March 19, 2008
CHSBS faculty members Brigitte Bechtold
and Solomon Getahun have been selected as this year's
recipients of the university's most prestigious research
awards.
Bechtold, a professor of sociology,
anthropology and social work, received the President's
Award, which recognizes the career achievements of senior
faculty members. Getahun, an assistant professor of African
history, received the Provost's award, which honors the
accomplishments of junior faculty members.
Bechtold
is an expert on minimum wage and infanticide. Her work and
long list of professional publications span many disciplines
in the areas of econometrics, qualitative and statistical
analysis, social policy, gender wage gaps, fertility, and
others. She joined CMU in 1982 and spent 15 years in the
economics department before joining the department of
sociology, anthropology and social work in 1997.
Outside of academe, Bechtold has
worked as a formal economist in areas related to
macroeconomic monetary and tax policy and served
as the senior economist on the presidential and
congressionally mandated Minimum Wage Study
Commission from 1971 to 1981. Her
accomplishments, along with a notable list of
awards and honors, affirm her career-long
contributions to research, outreach and service.
Getahun
came to Central Michigan University in 2004,
earning his Ph.D. from Michigan State University
the following year. An expert in African
history, he has sparked interest worldwide
through his research on African migrations to
the U.S., Ethiopian culture, customs and urban
development, and Ethiopian and African immigrant
and refugee communities in the U.S. His list of
scholarship includes two books, with one
forthcoming, an encyclopedia entry and numerous
articles that have been published by
distinguished peer-reviewed journals.
Each award recipient receives
$1,200 for professional development and will be
given release time from teaching
responsibilities to focus on research. In
addition, each recipient's name is listed on a
permanent plaque hanging in Park Library.
Faculty
Distinguished Service Awards
This
award, created by the Provost in 2002, is designed to honor faculty
whose record of sustained service to the University and/or
profession has been particularly distinguished.
Service
may have been to a department or college, the university as a whole,
or to a broader community through professional or public service to
the faculty member's discipline.
Only
service that is sustained and truly distinguished is worthy of this
recognition. It must evidence the qualities of excellent service
defined by CMU: caring, knowledge, availability and follow-through.
The 2008
recipients are:
-
Roger
Hatch (PHL & REL)
-
Jim
Jones (FLLC)
Roger
Hatch, professor of philosophy and religion, has displayed exemplary
service to the university in terms of social justice for more than
30 years.
Since his arrival to CMU in 1976, Hatch has served on more than 100
committees. His service on the Academic Senate for 13 years included
one year of duty as chair of the senate and six years on the senate
executive board.
Throughout his years, Hatch has held a number of leadership roles
within the faculty association and served on several committees
dedicated to education, honors and curriculum, including the
position of department chair for 13 years.
Jim
Jones, professor of foreign languages, literatures and cultures, has
served the university through leadership and diversity for 20 years.
He has served as director of the office of gay and lesbian programs,
chair of the Academic Senate and chair of his department. Jones also
served 11 years on the Academic Senate and 10 years as the adviser
for Delta Phi Alpha, a German honor society.
Jones is an advocate and a voice for diversity on CMU's campus and
is regularly sought out as a speaker in the area of gay and lesbian
issues. He also has served on numerous committees advocating for
diversity and inclusion at CMU.
Research
Excellence Funds Awards
-
Susan Jacob (PSY), "Center for Research, Training, and
Consultation on GLBTQ Youth Issues"
-
Mary Senter (SASW) and Jean Toner (SASW), "Meta-Analysis of Mid-Michigan Rural
Needs Assessments: The CMU/Mid-Michigan Rural Partnership
Initiative"
Created
by the State of Michigan in 1996, this fund was designed to support
high quality research and the creation of research centers.
Originally, the funds were to promote economic development, lead to
technological discoveries, or improve the quality of life in
Michigan.
