Radford University’s Office of the Provost has presented Dalton Eminent Scholar Awards to two faculty members in recognition of their distinguished academic reputations.
Bruce Mahin, a professor of composition and music theory, is a recipient of the honor, and Maxwell Yurkofsky, an assistant professor in the School of Teacher Education and Leadership, is the recipient of the Dalton Rising Star award.
Each faculty winner of the 2023-2024 awards receives $10,000 to fund a scholarly project and a $5,000 award following its successful completion. Each year, recipients are encouraged to include student investigators throughout their exploration, providing opportunities for greater excellence in their chosen fields.
Recipients of the Dalton Eminent Senior Scholar Award, the university’s highest faculty honor, must be associate or full professors at Radford University for a minimum of three academic years.
The Rising Star award is given to one faculty member each year who shows extraordinary promise for excellence with creative scholarship or research. Nominees must be in no more than their sixth year of continuous service as a full-time faculty member at a higher education institution and in at least their third year of continuous service at Radford.
“The annual recognition of our Dalton Eminent Scholars is a wonderful opportunity to shine light on the quality of Radford University’s faculty members,” said Radford University President Bret Danilowicz. “Dr. Mahin’s accomplishments as a composer, recording technician and performer truly distinguish him among university faculty members, and musicians, worldwide. Dr. Yurkofsky’s body of work in education at such a young age is impressive, and his efforts to help build Radford’s Doctor of Education program are worthy of praise. Both award recipients are gifted teachers and scholars whom we are fortunate to call Highlanders.”
The Dalton Eminent Scholars Fund, which provides financial support for the prestigious awards, was originally established in the late 1980s and early 1990s 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 $2.2 million.
“Our 2023-2024 Dalton Eminent Scholars are deserving of recognition for the outstanding contributions they have made as scholars in their fields and as teachers who bring out the best in their students,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Bethany Usher. “For more than 30 years, Dr. Mahin has represented Radford University globally as a musician, composer, teacher and researcher with his groundbreaking creativity and sense of service to others. Dr. Yurkofsky has brought expert knowledge of organizational theory and passion for improving American education to Radford, and our Doctor of Education faculty members and candidates are fortunate to benefit from his energy and influence. We are proud to celebrate our award winners, as well as all Radford University faculty who prepare our students for success in life.”
Mahin has accumulated a lifetime of accomplishments as a composer, performer, scholar and producer of published recordings. His compositions span genres from experimental and classical to popular music. Mahin has released original music on eight albums in classical, electronic and Americana genres over the past 34 years while teaching as a full professor in the Department of Music. His collaboration with British pianist Martin Jones and the Glasgow-based Scottish Voices has resulted in more than 30 concerts in the United States and Britain.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by this incredible recognition and looking forward to enhancing the preparation of my students as creative professionals,” Mahin said.
Yurkofsky teaches courses in the Doctor of Education program focused on continuous improvement, leadership, collaborative inquiry and equitable approaches to spreading change. His research centers on developing partnerships with school and system leaders to investigate how school systems can organize for continuous improvement toward more ambitious and equitable visions of learning. Yurkofsky helps prepare school and system leaders to strategically use improvement science, organizational theory and collaborative leadership practices to inquire into and address high-leverage problems of practice in their settings. He partners with current and former students on research, professional learning and writing projects focused on improving educational systems in Virginia. Yurkofsky obtained his Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Leadership and Instructional Practice from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2020.
“I am incredibly honored to receive this award. I am grateful that Radford University and the School of Teacher Education and Leadership have supported me in pursuing my scholarly research interests as I have continued to teach in and coordinate the Ed.D. program,” Yurkofsky said. “With this award, I hope to engage in further research on how school systems in Southwest Virginia can organize for continuous improvement toward more ambitious and equitable visions of learning, and to engage in this research in partnership with the incredible students and alumni of our program who are leading this kind of work in their school systems every day.”
Mahin and Yurkofsky will be celebrated with other university award winners during the 2024 University Convocation in August.
Chad Osborne for Radford University
