applied economics and his B.A. in economics and political science from Marquette University.

Established in 2021, the Niagara University Excellence in Scholarship award recognizes a full-time faculty member who has made significant contributions of new knowledge to their academic discipline. Dr. Mason, who joined Niagara University in 1979, has published nine scholarly articles in highly regarded national publications over the past five years, including Journal of Innovation in Science and Mathematics Education; International Social Science Review; Patients Experience Journal; Religion, Brain, and Behavior; Journal of Intercultural Disciplines;and Journal of Creativity in Mental Health.She presented 29 academic papers at national conferences and secured a major grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation for training and support to integrate telehealth into the curriculum. The Niagara University Students Aligned to Stop Sexism recently honored her with the title "Distinguished Woman in STEM" and the Gerontological Society of America National Center to Reframe Aging named Dr. Mason a "New York State Reframer."

Dr. Mason earned a Ph.D. and an M.S.in experimental psychology from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in mathematics and psychology from Dickinson College.