GMU Professor Receives 'Rising Star' Award

Gov. Bob McDonnell today honored 12 Virginia educators as recipients of the 25th annual Outstanding Faculty Award for excellence in teaching, research, and public service. One of the receipients is Eden King, an assistant professor of Psychology at George Mason University.

The faculty members from public and private colleges and universities across the Commonwealth will be recognized during an awards ceremony at the Jefferson Hotel as part of the annual awards program administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and sponsored by Dominion Resources.

“This year’s recipients clearly reflect the stellar academic quality and diverse missions of Virginia’s higher education institutions,” said Gov. McDonnell in a news release. “It is unique for a single ceremony to honor both a science professor from Virginia’s largest community college campus and a French professor from a private, liberal arts university.”

 “These extraordinary educators were selected from a pool of more than 100 nominees from colleges and universities across the Commonwealth,” said Susan A. Magill, chair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. “Each year the council is inspired by the service and scholarly contributions of these faculty members, not only in their respective campus communities, but nationally and internationally.”

 “Dominion values the opportunity to recognize these distinguished faculty members for their unparalleled contributions to Virginia’s educational system, economy, and cultural resources,” said Virginia M. Board, President of the Dominion Foundation and Managing Director of Community Affairs and Philanthropy. “We’re honored to support the silver anniversary of this important statewide awards program.”

 2011 Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award Recipients

Eden King, a recipient of the Rising Star award, is Assistant Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. Her scholarship seeks to help diverse individuals overcome barriers to equality.

Melanie Almeder is an Associate Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at Roanoke College, where she specializes in poetry, contemporary novels, and Irish literature.  She has worked with students to create two after-school writers’ programs.

Timothy Beatley is the Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia. His work focuses on strategies by which cities and towns can reduce their ecological footprints, while becoming more livable.

Rebecca Benefiel is Assistant Professor of Classics at Washington and Lee University, where her research explores the social and cultural history of the Roman Empire. She is being recognized in the Rising Star category.

Mark Butler is Professor and Eminent Scholar in the Department of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University. He is currently exploring the effects of fishing and climate change on disease in Virginia's blue crabs.

Gary Downey is Alumni Distinguished Professor of Science and Technology in Society at Virginia Tech. He is recognized internationally for founding a unique interdisciplinary field called Engineering Studies.

Robert Kolvoord is a Professor in the Department of Integrated Science and Technology at James Madison University and co-creator of the Geospatial Semester, an award-winning partnership between JMU and Virginia high schools. 

James O’Brien is Professor of Psychology at Tidewater Community College, where he has worked with students to challenge the view that women conform more than men in response to group pressure solely because of normative influence.

Domnica Radulescu is Professor of French and Italian at Washington and Lee University, where she is the co-founding chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies program. Her novel, Train to Trieste, won the 2009 Library of Virginia Award for Fiction.

Kenneth Rasmussen is a Professor of Geology at Northern Virginia Community College, who is known for his paleoclimate research of Lake Issyk-Kul in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. He was one of the first Western geoscientists to live, conduct research, and lecture there.

J. Barkley Rosser, Jr. is Professor of Economics and the Kirby L. Cramer, Jr. Professor of Business Administration at James Madison University. He is best known for applying ideas from complex nonlinear dynamics to various sub-fields of economics.

James Ryan is the William L. Matheson and Robert M. Morgenthau Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Virginia, where he helped create and now directs the law school’s program in law and public service. 

SCHEV has administered the Outstanding Faculty Awards since its inception in 1986. Photos and additional biographical information about each of this year’s recipients can be found on the web at www.schev.edu/AdminFaculty/OFAprogramIndex.asp.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of more than 27,500 megawatts of generation. Dominion operates the nation’s largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.