Arts and sciences faculty honored at convocation with fellowships, grants

Before the College of Arts and Sciences Awards Convocation April 12, Dean Philip Lewis, center, poses with the recipients of the Robert and Helen Appel Fellowships for Humanists and Social Scientists: Christopher Collins, associate professor of linguistics, left, and Timothy Vogelsang, associate professor of economics. Robert Barker/University Photography

By Franklin Crawford

A dozen Cornell faculty members were honored April 12 at the annual College of Arts and Sciences Awards Convocation in Goldwin Smith Hall.

The Robert and Helen Appel Fellowships for Humanists and Social Scientists were presented to Christopher Collins, associate professor of linguistics, and Timothy Vogelsang, associate professor of economics.

"These fellowships are intended to recognize and encourage dedication to teaching among assistant professors in a way that will provide a substantial benefit to their scholarly careers as well," said Philip E. Lewis, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences, who spoke at the ceremony. "It is certainly the university's handsomest award for teaching."

Vogelsang joined the Cornell economics department in 1993 and teaches undergraduate and graduate econometrics as well as international economics. His research focuses on time series econometrics.

Collins joined the Cornell linguistics department in 1993. His areas of research, writing and teaching are related to the theory of syntax and the syntax of African languages.

The Robert A. and Donna B. Paul Award for Excellence in Advising was presented to Davydd Greenwood, the Goldwin Smith Professor of Anthropology. The grant, made possible by the Paul Endowment for Academic Advising, recognizes and rewards faculty advising as a fundamentally important part of undergraduate education. Greenwood, a top expert in European studies and a pioneer in interdisciplinary study, is famously attentive and accessible to the needs of students in Arts and Sciences as well as other colleges, the presenters said.

Outstanding lecturers and teaching assistants as well as professors also were honored Monday for their devotion to teaching.

The Stephen and Margery Russell Distinguished Teaching Awards were presented to: Douglas Weibel, a teaching assistant in chemistry and chemical biology; Steven Squyres, professor of astronomy; and Thomas Gilovich, professor of psychology.

The John M. and Emily B. Clark Distinguished Teaching Awards were presented to two lecturers and five teaching assistants. The lecturers are Manual Muñoz and Brennan Wyson, both from the English department; and the teaching assistants are Maydianne Andrade, neurobiology and behavior; Antonia Losano, English; Mingus Mapps, government; Horace Stoica, physics; and Gilman Toombes, physics.

The Russell Awards are made possible by a grant from the Stephen and Margery Russell Fund and also include an award for the recipients' departments to be used to further undergraduate teaching. The Clark Awards are made possible by a grant from the John M. and Emily B. Clark Fund. Both grants recognize faculty for classroom presence, preparation, administration, student counseling and general advising, development of new courses and new methods of student instruction.

The ceremony was led by degree marshals and banners bearers for the class of '99 -- those seniors with the highest grade point averages in the College of Arts and Sciences: Daniel Gardner, mathematics; Michael Geary, biology; Betsy Ostrov, economics and psychology; Phillip Pian, biology; and Mukund Thattai, physics.