08/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 08/29/2024 11:16
PVAMU President Tomikia P. LeGrande (left) and Harriette Howard-Lee Block (right), Associate Professor of Biology and winner of the 2024 Presidential Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Faculty Member
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Aug. 29, 2024) - The theme of Prairie View A&M University's 2024 Faculty and Staff Conference was "A Journey to Eminence," with eminence being defined by Merriam-Webster as "a position of prominence or superiority."
PVAMU's faculty and staff embody this concept every day, and this year, a select group was recognized for their exceptional contributions as recipients of the 2024 Faculty and Staff Awards. This year's honorees were celebrated during a recognition luncheon.
"The accomplishments and contributions of those selected are highly meritorious and worthy of recognition. They have had an impact not only on PVAMU, but also on the broader community, the state of Texas, and/or on the national and international levels," read the program for the 2024 awards.
Each year, PVAMU employees, students and the campus community are encouraged to nominate deserving faculty and staff for one of the award categories listed below. Employees were also recognized during the event for their years of service to PVAMU. View the program here.
Presidential Awards
Presidential Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Faculty Member
· Harriette Howard-Lee Block, Associate Professor, Department of Biology
Presidential Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Researcher
· Ali Fares, Endowed Professor, College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Presidential Award for Outstanding Achievement as a Staff Member
· Sandy Siegmund, Administrative Associate III, College of Juvenile Justice
Faculty Awards
Faculty Rising Star Award
· Noushin Ghaffari, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science
Outstanding Full-Time Teaching Award
· Xiangfang (Lindsey) Li, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Faculty Service Award
· Ahmed Ahmed, Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science
Academic Advising Award
· Quincy Moore, Professor, Department of Biology & Director, The Honors Program
Global Engagement Faculty Award
· William Batson, Professor, School of Architecture
Faculty/Staff Research and Innovation Awards
Excellence in Sponsored Research Award
· Louis Ngamassi, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting, Finance, & MIS
· Jayant Lohakare, Research Professor, Cooperative Agriculture Research Center
Excellence in Scholarly Research Award
· Thiagarajan Ramakrishnan, Associate Professor, Department of Accounting, Finance, & MIS
Outstanding Early Researcher Award
· Md Jobair Bin Alam, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
· Noushin Ghaffari, Assistant Professor, Department of Computer Science
Excellence in Innovation, Commercialization and Entrepreneurship Award
· Shuza Binzaid, Research Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Staff Awards
Staff Rising Star Award
· Kimberly Gay, Librarian II, Head of Reference and Information Services, John B. Coleman Library
Initiative and Creativity Award
· Crysta Mendes, Program Manager, Research Innovation and Sponsored Programs
Personal Accomplishments Award
· Erdogan Memili, Executive Associate Director, Cooperative Agriculture Research Center
Team Accomplishments Award
· Ashley Fiest, Academic Advisor II, University College - Advisement, and Makenzie Banks, Academic Advisor I, Academic Advising Services
Customer Support Award
· Joshua Rieger, Software Applications Developer-AITC, College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
Cooperative Extension Program Extension Award
· Cynthia Pierfax, Extension Program Specialist III, 4-H Youth Development
-PVAMU-
*Photos by Nicholas Hunt, Office for Marketing and Communications