UC Blue Ash professors, staff reap awards

Proefessor Brenda Refaei

Proefessor Brenda Refaei

Faculty and staff members from the University of Cincinnati (UC) Blue Ash College are being recognized in a variety of ways for exceptional work in the classroom and in their profession.

The recent honors are from international organizations, as well as the university.

Brenda Refaei, associate professor of English, and Sarah Wolfe, director of Student Life at UC Blue Ash, have been named Engaging Excellence in Equity Fellows by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

As part of the exclusive fellowship, Refaei and Wolfe each receive a $3,000 grant and will travel to Chicago this summer to meet with other fellows to share best practices and brainstorm opportunities to enhance the way they engage, retain and graduate minority students. Wolfe was also recognized this spring with UC’s Outstanding First-Year Advocate Award.

Stacey Benton, assistant professor of veterinary technology, is the recipient of the Outstanding New Advising Award – Faculty Academic Advising from NACADA: The Global Community for Academic Advising. Benton was one of only two national winners selected for this category.

Professors Rita Kumar (English) and Brad Mallory (biology) are recipients of UC’s Marian Spencer Equity Ambassador Award. Kumar and Mallory were honored for their ongoing effort to make diversity and inclusion a focus when developing workshops and projects for the Learning and Teaching Center they co-direct at UC Blue Ash.

“Equity and inclusion have always been important in our Learning and Teaching Center,” says Kumar. “In the past two years we have built on earlier initiatives and broadened the scope of our equity and inclusion activities because of faculty interest and a growing demand to meet the needs of our diverse student body.”

Michele Kegley accepting the Jack Twyman Award for Service Learning

Michele Kegley accepting the Jack Twyman Award for Service Learning

Michele Kegley, professor and director of the Bachelor of Technical and Applied Studies (BTAS) program at UC Blue Ash, is the recipient of UC’s Jack Twyman Award for Service Learning. The award honors the work Kegley leads in requiring that BTAS students perform service-learning projects with local nonprofit organizations prior to graduating from the program.

Cindy Jones, director of the College Credit Plus (CCP) program at UC Blue Ash, was recently presented with UC’s Marilyn Kershaw Legacy Award for Courage and Perseverance.

Professors Amy Gultice (biology), Charlotte Skinner (mathematics) and Angie Woods (Spanish) have all been selected for induction into UC’s Academy of Fellows for Teaching and Learning. Members are honored for their excellence in teaching and contributions to student learning and assessment.

“This impressive recognition is a tribute to the outstanding work our faculty and staff do every day at our college,” says Robin Lightner, dean of UC Blue Ash. “We see evidence of it in the success of our students and it’s gratifying to see their excellence recognized by the university, as well as outside organizations.”

About UC Blue Ash College

UC Blue Ash College is a regional college within the University of Cincinnati. It offers one of the best values in higher education with access to a nationally recognized UC education in more than 50 degree and certificate programs, as well as tuition that is about half of most colleges and universities. The college is located on a scenic 135-acre wooded campus in the heart of Blue Ash, Ohio. To learn more, call 513-745-5600, visit us online, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

Related Stories

1

CCM hosts Moveable Feast gala fundraiser on Jan. 24, 2025

Event: January 24, 2025 12:00 AM

UC College-Conservatory of Music hosts its Moveable Feast fundraising gala live and in-person on Friday, Jan. 24, 2025. Presented by CCMpower, a dedicated volunteer group of friends, advocates and alumni, Moveable Feast 2025: A Tempo generates essential support for the next generation of performing and media artists at CCM. Learn more about the event's "artistic menu" in our digital program!

3

UC engineer honored with presidential award

January 21, 2025

The highest honor bestowed upon scientists by the U.S. government, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) was founded by President Clinton during his time in office. The award recognizes engineers and scientists who exemplify valuable potential for leadership early in their research career. Recently, the University of Cincinnati’s Joel Alejandro (Alex) Mejia, was named a PECASE honoree.

Debug Query for this