Through careful stewardship of human, financial and physical resources, the Office of the Dean of Faculty ensures the integrity and quality of the academic program at Eckerd College. In order to achieve this goal, the Office:
- fosters a culture of academic excellence and innovation;
- recruits, supports and retains qualified faculty and academic support staff;
- manages resources effectively to ensure that the academic program is appropriately supported;
- and engages with other service areas of the College to enhance the quality of the overall student experience.
Students: Need a petition or independent study contract signed? Please contact Dean Sanfilippo.
Jessica Thonen
Associate Dean of Faculty
thonenje@eckerd.edu
727.864.8674
Kat Robinson
Assistant Dean of Faculty
robinskk@eckerd.edu
727.864.8646
Margie Sanfilippo
Associate Dean of Faculty
sanfilmd@eckerd.edu
727.864.7562
Faculty Awards
John M. Bevan Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership
The John M. Bevan Teaching Excellence and Campus Leadership Award is named in honor of the College’s founding academic dean. The purpose of the award is to honor individual faculty members for nurturing a campus climate that fosters teaching at its best.
Selection of the recipient will be based on a faculty member’s creativity and resourcefulness in developing effective approaches to teaching and success in encouraging the use of these approaches more broadly in the campus community. The key distinction between the Bevan and Staub Awards is the Bevan Award’s emphasis on effective campus leadership with regard to teaching, that is, success in helping other faculty to increase their teaching effectiveness.
Winners
- 2024 Christina Petersen, Christian Nielsen Professor of Film Studies
- 2023 Kelly R. Debure, Professor of Computer Science
- 2022 Anne J. Cox, Professor of Physics
- 2021 Alexis Ramsey-Tobienne, Professor of Rhetoric
- 2020 Eileen Mikals-Adachi, Professor of Japanese
- 2019 Davina Lopez, Professor of Religious Studies
- 2018 Heather Vincent, Ancient Studies
- 2017 Carolyn Johnston, American Studies and History
- 2016 Scott Ward, Professor of Creative Writing
- 2015 Stephen P. Weppner, Professor of Physics
- 2014 Nathan Andersen, Associate Professor of Philosophy
- 2013 Laura R. Wetzel, Professor of Marine Science
- 2012 Marjorie D. Sanfilippo, Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of Faculty for General Education
- 2011 Thomas DiSalvo, Professor of Spanish
- 2010 Beth A. Forys, Professor of Environmental Science and Biology
- 2009 David D. Grove, Professor of Chemistry
- 2008 Reggie L. Hudson, Professor of Chemistry
- 2007 Diana L. Fuguitt, Professor of Economics
- 2006 Sterling Watson, Professor of Literature and Creative Writing
- 2005 William F. Felice, Professor of Political Science
- 2004 Catherine M. Griggs, Associate Professor of American Studies
- 2003 Robert C. Wigton, Professor of Political Science
- 2002 Harry W. Ellis, Professor of Physics
- 2001 Arthur N. Skinner ’72, Professor of Visual Arts
- 2000 Julienne H. Empric, Professor of Literature
- 1999 Mark H. Davis, Professor of Psychology
- 1998 John E. Reynolds III, Professor of Biology
- 1997 Kathryn J. Watson, Professor of Education and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Intergenerational Education
- 1996 Anthony R. Brunello, Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean of Faculty for General Education
- 1995 Molly K. Ransbury, Professor of Education
- 1994 William B. Roess, Professor of Biology
Lloyd W. Chapin Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Art
The Lloyd W. Chapin Award for Excellence in Scholarship is named in honor of the College’s long-serving, now-retired academic dean. This award is endowed by a generous gift from a couple with close ties to the college and who wish to remain anonymous. Its purpose is to honor individual faculty members whose scholarship or creative art have made a significant contribution to the field in which they work.
While there are many types of scholarship and art, this award honors scholarship and art as understood by traditional academic standards, and honors those who make a significant contribution to the academic area in which they are working. Significant indicators of this type of scholarship and art are publication of books, refereed publications in academic journals and proceedings, participation in juried art shows and the presentation of original musical and theatrical works. Scholarship includes both discipline-based and interdisciplinary work. It includes theoretical and applied work, as well as research in effective pedagogical approaches. Excellence in professional scholarship and art will be evidenced by the faculty member’s overall record and contributions.
Winners
- 2024 Scott Burnett, Professor of Anthropology
- 2023 Nathan Andersen, Professor of Philosophy
- 2022 Jared Stark, Professor of Comparative Literature
- 2021 Jing Shen, Professor of Chinese
- 2020 Elizabeth Forys, Richard R. Hallin Professor of Natural Sciences
- 2019 Yolanda Molina-Gavilán, Professor of Spanish
- 2018 Allan Meyers, Professor of Anthropology
- 2017 Davina Lopez, Professor or Religious Studies
- 2016 Cynthia Totten, Professor of Theatre
- 2014 Jianqiang Zhao, Associate Professor of Mathematics
- 2013 Carolyn Johnston, Professor of American Studies
- 2012 Kirk Ke Wang, Professor of Visual Arts
- 2011 William Felice, Professor of Political Science
- 2010 Brian Ransom, Professor of Visual Arts
- 2009 Peter A. Meylan, Professor of Biology
- 2008 Mark H. Davis, Professor of Psychology
- 2007 Victoria J. Baker, Professor of Anthropology
- 2006 Sterling Watson, Professor of Literature and Creative Writing
- 2005 Reggie L. Hudson, Professor of Chemistry
- 2004 Michael G. Flaherty, Professor of Sociology
- 2003 Gregg R. Brooks, Professor of Marine Science
- 2002 Jewel Spears Brooker, Professor of Literature
- 2001 John E. Reynolds III, Professor of Marine Science and Biology
John Satterfield Outstanding Mentor Award
The John Satterfield Outstanding Mentor Award is named in honor of a beloved member of the founding faculty. This award honors the special and vital role of the mentor in a student’s life at Eckerd. The selection of the recipient is based on the impact the mentor has had in the areas of academic programming, career planning, and personal growth.
Winners
- 2024 Amy N. S. Suida, Associate Professor of Marine Science
- 2023 Elizabeth Forys, Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology
- 2022 Jennifer Knippen, Associate Professor of Management
- 2021 Bill Felice, Professor of Political Science
- 2020 Carolyn Johnston, Elie Wiesel Professor of Humane Letters
- 2019 Shannon Gowans, Associate Professor of Biology and Marine Science
- 2018 Paige Dickinson, Assistant Professor of Human Development
- 2017 Frank Hamilton, Associate Professor of Management
- 2016 Denise Flaherty, Assistant Professor of Biology
- 2015 Jeff A. Howard, Professor of Psychology
- 2014 Morris Shapero, Assistant Professor of International Business
- 2013 Catherine Griggs, Professor of American Studies
- 2012 Tony Brunello, Professor of Political Science
- 2011 Edward T. Grasso, Professor of Decision Sciences
- 2010 Julienne H. Empric, Professor of Literature
- 2009 Tom Oberhofer, Professor Emeritus of Economics
- 2008 Margaret R. Rigg, Professor Emerita of Visual Arts
- 2007 Mark H. Davis, Professor of Psychology
Robert A. Staub Distinguished Teacher Award
The Robert A. Staub Distinguished Teacher Award emphasizes the primary importance of teaching in the College, recognizes teaching excellence in an individual faculty member, and encourages the pursuit of teaching excellence by the faculty as a whole.
Selection of the recipient by the faculty is based upon the instructor’s knowledge of the subject matter and ability to communicate and inspire student enthusiasm about the subject, develop student skills relevant to the subject, stimulate independent thinking and creative approaches, evaluate student progress and achievement, and respond to both individual and group needs and levels of preparation.
The award is made possible by the generosity of a distinguished former member of the College’s Board of Trustees, Robert A. Staub, whose concern for excellence in teaching reflects his understanding of and commitment to the central role of faculty members in a liberal arts education.
Winners
- 2024 David Grove, Professor of Chemistry
- 2023 Polina Maciejczyk, Professor of Chemistry
- 2022 Jared Stark, Professor of Comparative Literature
- 2021 Christina Petersen, Associate Professor of Film Studies
- 2020 Jessie Fly, Assistant Professor of Anthropology
- 2019 Eduardo Fernandez, Professor of Mathematics and Physics
- 2018 Yanira Angulo-Cano, Associate Professor of Spanish
- 2017 Cynthia Totten, Professor of Theatre
- 2016 William Szelistowski, Associate Professor of Biology and Marine Science
- 2015 Lauren E. Highfill, Associate Professor of Psychology
- 2014 Eileen Mikals Adachi, Associate Professor of Japanese
- 2013 April Schwarzmueller, Associate Professor of Human Development
- 2011 Denise Flaherty, Assistant Professor of Biology
- 2010 Barnet P. Hartston, Associate Professor of History
- 2009 Harry W. Ellis, Professor of Physics
- 2008 Alison Ormsby, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies
- 2007 Laura Reiser Wetzel, Associate Professor of Marine Geophysics
- 2006 Edward T. Grasso, Professor of Decision Sciences
- 2005 Marjorie Sanfilippo Hardy, Associate Professor of Psychology
- 2004 Anne J. Cox, Associate Professor of Physics
- 2003 Elizabeth A. Forys, Associate Professor of Environmental Sciences
- 2002 W. Guy Bradley, Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology
- 2001 James R. Goetsch, Jr., Assistant Professor of Philosophy
- 2000 Jeffrey A. Howard, Associate Professor of Psychology
- 1999 William F. Felice, Assistant Professor of Political Science
- 1998 David Kerr, Assistant Professor of Mathematics
- 1997 Victoria J. Baker, Associate Professor of Anthropology
- 1996 Suzan Harrison, Assistant Professor of Rhetoric
- 1995 Mark H. Davis, Associate Professor of Psychology
- 1994 Olivia H. McIntyre, Associate Professor of History
- 1993 Arthur N. Skinner ’72, Associate Professor of Visual Arts
- 1992 Diana Fuguitt, Associate Professor of Economics
- 1991 Carolyn Johnston, Professor of American Studies
- 1990 J. Peter Meinke, Professor of Literature
- 1989 Kathryn J. Watson, Professor of Education
- 1988 Tom Oberhofer, Professor of Economics
- 1987 James G. Crane, Professor of Visual Arts
- 1986 John E. Reynolds, III, Associate Professor of Biology
- 1985 Molly K. Ransbury, Professor of Education
- 1984 Peter K. Hammerschmidt, Professor of Economics
- 1983 A. Howard Carter, III, Professor of Comparative Literature and Humanities
- 1982 J. Thomas West, Professor of Psychology and Human Development Services
- 1981 Julienne H. Empric, Professor of Literature
- 1980 William B. Roess, Professor of Biology
Grover Wrenn Award for Leadership and Service to General Education
This award acknowledges the lasting influence of the Core Program, today called the General Education Program, and honors founding alumnus and longtime Trustee Grover Wrenn. This award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates appreciation of the enduring intellectual and artistic works of civilization and the value of their study to the development of the whole person; promotes a strong interdisciplinary general education curriculum in the liberal arts tradition and focused on value questions; and espouses the principle of Founding Dean Jack Bevan who said that the College’s curriculum was designed and executed so as to provide for the “engenderment of a wholesome and critical enthusiasm for inquiry and reflection that will extend beyond the period of formal education.”
Winners
- 2024 Jill Collins, Instructor of Economics
- 2023 Hong Gu, Instructor of Chinese and General Education
- 2022 Gregory Padgett, Associate Professor of History
- 2021 Jessica Thonen, Professor of Theatre
- 2020 Yanira Angulo-Cano, Associate Professor of Spanish
- 2019 Davina Lopez, Professor of Religious Studies
- 2018 Thomas Di Salvo, Professor of Spanish
- 2017 William F. Felice, Professor of Political Science
- 2016 William B. Kelly, Associate Professor of Rhetoric
- 2015 Joan O. Epstein, Professor of Music
- 2014 Anthony Brunello, Professor of Political Science
- 2013 Arthur Skinner ’72, Professor of Visual Arts
- 2012 Harry Ellis, Professor of Physics
