Among this year’s faculty and staff honorees were (from left) Shanta Kyles, Lynn Staley, Frank Grady, Sally Barr Ebest, Amber Candela, Sherry Hieken, Robert Paul and Benjamin Peet. (Photo by August Jennewein)

A celebration of the University of Missouri–St. Louis community followed the 2016 State of the University Address given today by UMSL Chancellor Tom George.

From recognizing the past year’s employees of the month and new faculty members to presenting the 2016 Chancellor’s Awards, excellence and applause were the focus of the afternoon event held in the J.C. Penney Building/Conference Center on North Campus.

The Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence, established in 1988 by Chancellor Marguerite Ross Barnett, have become a university tradition. This year’s faculty awards went to:

• Sally Barr Ebest, professor of English, for campus service
• Frank Grady, professor of English, for teaching
• Robert Paul, professor of psychology, for research and creativity
• Benjamin Peet, adjunct instructor in mathematics and computer science, for part-time faculty member
• Lynn Staley, associate teaching professor in English, for non-tenure track faculty member

The three 2016 honorees presented with the Chancellor’s Award for Staff Excellence were Mary “Peggy” Birdsong, Sherry M. Hieken and Shanta L. Kyles.

Also given was the Gerald and Deanne Gitner Excellence in Teaching Award, presented annually to a UMSL faculty member who is in the early stages of their career and demonstrates outstanding and innovative teaching abilities. Amber Candela, assistant professor of mathematics education, received this year’s Gitner.

The event also included 25-year service award presentations to the following faculty and staff members:

25-year faculty honorees
Sanjiv K. Bhatia, professor, mathematics and computer science; Rita Csapó-Sweet, associate professor, media studies; Frederick Fausz, associate professor, history; Frank Grady, professor, English; Michael G. Griffin, associate professor, psychological sciences; Andrew Hurley, professor, history; Cezary Janikow, associate professor, mathematics and computer science; Thomas S. McKelvie, associate professor, English; Raleigh C. Muns, librarian III, UMSL Libraries; Gerda W. Ray, associate professor, history; Kenneth P. Thomas, professor, political science; Chikako Usui, associate professor, sociology; Barbara Van Voorden, teaching professor, English

25-year staff honorees
Alice Canavan, administrative associate, mathematics and computer science; Shanta L. Kyles, academic adviser, social work; Sandra Morris, senior media producer, marketing and communications; Ken Rapsilber, academic adviser, finance and marketing; Robert S. Ross, library information specialist, UMSL Libraries; Linder Williams, program/project support coordinator II, Disability Access Services

To view the chancellor’s State of the University Address, click here.