Rider honors its best and brightest at first-ever Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony

Each year, the University honors the best and brightest of its faculty, administration and staff through various named awards given out at ceremonies throughout the year. On Thursday, Dec. 11, the Rider community was invited to honor all of the award recipients at once at the first-ever Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony in the Bart Luedeke Center Theater.

Provost DonnaJean Fredeen began the ceremony by explaining that this inaugural event came about in an effort to "allow the University to solely focus on our faculty and staff award recipients and recognize and celebrate their accomplishments."

The first award announced, the Nancy Gray Award (named in honor of Rider's former vice president of development), went to Sue Stefanick, University Registrar. This award is bestowed on an individual who emulates inspirational leadership. Stefanick was chosen for her dedication to Rider, both as a graduate and as a working professional, for over 30 years.

The second award, the Ziegler-Gee Award, goes to a full- or part-time administrator or member of the staff or faculty who has contributed to the effort to end gender-based discrimination. Melissa A. Hofmann, associate professor-librarian of Moore Library, was given the award for her active role as a member of the Gender and Sexuality Studies program and her founding of the LGBTQIA and Gender and Sexuality Studies library research guides.

The Mazzotti Awards in Women's Leadership, funded by alumna Joan Mazzotti '72 and her husband, Michael Kelly, was established to provide professional development opportunities to women faculty and staff of the Rider community. Heeyoung Kim, director of the Teaching and Learning Center; Carol Kondrach, associate vice president for Information Technologies; and Christine Hamme Peterson, associate professor of Graduate Education, Leadership and Counseling, all received recognition and financial assistance to attend various workshops, webinars and programs that will further their professional growth and leadership abilities.

Created to recognize outstanding advising qualities and vision to provide students with accessible, timely and accurate information; to guide and encourage students; and to maximize their educational experience, the inaugural Faculty Academic Advising Award was given to Professor Margaret Cusack, chairperson for the Department of Piano and Voice at Westminster Choir College. Fredeen quoted Jennifer Weiss, Cusack's nominator, who characterized her "as an individual who helps students navigate the Westminster Choir College curriculum as well as plan for future careers in a kind and caring manner."

The two recipients of the Distinguished Teaching Award were Diane K. Campbell M.B.A. '09, associate professor-librarian of Moore Library, and Dr. Amanda Quist, assistant professor of conducting at Westminster. Both exemplify the award's criteria of providing positive influences on the academic career of students, "great knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject matter, ability to engage students in course materials, availability for mentoring and support outside of the classroom and skill at providing interesting challenges to students."

Next, Fredeen named the recipient of the Dominck A. Iorio Award, given annually to an individual whose research has been acknowledged by external authorities as providing meaningful contributions to the discipline. Though he was not present to receive the award, Dr. Frank Rusciano, professor of political science, was chosen for his research in world opinion and the effects of globalization, political communication and social choice; he is also one of the first to derive a theory of global opinion processes.

Professor Margaret Cusack was honored a second time when she received The Chairperson Leadership Award, established by former Provost Dr. Don Stevens with the intent to recognize outstanding leadership of a department chairperson. She was given the award for her dedication and success in managing a large department while still being able to make clear-headed decisions and respond to colleagues with respect and concern.

President Mordechai Rozanski personally gave out the final certificates of recognition, the Frank N. Elliot Award for Distinguished Service. The award, named in honor of Rider's fourth president, is presented each year to a staff person, faculty member and administrator who has demonstrated distinguished service to the University. Nominations are submitted by the campus community, and a committee of past award recipients reviews the nominations and selects the honorees. Each recipient receives a framed certificate and a monetary award and is recognized with a plaque displayed in the lobby of the Bart Luedeke Center.

The first Frank N. Elliot Award for staff was given posthumously to Colleen Dillon, who passed away on April 3, 2014. The award was accepted by her husband, Patrick. A staff member since 1998, Dillon started at the Conservatory of Music at Westminster Choir College and, in 2001, began providing administrative, clerical and secretarial support to the faculty from all of the departments located in the Science and Technology Center. President Rozanski, referencing remarks made by her colleague Anne Law, remembered her as someone who “went above and beyond any reasonable expectation. She wanted everything to shine, to be perfect and reflect positively on the University."

Next, the president announced the faculty recipient of the Frank N. Elliot Award for Distinguished Service, Professor Kelly Bidle from the Department of Biology. Since 2001, Bidle's contributions to the University have ranged far and wide. A dedicated and passionate teacher and mentor, an NSF-funded researcher, an active community member and a longtime supporter of athletics, Biddle was recognized for her numerous contributions to the University and beyond.

Finally, President Rozanski gave this year's administrator recipient of the Frank N. Elliot Award to Christine Zelenak, director of the President's Office and President Rozanski's executive assistant. Zelenak has been working in various roles at Rider for over 15 years and received her master’s in counseling from the University in 1997. The President warmly characterized her as "the ultimate professional – dealing effectively with often difficult and complex situations with great care and compassion. She is incredibly thoughtful and hard-working while always exhibiting a warm and fuzzy side.”