Great teaching is a hallmark of a Valpo education. Each Valpo graduate can recall a faculty member who helped change their life for the better. The Valparaiso University Alumni Association honors outstanding Valpo faculty while also supporting their professional development.

2023 Awards

Distinguished Teaching Award

Elizabeth Gingerich, J.D.
Professor of Business Law
Morgal–Vaughan Chair in Christian Business Ethics

Faculty Development Grants

Caroline Ban
Alison Downey
Shodhin Geiman
Lucas Kelley

Award Descriptions

The Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes and encourages excellence in the art of teaching. The recipient is recognized at December Commencement and will receive a $1,000 award. The principal selection criteria are:

  • Excellence as a teacher
  • Effectiveness as an academic counselor
  • Extent of service to and positive influence on students in extracurricular settings

Faculty Development Grants offer faculty at Valpo the opportunity and support to pursue terminal degrees, advance post–graduate research, and continue their education by participating in conferences and seminars through its Faculty Development Awards. The amount of the award depends upon the project. The pursuit of terminal degrees and post–graduate research will receive priority consideration; consideration will then be given to conference presenters and then to attendees.

Distinguished Teaching Award Nominations

The Valparaiso University Alumni Association invites you to nominate a candidate for its annual Distinguished Teaching Award. Candidates must be tenured full–time members of the faculty who have completed at least one academic year of full–time teaching at Valparaiso University, or non–tenured full–time members of the faculty who have completed at least three academic years of full–time teaching at Valparaiso University. Previous recipients are eligible if at least 10 years have passed since their award. The principal selection criteria are:

  • Excellence as a teacher
  • Effectiveness as an academic counselor
  • Extent of service to and positive influence on students in extracurricular settings

Nominations

Nominations for the 2024 Valparaiso Distinguished Teaching Award is open. Nominations materials are due by March 22, 2024. Nomination forms are available here.

Please complete the form and answer each question thoroughly. Detailed responses enable the selection committee to evaluate nominees completely and fairly. Please use a separate form for each nominee.

Additional comments and/or a resume may be submitted by mail or email to:

Valparaiso University
Career & Alumni Network
VUAA Award Committee
1509 Chapel Dr.
Valparaiso, IN 46383
vuaa.awards@valpo.edu

Have questions?
Career & Alumni Network
Tel: 219.464.5142
Email: vuaa.awards@valpo.edu

Faculty Development Grant Applications

Applicants must be full–time members of the teaching faculty who have completed at least one academic year of full–time teaching at Valpo. Previous recipients are eligible if at least three years have passed since their last award.

The selection committee will review this information at their spring meeting and the recipients will be selected at that time. Recipients will be notified by June 1, and funds will be made available after July 1. Recipients will be asked to give a brief summary of their program during the VUAA’s fall meeting.

Nominations

Nominations for the 2025 Faculty Development Grants are open until May 16. Online nomination forms are available here.

Please complete the budget and information form below.

  1. Your curriculum vitae summarizing your formal education (degrees, institutions, and dates), teaching experience (titles/positions, institutions, primary courses, dates, and tenure — at Valpo and other institutions, if applicable), and other compelling points. Limit this to no more than two pages.
  2. A letter of recommendation from your supervisor.
  3. Responses to the following. Limit your response to two pages. Excess material will be disregarded.
    • Program: Describe the overall plan for your terminal degree, post–graduate research, or continuing education. Please note field of study, goals, and progress. Describe how you would use this grant to achieve your goals. Please be specific and include a general timetable. If this application is for funding to participate in a conference or seminar, please include a copy of the program brochure if available.
    • Linkage: Describe how your program is linked to the University’s mission and strategic plan. Characterize how it would allow you to reinforce these commitments and apply the results of your study, research, or conference in the classroom to benefit students. Provide examples.

Please answer each question thoroughly. Detailed responses enable the selection committee to evaluate applicants completely and fairly. Additional comments and/or supporting documentation may be attached.

Mail or email nominations to:
Valparaiso University
Career & Alumni Network
VUAA Award Committee
1509 Chapel Dr.
Valparaiso, IN 46383
vuaa.awards@valpo.edu

Have questions?
Career & Alumni Network
Tel: 219.464.5142
Email: vuaa.awards@valpo.edu

Past Recipients

Distinguished Teaching Awards

The Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes and encourages excellence in the art of teaching. The principal selection criteria are excellence as a teacher, effectiveness as an academic counselor, and extent of service to and positive influence on students in extracurricular settings.

  • 1970 – James E. Schueler
  • 1971 – Willis D. Boyd
  • 1972 – Allen E. Tuttle
  • 1973 – Charles R. Gromley
  • 1974 – Edgar C. Reinke
  • 1975 – Janet L. Sievers
  • 1976 – William W. Bloom
  • 1977 – Leslie W. Zoss
  • 1978 – Van C. Kussrow
  • 1979 – Carl H. Krekeler
  • 1980 – Theodore M. Ludwig
  • 1981 – Warren G. Rubel
  • 1982 – Paul E. Phipps
  • 1983 – John L. Smith
  • 1984 – Theodore C. Schwan
  • 1985 – Mary J. Sheehan
  • 1986 – Louis F. Bartelt
  • 1987 – Thomas A. Droege
  • 1988 – Edgar J. Luecke
  • 1989 – Ferencz P. Kallay
  • 1990 – Albert R. Trost
  • 1991 – R. Keith Schoppa
  • 1992 – Richard H. W. Brauer
  • 1993 – Ronald A. Janke
  • 1994 – A. Gilbert Cook
  • 1995 – Edgar Senne
  • 1996 – Simone Baepler
  • 1997 – John R. Steffen
  • 1998 – Thomas D. Kennedy
  • 1999 – Judith A. Peters
  • 2000 – John Steven Paul
  • 2000 – Jerry Wagenblast
  • 2001 – Stanislaus Zygmunt
  • 2002 – Bruce G. Berner
  • 2003 – Eric W. Johnson
  • 2004 – Jim Albers
  • 2005 – Jeffrey S. Doebler
  • 2006 – Dougas Tougaw
  • 2007 – Mark Schwehn
  • 2008 – Frederick Niedner
  • 2009 – Laura Dooley
  • 2010 – Thomas Goyne
  • 2011 – Beth Scaglione Sewell
  • 2012 – John Ruff
  • 2013 – James Nelson
  • 2014 – Theresa Kessler
  • 2015 – Faisal Kutty
  • 2016 – Jim Stuck
  • 2017 – Amy Atchison
  • 2018 – Mark Budnik
  • 2019 – Barb Crumpacker Niedner
  • 2020 – Robert Clark
  • 2021 – Lydia Brauer
  • 2022 – Kevin Goebbert
Faculty Development Grants

Faculty Development Grants offer faculty at Valpo the opportunity and support to pursue terminal degrees, advance post-graduate research, and continue their education by participating in conferences and seminars through its Faculty Development Awards. The amount of the award depends upon the project.
2000 – Richard A. Gillman

2000 – Thomas D. Kennedy
2000 – James L. Kingsland
2000 – Philip Powell
2001 – James P. Beasley
2001 – Jeffrey S. Doebler
2001 – Lorri L. Petties
2001 – Jaishankar Raman
2001 – Andrew J.T. Smith
2001 – Nelly van Doorn-Harder
2002 – Alan Bloom
2002 – Marcia J. Bunge
2002 – Patricia Hershberger
2002 – Daniel J. Moran
2002 – Char Prieto
2002 – Nelly Zamora-Bello
2003 – Jennifer Bjornstad
2003 – Joseph S. Goss
2003 – Karen S. Whitehead
2004 – Richard DeMaris
2004 – Carmine Polito
2004 – Rachel Rivers Parroquin
2004 – Zsuzsanna Szaniszlo
2004 – Brent Whitefield
2005 – Bryan J. Morrison
2005 – Philip Powell
2005 – Mariane C. Steinwart
2005 – David K. Weber
2005 – R. Andrew White
2006 – Kevin Geiman
2006 – Ruth Johnston
2006 – James Moore
2007 – Julie Brandy
2007 – Martin Buinicki
2007 – Todd Hillwig
2007 – Jennifer Prough
2007 – Carlos Miguel-Pueyo
2007 – Rachel Rivers Parroquin
2008 – Carolyn Brunson
2008 – Sara Danger
2008 – David Simpson
2009 – Gretchen Buggeln
2009 – Carter Hanson
2010 – Marcia Bunge
2010 – George Heider
2010 – Carlos Miguel-Pueyo
2010 – Robert Swanson
2011 – Robert Swanson
2012 – Sara Danger
2012 – Randa Duvick
2012 – Craig Goehler
2012 – Susan Morris
2012 – Timothy Tomasik
2012 – Amanda Zelechoski
2013 – Kevin Goebbert
2013 – George Heider
2013 – Carlos Miguel-Pueyo
2013 – Musa Pinar
2013 – Allison Schuette
2013 – Nelly Zamora-Breckenridge
2014 – Debra Ames
2014 – Stacy Hoult-Saros
2015 – Lora Mendenhall
2015 – Jamie Stangel
2016 – David (Mike) Owens
2016 – Timothy Tomasik
2016 – Ed Upton
2016 – Lissa Yogan
2016 – Yue Zhang
2017 – Craig Goehler
2017 – Lindsey Munden
2017 – Shahin Nudehi
2017 – Allison Schuette
2017 – David Weber
2018 – Kristi Bugajski
2018 – Carlos Miguel-Pueyo
2018 – Robert Swanson
2019 – Julie Brandy
2019 – Christopher Drapeau
2019 – Slavica Jakelic
2019 – Gregg Johnson
2019 – Kelly Migler
2019 – Jennifer Prough
2019 – Jarron Slater
2019 – Philip Woodward
2019 – Amanda Zelechoski
2019 – Yue Zhang
2020 – Amy Atchison
2020 – Craig Goehler
2020 – Allannah Karas
2020 – Shahin Nudehi
2020 – Brooke Starkoff
2020 – Li Zheng
2022 – George Pati
2022 – Carlos Miguel-Pueyo
2022 – Claudine Ruzga
2022 – Jelena Byers
2022 – Julie Brandy
2022 – Holly Buckman