CLA presents 2026 faculty and staff awards
The College of Liberal Arts will honor its 2026 faculty and staff award recipients on Wednesday, April 15, during a reception held at the Ag Heritage Park Pavilion.
This year’s Promotion of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETL) award recipients include:
Academy of Outstanding Teachers
W. Matt Malczycki, Associate Professor, Department of History
Jorge Muñoz, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures
Teaching Excellence Award
Xaq Frohlich, Associate Professor, Department of History
Online Teaching Award
Jennifer Johnson, Senior Lecturer, School of Communication and Journalism
Lecturer Award
Matt Clary, Senior Lecturer, Department of Political Science
Instructor Award
Andres Luco, Instructor, Department of Philosophy
Community and Civic Engagement Award
Victoria Ledford, Assistant Professor, School of Communication and Journalism
Advising Award
Terri Knight, Senior Lecturer, School of Communication & Journalism
Matthew Robinson, Academic Advisor, Office of Student Services
Recipients of competitive grants include:
Interdisciplinary and Team Science Grant
Sayyed Fawad Ali Shah, School of Communication and Journalism, with Co-Principal Investigators Emma Lathan-Powell and Paige Watson, Department of Psychological Sciences: “Journalist Mental Well-Being in the United States: A Mixed Methods Study”
JungMoon Hyun, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, and Gopikrishna Deshpande, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: “Cognitive Flexibility and Brain Network Connectivity in Older Adults”
Namkyung Oh, Department of Political Science: “Data-Driven Resilience: Linking Organizational Records to Support Adaptive Pathways for Substance Users”
Summer Research and Humanities Grant
Autumn Linford, Assistant Professor, School of Communication and Journalism
Kristen Tordella-Williams, Associate Professor, Department of Art and Art History
Additionally, Amy Wiley, administrative support specialist for the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures, and Melissa Townsend, medical billing coordinator for the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, received Staff Employee of the Year awards. April Foti, director of academic advising in the Office of Student Services, received the A&P Employee of the Year award.
“Each year, our faculty and staff awards give us the opportunity to recognize the extraordinary dedication, creativity and impact of our colleagues. As we celebrate the College of Liberal Arts’ 40th anniversary, this recognition is especially meaningful, reflecting not only individual excellence, but also the collective strength and legacy that have defined our college over four decades," said Dean Jason Hicks. "These honorees embody the spirit of innovation, teaching and service that will continue to shape our next 40 years."
More information about faculty support in the College of Liberal Arts can be found at aub.ie/clafacultysupport.
Tags: Faculty Communication and Journalism World Languages Literatures and Cultures Art and Art History Aviation Economics Psychological Sciences History Speech Language and Hearing Sciences Political Science
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