Faculty receive emerging scholar, mid-career awards

Two members of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford faculty received recent awards, while others presented and published papers and essays, worked on manuscripts and organized conferences.

Earlier this month, Dr. Lanre Morenikeji, assistant professor of biology, received the Dr. Larry E. Davis Emerging Scholar Award from the University of Pittsburgh. Morenikeji received the award at the Dr. Larry E. Davis Black Excellence in the Academy Award Dinner.

Morenikeji, now in his third year teaching at Pitt-Bradford, is a prolific immunology researcher who includes his undergraduate students in his research. His current research areas are the genetics of heat resistance in cattle, the genetics that make some people more susceptible to contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus, and whether older mice are more susceptible to the streptococcus bacteria than young mice.

Dr. Helma de Vries-Jordan, associate professor of political science, will be honored with the Mid-Career Service Award by the American Political Science Association’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Queer Caucus. De Vries-Jordan has served as chair of the caucus for three years as well as program chair for three years.

Dr. Nancy McCabe received her ninth and tenth recognitions from the Best American Essays in 2022 and 2023. “Crimes Against Property” was a Notable Essay of 2022, and “Playing by the Rules” was a Notable Essay of 2023. She has had new essays appear in the last few months: “Stuck Together” in Chautauqua and “That Good Night” in Belt.

McCabe has also taught workshops in Louisville, Ky., Quebec City and online. She made presentations related to her new young adult novel, “Vaulting Through Time” and wrote pieces related to her new book for Salon and Writer’s Digest.

Drs. Patricia Lanzon and William Clark, both assistant professors of education, presented “Exploring a Pilot Study on the Continuity of Mental Health Services from Infancy Through Adolescence” at the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators 51st Teacher Educator Assembly in Harrisburg. The pair made a poster presentation on the same topic at The World Association for Infant Mental Health 18th World Congress in Dublin, where Lanzon also presented “Teacher Competencies for Social Justice in Infant/Toddler Education: Aligning Standards and Identifying Gaps.”

Additionally, Lanzon served as a peer reviewer for the chapter “Teacher Identity and Language Ideology via Critical Pedagogy” in the 2023 textbook, “Social Justice and Culturally Affirming Education in K-12 Settings.”

Dr. Ovidiu Frantescu, associate professor of environmental science, served as co-chair of a special session (“Advances in Arthropod Paleobiology: Honoring the Illustrious Career of Rodney Feldmann) at the Geological Society of America Conference in Pittsburgh, where he also presented “Evidence of a Decapod Lagerstätten in Tarrant County Texas, USA.”

Dr. Michael Klausner, associate professor of sociology, published a paper, “Psychosocial Impacts of COVID-19 on the Public: A Case Study Using Hobfoll’s Five Essential Elements – Lessons Learned – Opportunities Missed” in the Global Encyclopedia of Public Policy and Governance. 

Dr. Jodi Burns, assistant professor of sport and recreation management, made two presentations at the International Positive Psychology Association’s 8th World Congress in Vancouver, British Columbia: “Improving Collective Well-being in Competitive Sports Teams” and “Introducing Two New Mental Fitness, Resiliency and Positive Leadership Questionnaires.”

Burns is also an assistant coach with Revolution Volleyball Club, a Junior Olympic Youth team that earned a bid to the national competition and placed 31st in the nation.

Dr. Behnaz “Beth” Rezaie, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, was a guest editor of a special issue of the Journal of Sustainability titled “Technical-environmental-economic Evaluation of District Energy Systems with Energy Storage.”

Catherine Baldwin, instruction services librarian, presented a lightning talk at the Association for College and Research Libraries 2023 Conference in Pittsburgh, “First Gens in the House: How Academic Librarians Support Students New to Higher Education.”

She also presented a professional development session on universal design for learning to the University of Pittsburgh Library System.

Additionally, Baldwin and other Hanley librarians, Marc Ross, Kim Bailey and Jenelle Johnson, presented a lightning talk for the University of Pittsburgh’s Mentoring and Advising Summit called “Librarians Mentoring for Unique Outreach Opportunities.”

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