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Campus Recognizes Faculty Excellence

AHS E-News Spring 2020

Dr. Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo

Dr. Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo, assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, received the campus award for Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching. She joined the AHS faculty in 2015 from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a research fellow in biomedical research in the UNC School of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry. Prior to that, she was an assistant professor in the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Department of Special Education and Child Development. As one of the few scholars whose research focuses on mental health among racial and ethnic minorities, Dr. Lara-Cinisomo is highly sought after by graduate students from a variety of disciplines and institutions. She involves her students in all aspects of research, from conceptualization to dissemination, and has developed and designed graduate-level courses on health disparities, public health, and health behavior theory. Her students have won prestigious awards from national and international organizations. Dr. Lara-Cinisomo also received the Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching Award from the College of Applied Health Sciences.

Four members of the College of Applied Health Sciences faculty were among only 38 faculty members across campus to be recognized by the University of Illinois Chancellor's Office for making a positive impact on graduating seniors. The honorees were singled out by recent graduates on the Chancellor's Senior Survey for making “a positive impact on their experience at Illinois.” More than 900 faculty and staff were mentioned at least once, but the 38 who were honored were identified by 10 or more graduating seniors.

The four AHS faculty are:

Justine KaplanJustine Kaplan, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
Justine is the interim director of the MPH and MSHA degree programs. She has taught more than 8500 students in more than 50 classes in KCH since joining the college in 2015. She has mentored numerous James Scholar students and regularly helps undergraduate students find hands-on learning opportunities on campus and throughout the surrounding community.

Dr. Susan FarnerSusan Farner, Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
Over the course of her career, Dr. Farner has taught and mentored thousands of undergraduate students, prepared Community Health students for their required internships through a course that focuses on such things as interviewing skills and resumes, and supervised them during their internship experience. In 2018, Dr. Farner received both the college and campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching: Specialized Faculty.
 
Dr. Steve PetruzzelloSteve Petruzzello, Professor and Associate Department Head, Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
Dr. Petruzzello has mentored about 100 students in the Edmund J. James Scholar program, providing them with unique learning opportunities and helping them to improve their skills in critical thinking, data collection, and analysis. His students typically report that his positive impact is felt not only during their undergraduate years, but also beyond. Dr. Petruzzello received the 2013 Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching: Faculty from the college and the campus and the AHS Phyllis J. Hill Faculty Award for Exemplary Mentoring in 2018.

Don HardinDon Hardin, Adjunct Instructor, Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism
Don has taught classes on sports ethics and leadership to hundreds of students and regularly appears on the list of Teachers Ranked as Excellent, based on student evaluations. He joined RST as an instructor in 2008 after retiring from more than 30 years as an NCAA volleyball coach, including 13 years as head coach of the University of Illinois women’s volleyball team. A 1984 graduate of what was then the Department of Leisure Studies, Don received the AHS Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2017.

The Chancellor’s Senior Survey is administered to all graduating seniors as a way to better understand their experiences at Illinois. The survey addresses students’ participation in activities and services, student learning outcomes, campus climate, and satisfaction with the Illinois experience.

 

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