Radford University has announced the five faculty members who won the 2019 Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards.
The annual awards provide faculty members opportunities to go above and beyond in their chosen academic fields and for Radford University to recruit and retain the best faculty, as each faculty winner receives a $10,000 award to fund research travel and materials, along with a $5,000 award following successful completion of research and scholarly activity.
The Dalton Eminent Scholars Fund, which provides financial support for the prestigious awards, was originally established in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a way to honor United States District Judge Ted Dalton and former Governor of Virginia John Dalton. Through a grassroots fundraising campaign, more than $700,000 was raised for the endowment, which now has funds totaling nearly $2 million.
“Radford University is well-known and highly-regarded for the close bonds and lasting relationships between our talented students and world-class faculty. Following the transition from students to graduates and alumni, Highlanders have a deep-rooted connection to the faculty who share their expertise and enable individual dreams. That relationship is what separates Radford from other institutions of our scope and size. The winners of the Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards truly embody the spirit of the Radford family and the uniqueness of the Highlander experience,” said President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Kenna M. Colley, Ed.D. added, “Radford University is fortunate to have many dedicated and outstanding faculty who are proud to call Radford University their professional home. They challenge and inspire our students each and every day and contribute to their academic disciplines in extraordinary ways. The Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards are one way that our campus community pays tribute to Radford University’s strong legacy of teaching excellence.”
The recipients of the 2019 Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards are:
Donna Boyd, Ph.D., Eminent Professor of Anthropology and Co-Director of the Radford University Forensic Science Institute in the Artis College of Science and Technology;
Matthew DeCarlo, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Social Work and Site Coordinator of the Roanoke Master of Social Work Program in the Waldron College of Health and Human Services;
Seife Dendir, Ph.D., Professor of Economics in the Davis College of Business and Economics;
Agida Manizade, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics and Statistics in the Artis College of Science and Technology; and
Thomas Pierce, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology in the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences.