Dayton, Ohio (June 5, 2024) — The Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) has announced 48 Excellence Awards recipients from across 18 member institutions for the 2023-2024 school year.

Each school selected one Faculty Excellence Awardwinner based on their institution’s criteria, with special consideration of demonstrated excellence in teaching, service, and/or scholarship. Similarly, the schools each chose one Staff Excellence Award winner based on their institution’s criteria, with special consideration of demonstrated excellence in student success, service, and/or assessment.

Finally, each college or university selected a winner for the Campus Impact Award, which is based on institutional selection criteria, with special consideration for performance that made a positive impact on the school or campus, as a whole. This category is open to faculty, staff, or administrators.

SOCHE will honor four award winners each month from June 2024 through April 2025. Faculty and staff winners will be highlighted via SOCHE social media channels and on the SOCHE Excellence Awards webpage. The full list of this year’s award winners and their supporting information is available here – https://www.soche.org/2023-2024-soche-excellence-awards/

Formed in 1967, Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education is a consortium of 22 colleges and universities located throughout Ohio. SOCHE is the regional leader for higher collaboration, engaging with colleges, universities, and industry to transform the economy through the education and employment of nearly 200,000 students in southwest Ohio. See more at www.soche.org

2023-2024 SOCHE Excellence Award Recipients (by institution):

AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

•                 Captain James J. Frye | Instructor, Civil Engineering | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Denver L. Johnson | Instructor and Nuclear 300 Course Manager, School of Strategic Force Studies | Campus Impact Award

•                 Brian D. Vicars | Director, Department of NC3 Studies | Staff Excellence Award

2

 

ANTIOCH COLLEGE

•                 Luisa Bieri Rios | Dean of Cooperative, Experiential, and International Education | Campus Impact Award

•                 Erica Wyant | C-Shop Manager and Operations Specialist, Olive Kettering Library | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Queen Zabriskie | Acting Director and Resident Fellow of the Coretta Scott King Center, Visiting Associate Professor of the Social Sciences | Faculty Excellence Award

 

CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY

•                 Tom Betcher | Director of Assessment and Accreditation Services | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Rodney Johnson | Associate Vice President of Operations | Campus Impact Award

•                 Dr. J. Michael McKay | Associate Professor of Biblical Theology, School of Biblical and Theological Studies | Faculty Excellence Award

 

CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY

•                 Kandice Lamar | Reading Specialist, Office of Academic and Instructional Services | Campus Impact Award

•                 LaShawn Shepherd | Student Success Coach, Student Access and Retention Center | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Jennifer Turpin-Stanfield | Assistant Professor Recreation/Exercise Science; Department of Health and Human Performance | Faculty Excellence Award

 

CINCINNATI STATE TECHNICAL & COMMUNITY COLLEGE

•                 Tom Hale | Director, Middletown Campus | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Kelly Hubbard | Program Chair and Professor, Early Childhood Education Department | Faculty Excellence Award

 

CLARK STATE COLLEGE 

•                 Pamela Ball | Professor & Management Program Coordinator, School of Business and Applied Technologies | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Dr. Adam Parillo | Dean, School of Business and Applied Technologies | Campus Impact Award

•                 Diana Seaman | Registrar, Enrollment Services | Staff Excellence Award

 

EDISON STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

•                 Terry Calvert | Professor of Mathematics, Department of Arts & Sciences | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Brandi Olberding | Assistant Dean of Workforce Development & Work-Based Learning | Staff Excellence Award

 

FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY 

•                 Ryan Brainerd | I.T. Enterprise Architect | Campus Impact Award

•                 Dr. JoAnn Jordan | Department Chair, Allied Healthcare, College of Health & Public Administration | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Lea Mederer | Director of Financial Aid | Staff Excellence Award

3

 

KETTERING COLLEGE

•                 Mia Pomales | Instructional Technologist, KC Information Technology | Campus Impact Award

•                 Cathy Roth | Office Assistant, Division of Science & Mathematics | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Dan Schoun | Associate Professor, Division of Science & Mathematics | Faculty Excellence Award

 

MIAMI UNIVERSITY REGIONALS

•                 Britt Cole | Associate Professor of Nursing | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Erica Crawford | Interim Director, E-Campus | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Alicia Justice | Director of Dual Credit Program | Campus Impact Award

 

SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY

•                 Desiree Isaac | Assistant General Counsel and Title IX Coordinator | Campus Impact Award

•                 Dr. Jason Lovins | Associate Professor of Marketing, C.H. Lute School of Business | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Dr. Austin Raines | Associate Director of Career Services | Staff Excellence Award

 

SINCLAIR COMMUNITY COLLEGE

•                 Kerri Bentjen | Assistant Professor of Mathematics | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Kelsey Whipp | Program Director, Sinclair Conference Center | Staff Excellence Award

 

SOUTHERN STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

•                 Lauri Bolitho | Admissions Specialist, Student Affairs | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Charlie Gorman | Adjunct Professor, Department of Human and Social Services | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Loren O’Cull | Facilities Manager, Maintenance Department | Campus Impact Award

 

UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI

•                 Dr. James J. Kellaris | James S. Womack / Gemini Chair of Signage and Visual Marketing Department of Marketing Professor | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Shaymaa A. Minkara | Program Manager, Graduate College | Staff Excellence Award

 

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON

•                 Merida Allen | Associate Dean and Executive Director of the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center | Staff Excellence Award

 

WILMINGTON COLLEGE

•                 Daniel McCamish | Director of Institutional Effectiveness, Academic Affairs | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Alison Wells | Accounts Payable Manager, Business Office | Campus Impact Award

•                 Dr. Marta Wilkinson | Professor of English | Faculty Excellence Award

4

 

WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY

•                 Elizabeth Howe | Executive Assistant & Academic Administrative Coordinator, Provost’s Office | Staff Excellence Award

•                 Dr. Amy McGuffey | Associate Professor of Education |Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Matt West | Director of Student Counseling, Tiger Counseling Center | Campus Impact Award

 

WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY

•                 Kurt Holden | Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety, University Police Department | Campus Impact Award

•                 Dr. Joshua Ricker | Instructor of Psychology, Lake Campus Science and Mathematics | Faculty Excellence Award

•                 Amanda Spencer | Director, University Academic Advising, Student Success Services | Staff Excellence Award