Biology faculty took home no fewer than three awards for excellence and outstanding teaching for the 2018-2019 academic year.  Dr. Bob Poage won the Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, and Drs. Kaitlin Campbell and Maria Santisteban won Outstanding Teaching Awards.  The mentor award recognizes significant contributions to advancing, encouraging and supporting creative scholarship, undergraduate research, and mentoring relationships.  Teaching awards recognize excellence in teaching as demonstrated by way of enthusiasm, clear presentations and varied instructional strategies, and by engaging and challenging students and by kindling high levels of scholarship.  

Awards were presented during the Faculty Appreciation Banquet on 26 April 2019.  Several Biology faculty were recognized for promotions in rank and for years of service to the University.  Drs. Rita Hagevik, Bob Poage, and Maria Santisteban were promoted to the rank of full professor.  Recognized for years of service were: Prof. Brandi Norman and Dr. Erika Young (both for 10 years), Dr. Bob Poage (15 years), and Dr. Maria Pereira (20 years).

The Biology Department’s Dr. Conner Sandefur won a UNCP Outstanding Teaching Award last year, while Prof. Meg Zets won an Excellence in Teaching Award (2018-2019) from the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and Dr. Rita Hagevik won the 2018 Distinguished Teaching Award in STEM Education (NC Association of Biomedical Research). 

The Biology Department, under the leadership of Dr. Velinda Woriax, is one of the largest departments in the College of Arts and Sciences, having more than 700 students who are pursuing Biology majors.  Students joining the Department may choose from several undergraduate and graduate (science education) degree programs and numerous opportunities for out-of-classroom activities and faculty-mentored research. 

Photographs are courtesy of Willis Glassgow, UNCP Photographer