The second annual faculty awards honoring outstanding contributions by teacher/scholars at the School of Communications were announced April 14 at the spring Communications Advisory Board banquet: George Padgett is the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award; Don Grady is the recipient of the Excellence in Service/Leadership Award; Connie Book is the recipient of the Excellence in Scholarship Award.
Dean Paul Parsons announced the winners. “We have an outstanding faculty in the School of Communications,” he said. “They instruct and inspire our students, they serve as leaders of the university and they create knowledge and information. Today we honor three of our faculty for their teaching, service/leadership and scholarship, knowing that they represent a larger faculty who make Elon and this school excellent.”
The Excellence in Scholarship Award recognizes a faculty member whose scholarly work has a significant intellectual impact. In making its decision, the selection committee looked not only for publication and presentation of the highest quality, but supporting the scholarly endeavors of colleagues, advancing the school’s reputation, and mentoring students in undergraduate research.
Book came to Elon in 1999. “She has made a profoundly positive impact on our school and the profession,” Parsons said. “Here is her newly published book on digital television. She is a rare, four-time recipient of a National Association of Broadcasters grant to study consumers and television. She has won Broadcast Education Association research awards six of the past seven years. At the same time, she is deeply devoted to helping students discover the joys and the importance of research. She accompanied a student last year to speak before the FCC. Connie is one of the reasons that Elon’s School of Communications is rapidly gaining national attention.”
The Excellence in Service/Leadership Award recognizes a faculty member who richly contributes to the ongoing welfare and betterment of the school, the university and the profession. The selection committee looked for clear, positive outcomes of service, as well as a willingness to volunteer one’s time when needed, to carry new ideas to reality, and to engage in shared governance.
Grady came to Elon in 1985. “In many ways, Don was the original builder of this program,” Parsons said. “He served as the first department chair from 1988-1993 and currently is serving as department chair again. Don is the epitome of Elon’s model of a caring faculty member. He sees service as vital for a sense of community. He has served on the tenure and promotion committee, faculty research and development committee, curriculum committee, and chaired the university’s Academic Council. We value presence on campus, noting over time who does the big and little tasks that make us a better school. Don makes us a better school.”
The Excellence in Teaching Award recognizes a faculty member who exemplifies the Elon teacher-scholar – someone outstanding in the classroom, current in the discipline, and committed to the intellectual development of students. The selection committee looked for excellence in the classroom, embracing ways to engage students in active learning, being known as a good academic adviser, and having a willingness to teach where needed.
Padgett came to Elon in 1990 and served as department chair from 1993-2000. “We measure three factors in evaluating teaching,” Parsons said. “One is student evaluation. Another is the level of academic challenge. The third is the rigor that teachers maintain in awarding grades. George scores near the top on all three factors. He’s also our champion in teaching diversity in the classroom. Next fall, he is teaching an innovative course where students will explore the five freedoms of the First Amendment and then share these freedoms with local schoolchildren through skits and a DVD. It’s this kind of innovation that makes George special as a teacher.”