University News
2016 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Call for Nominations
February 6, 2015
MACOMB/MOLINE, IL — The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Selection Committee is soliciting nominations from Western Illinois University faculty, staff and students for the 2016 prestigious award. Self-nominations are welcome.
The award is open to tenured full professors who have distinguished themselves in all areas of professional life—teaching, scholarly/creative activity and service, but most notably in the area of scholarly/creative activity. The nominee, who must be full-time faculty at the time the lecture is presented, should be able to deliver a stimulating presentation on a topic of interest to a general audience. The person selected will deliver the Distinguished Faculty Lecture in Spring 2016, and will be recognized as part of the stage party at the Spring and Fall Commencement ceremonies, Spring and Fall Honors Convocation and the New Student Convocation. The award recipient will present the lecture to the University and surrounding communities at the WIU-Macomb campus and at the WIU-Quad Cities campus.
The deadline to submit nominations is Friday, Feb. 20. Send letters of nomination addressing the nominee's qualifications to: James Caldwell, WIU School of Music, Browne Hall 203.
Each nominee will be asked to submit a current vita; a one-page narrative summary of the proposed topic and its potential impact to a general audience; and letters of support from two references, in addition to the nominator's letter. Supporting letters should address the nominee's scholarly, creative and professional activities, as well as discuss the nominee's ability to present an effective and interesting lecture to a broad spectrum of the University community. The deadline to submit supporting materials is Friday, March 20; all supporting materials should also be sent to Caldwell.
Western has honored outstanding faculty more than 45 years with an annual award, first named the Annual Faculty Lecturer and now known as the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. In 1969, Victor Hicken (deceased) of the history department presented "Swing of the Pendulum" as the inaugural faculty lecturer. The lecture topics have not only reflected the expertise of the presenter, but also addressed current economic, social and political issues of their time and beyond, including "The World Food and Population Problem" in 1977 by Maurice Myers (deceased), biology; "Toward a Multicultural Partnership in Higher Education" in 1987 by Beatrice Wehrly (counseling); "A Cross-Cultural Perspective on Organized Crime: Promoting the Safety of the World's Citizens" in 1997 by Dilip Das (law enforcement and justice administration); and "In a Global Economy the Marlboro Man Needs a Neighbor: The Enduring Need for Community in the 21st Century," in 2006 by Christopher Merrett (Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs/geography).
In addition, eight, or 17 percent, of the distinguished faculty lecturers have been women, including, Lois Mills (deceased) University Libraries; Katherine Hoyenga, psychology; Josephine Johnson (deceased), counseling; Kathleen Pearson, physical education; Beatrice Wehrly, counseling; LaVonne Straub (deceased), economics; Jeanette Thomas, biology; and Polly Radosh, women's studies. Six, or 13 percent, have identified themselves as minorities, including: Vamon Rao, economics; J.Q. Adams, education and interdisciplinary studies; Jai Hyon Lee, English and journalism; Dilip Das, law enforcement and justice administration; Won Moo Hurh (deceased), sociology/anthropology; and T.K. Vinod, chemistry.
According to the Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Committee, the committee strives to increase the diversity of the faculty members who receive this award. Please consider nominating a qualified woman, a qualified individual who identifies himself/herself as a minority, and qualified individuals from departments at Western not yet represented.
Members of the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Committee include: James Caldwell (chair), professor, School of Music; Jeng Kuen Huang, professor, chemistry department; Sterling Kernick (emeritus); In Lee, professor, School of Computer Sciences; Kat Myers, professor, art department; Polly Radosh, emeritus; and Seung Woo Yoon, professor, instructional design and technology.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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