O'Connor Wins Faculty Recognition Award

Fairmont State University recently honored Dr. John E. O'Connor, Professor of Theatre and Coordinator of the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts, with the Faculty Recognition Award.

The award was presented during a reception in the Ruth Ann Musick Library. The Faculty Development Committee selects outstanding faculty members each year to receive the Faculty Recognition Award. O'Connor was selected because of his clear commitment to continuing development in his field and service to his community.

"A strong and dedicated faculty drives Fairmont State's core values of Scholarship, Opportunity, Achievement and Responsibility," said FSU President Dan Bradley.

"It is no coincidence that Goal One of Fairmont State University's Strategic Plan is to empower faculty and students to achieve high levels of teaching and learning. Teaching and learning are at the very heart of why we exist as an institution. We recognize John O'Connor for his achievements, for his scholastic contributions and for his record of service to the institution and the community."

O'Connor joined the Fairmont State faculty in 1998. Prior to coming to Fairmont, he was a member of the Speech and Theatre faculty at the University of North Alabama, and was on the Theatre faculty at Buena Vista College. He earned a B.S.Ed. in Speech and Theatre from Northern Illinois University, a Master of Arts in Theatre from Miami University of Ohio and a Ph.D. in Drama from the University of Washington.

O'Connor regularly teaches Theatre Appreciation, Introduction to Theatre, Text Analysis, Theatre History, Development of Dramatic Literature, Theatrical Makeup, Advanced Theatrical Makeup and Experiencing the Arts. He has also taught Acting, Advanced Acting, Directing, Voice and Diction, Oral Interpretation, Children's Drama, Modern Drama, Methods and Materials for Teaching Theatre and Speech, Introduction to Communication and Senior Seminars on Women and Communication and Culture and Communication.

He was included in Who's Who Among America's Teachers 'The Best Teachers in America Selected by the Best Students' in 2001 and 2004 and was nominated for the Harold and Roselyn Williamson Straight Teaching Award in 2008.

O'Connor's service to students has extended beyond the classroom in many directions. He is the faculty advisor for the Alpha Cast of Alpha Psi Omega, National Theatre Honorary. He is an advisor to Theatre majors and was nominated for the Excellence in Academic Advising Award in 2001. He has also served as an Undergraduate Student Research Grant mentor and as a Student Advocate and has accompanied students to the Region II Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival for the past two years.

He has presented 12 lectures on Masquers productions to English Literature, Modern Drama, Race/Class/Gender, Empowering Leadership, Theatre Appreciation, Women's Studies Seminar, Freshman Seminar and Sociology classes at FSU and to the Fairmont Senior High School Literature Club. In 2003 he presented a lecture on "Spirituality and Creativity" to the FSU Honors Seminar and to the Fairmont Senior High School Literature Club. He was invited to give the Keynote Address at the 2005 Governor's Honors Academy Favorite Educator Ceremony and adapted the Honors Seminar presentation into a speech titled "Creativity and Consciousness."

O'Connor has been an active participant in the FSU Honors Program, teaching Honors sections of Theatre Appreciation and Experiencing the Arts, and twice co-facilitating the London and Shakespeare Road Trip experiences. He has given Director's Talks to the Honors Student Association and participated as a presenter in the 2002 Honors Program Evening of Women Writers and the 2003 Honors Program Evening of 'Other' Voices. He served on the faculty of the West Virginia Governor's Honors Academy in 2006 and 2007, leading courses on Plays for Public Places, Plays by Women and Plays of Faith and Spirituality.

His service to students also includes numerous GEAR UP Campus Visitation Day presentations. He presented a workshop on theatrical makeup for the FSU GEAR UP ArtSmarts Camp in 2000 and 2001. He has also served eight times as an adjudicator and respondent for the West Virginia Theatre Conference, West Virginia Regional High School Thespian Conference, West Virginia Regional High School Forensics Tournament, FSU Invitational Speech Tournament and the KC/ACTF.

O'Connor is an active creative artist and scholar. Since his arrival at Fairmont State, he has directed 14 productions and has acted in 10 productions at FSU, as well as in two productions with the Gateway United Methodist Church Community Theatre company. Additionally, he has published three papers in Criminal Justice Review, Studies in the Literary Imagination and Theatre Symposium; two book reviews in Theatre Survey and New England Theatre Journal; and has presented 12 papers at conferences of the International Society for the Study of European Ideas, Southeastern Theatre Conference, Association for Theatre in Higher Education, Midwest Modern Language Association, Popular Culture Association, Central New York Conference on Language and Literature, Society for Utopian Studies, Northeast Modern Language Association and South Atlantic Modern Language Association.

His service to the campus and community includes chairing the Department of Communication and Theatre Arts Scholarship Committee for seven years and serving on the Interdisciplinary Arts Appreciation Course Development Team. He is a member of the FSU Personnel Committee, Strategic Plan Goal 2 Task Force and the Undergraduate Research Advisory Council. His past committee service includes Theatre Faculty Search, Speech Faculty Search, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Search, Liberal Studies, Faculty Development, Writing Intensive, Library and Academic Appeals committees, Criterion Four Self-Study Committee for NCA Accreditation, Student Hearing Board, Foundations of Excellence Task Force and Faculty Senate.

O'Connor has served on the City of Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission for six years. He is an ordained elder serving on the Session of Fairmont First Presbyterian Church, where he occasionally teaches in the Adult Christian Education program, occasionally preaches and regularly sings with the choir. He has been a member of the board of the FSU Wesley Foundation and accompanied students and board members on a mission trip to New York City in 2007. He has made Career Day presentations at several area schools, presented workshops on Effective Communication for CASA of Marion County, worked as a volunteer for Mannington Promise for Kids, twice coached Odyssey of the Mind and once coached Coach-Pitch Little League Baseball.

He is married to Linda Davis O'Connor, who is active both in the local theatre scene and at their church. They have two sons, Patrick and Michael.

The award reception was sponsored by the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc., the Office of Academic Affairs and the Faculty Development Committee.