Bibo Li receives Jennie S. Hwang Award for Faculty Excellence

Cleveland State University’s annual Distinguished Faculty and Staff Awards honor the contributions of its dedicated employees and illustrate the commitment to students, enthusiasm for education and tremendous skill exhibited by all of the members of CSU’s campus community. The awards are presented at fall commencement and include honors for outstanding faculty research, teaching and service; outstanding classified and professional staff and the Jennie S. Hwang Award for Faculty Excellence.

“CSU’s tremendously talented and committed faculty and staff go the extra mile every day to ensure a high quality learning environment for our students,” says Ronald M. Berkman, President of Cleveland State. “The Distinguished Faculty and Staff Awards give us an opportunity to honor all of their accomplishments and to say thank you for their amazing contributions to our community.”

The Jennie S. Hwang Award is the highest honor bestowed by the University for faculty members and recognizes individuals for bringing regional, national and international recognition to Cleveland State through exceptional achievements in teaching, research and service. The award is named in honor of Jennie Hwang, a member of the CSU Foundation board of directors and CEO of H Technologies Group. The 2017 winner is Dr. Bibo Li, professor of biological, geological and environmental sciences and a member of CSU’s Center for Gene Regulation in Health and Disease. Li is a leader in the global fight to find a cure for sleeping sickness which threatens millions in the developing world annually. In addition to the Hwang award, she received a Distinguished Faculty Award for Research.

Additional 2017 award winners include:

• Distinguished Faculty Award for Research: Dr. Zhiqiang Gao, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science
• Distinguished Faculty Award for Service: Dr. Debbie Jackson, associate professor of teacher education
• Distinguished Faculty Award for Service: Dr. Jeff Karem, professor of English
• Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching: Dr. Petru Fodor, associate professor of physics
• Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching: Dr. Wenbing Zhao, professor of electrical engineering and computer science
• Distinguished Service Award for Classified Staff: Karen Locker, administrative secretary, Office of the Provost
• Distinguished Service Award for Professional Staff: Mary Therese Kocevar, director of sponsored programs and research services

“When students talk about what makes CSU special, they put our outstanding faculty and staff at the top of the list,” Berkman adds. “The dedication and the commitment of these individuals makes us who we are as an institution.”

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