By Steven Krolak
(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)–As part of the 2021 State of the Campus ceremony, the first traditional faculty-staff event to be held on campus since the reopening, IU Southeast executive leaders presented the 2021 Distinguished Teaching and Service Awards.
Recipients were introduced by Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Kelly Ryan, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Amanda Stonecipher and Vice Chancellor for Administrative Affairs Dana Wavle.
In an unprecedented move, the award for Distinguished Service/Maintenance Award honored the entire staff of the Office of Facility Operations, in recognition of their tireless efforts to keep the campus clean, safe and operational during the pandemic.
Emotions ran high as the assembled faculty and staff spontaneously rose as one to cheer their Facility Operations colleagues as they gathered on the dais to receive the award.
The full list of awardees is as follows:
| Faculty Innovator of the Year | Dr. Donna Albrecht | School of Education |
| Distinguished Research & Creativity Award (Senior) | Dr. Doyin Coker-Kolo | School of Education |
| Distinguished Research & Creativity Award (Junior) | Dr. Patrick Lach | School of Business |
| Distinguished Teaching Award (Full-Time Faculty) | Dr. Sumreen Asim | School of Education |
| Distinguished Teaching Award (Part-Time Faculty) | Dr. Ann Niren | School of Arts and Letters |
| Distinguished Service/Maintenance Award | Facility Operations Staff | Facility Operations |
| Distinguished Service/Clerical Award | Christy Thomas | Enrollment Management and Student Affairs |
| Distinguished Service/Professional-Technical Award | Danny Clements | University Information Technology Services |
| Diversity Award | Dr. Sridhar Ramachandran | School of Natural Sciences |
The ceremony also recognized new faculty and staff, as well as those members of the campus community who have retired within the last calendar year. They were introduced by Vice Chancellor Wavle and Executive Vice Chancellor Ryan.
Homepage photo: Dr. Doyin Coker-Kolo, awarded the Distinguished Research and Creativity Award, is flanked by Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Dr. Kelly Ryan and Acting Chancellor Dr. Kathryn Girten.