Wednesday, September 10, 2003

WILMINGTON, NC – James B. Hunt, professor of management and marketing in the Cameron School of Business, was awarded the UNCW Board of Trustees Teaching Excellence Award at the fall faculty meeting.

He was among 13 faculty members recognized for their teaching excellence and scholarship.

The UNCW Board of Trustees Teaching Excellence Award was given to Hunt in recognition of his significant contributions to higher education through dedication and service to students. First presented in 1978, this award is designed to exemplify the university’s commitment to teaching excellence, with the recipient receiving a one-time stipend of $1,500 and a Distinguished Teaching medallion.

Hunt was also one of three faculty members to receive the Distinguished Teaching Professorship. The others were Don Habibi, professor in the Philosophy and Religion Department, and Michael Messina, associate professor in the Chemistry Department. Distinguished Professorships recognize faculty who make outstanding contributions to teaching at UNCW and come with a three-year $5,000 stipend and a medallion. Nominations were solicited from each department or school, and all full-time tenured faculty were eligible.

Awards for faculty scholarship were presented to Philip Gerard, professor of creative writing; Craig Galbraith, professor of management and marketing; and Ned Martin, professor of chemistry. These annual awards, which are given to up to three faculty members, recognize significant contributions to the university and the academic community through commitment to scholarship, research and creativity. Current full-time faculty are nominated for this honor by their peers and receive a $1,500 award.

Ann Pabst, professor of biological sciences, was given the Graduate Mentor Award, which recognizes faculty who have excelled at teaching at the graduate level and who have an established record of mentoring students who earned master’s degrees. She received a $250 award and a certificate.

The Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Awards for 2003 were awarded to: Len Lecci, associate professor of psychology; Rebecca Lee, associate professor of creative writing; Mike Perko, associate professor of health and applied human sciences; Jack Gowan Jr., associate professor of information systems and operations management; and John Rice, associate professor of specialty studies. These awards, established in 1991, recognize faculty who demonstrate outstanding teaching in the classroom. Each recipient receives a $750 award and medallion.

John Bennett, professor of health and applied human sciences, received the second annual J. Marshall Crews Distinguished Faculty Award sponsored by the Past Chairs’ of the UNCW Alumni Association. In addition to a medallion, he received a $500 cash stipend.

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