Suarez Professorship Nominees Announced

Five Fairmont State University professors have been nominated for the Abelina Suarez Professorship, which will be awarded at the Annual Academic Award Celebration on Friday, May 4.

The Abelina Suarez Professorship was established through the estate of Abelina Suarez in 2002, at the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc., to support faculty development and excellence in teaching. Suarez was a math and science teacher and school counselor in Harrison County. Her bequest created the first, privately funded professorship in FSU history.

Abelina Suarez Professors carry the title in perpetuity, but a new award will be given every five years. During the five-year active period of the award, honorees have the opportunity to develop and present a special course in their discipline. Recipients receive a $3,000 stipend for five years to support their work. Nominations for this award are accepted from school chairs and faculty members.

“The Suarez professorship has allowed me to continue my mission of preserving and perpetuating West Virginia’s rich cultural heritage. In the past five years, I have expanded academic programming in folklore studies, edited and produced publications, and worked closely with the Fairmont State Foundation in the physical development of the new Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center,” said Dr. Judy P. Byers, 2002 Abelina Suarez Professorship recipient, Senior Professor of English, Supervisor of English Education and Director of the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center at FSU.

“While this is a professorship to honor excellence in teaching, it also offers opportunities for a professor to enhance his or her academic interests for the betterment of Fairmont State University through innovation and creativity in teaching, programming and scholarship.”

This year’s nominees are Mary A. “Dede” Burnell, Dr. Carolyn Crislip-Tacy, Dr. Debra Hemler, Connie Moore and Dr. Deanna Shields.

Mary A. “Dede” Burnell, Assistant Professor of Accounting and Information Systems, has taught at Fairmont State for 18 years. In addition to her teaching, Burnell advises accounting and finance majors and serves as assistant advisor to the Student Accountant Society. Burnell received the West Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountant’s Merit Award and has been nominated for several university-wide awards.

Dr. Carolyn Crislip-Tacy, Professor of Physical Education and Chair of the Department of Health and Human Performance, has been employed at Fairmont State for more than 20 years. Crislip-Tacy is involved in student mentoring programs, coaches cheerleading and cross country teams, directs undergraduate students in research and develops program curriculum.

Dr. Debra Hemler, Professor of Geoscience Education, has taught at Fairmont State since 2000. Prior to that, she taught public school in Preston County and worked at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, W.Va. In addition to her duties at Fairmont State, Hemler conducts numerous workshops for West Virginia teachers and participates in various educational and community service activities for school-age students.

Connie Moore, Associate Professor/Senior of Nursing, has been a member of the Fairmont State faculty for over 25 years. She was named Co-interim Dean of nursing in 2006. In addition to teaching, she is involved in student advising, student recruitment and various advisory committees and councils. Moore serves on the Fairmont State Board of Governors as the faculty representative. She received the William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence, Recognition of Outstanding Faculty Achievement and the Outstanding Community College Service Award. Moore is an active member of the Marion County 4-H program.

Dr. Deanna Shields, Chair of the Department of Social Science and Professor of Criminal Justice, has worked at Fairmont State for over 25 years. Shields is featured in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.” She is the recipient of the William A. Boram Award for Teaching Excellence and acts as the national advisor of Alpha Phi Sigma, the national criminal justice honor society. She and her students are the recipients of many state and national awards.

“The Abelina Suarez Professorship represents the confluence of excellent teaching, deep learning and the philanthropy that supports both,” said Dr. Anne Patterson, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

“I hope that the award will serve as an inspiration and model for others who seek a way to recognize the contributions that teachers make in the lives of their students every day.”

Professorships honoring a teacher or loved one may be established through philanthropic contributions to the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. For more information on creating a professorship, contact K. Jean Ahwesh, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Executive Director for the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc., at  jahwesh@fairmontstate.edu.

The mission of the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. is to support, through ethical stewardship, the mission of Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Technical College. The Foundation will identify, establish and cultivate meaningful relationships with Fairmont State alumni and potential and existing funding constituencies to meet contributor needs while securing funds and supporters for priority objectives identified by the Board of Governors.