Top row: Brett Johnson, Zheng Yan, Wendy Reinke, Ron Kelley, Kelli Canada
Bottom row: Ashley Givens, Clark Peters, Glen Cameron, David Herzog
April 14, 2021
University of Missouri President Mun Choi recognized nine University of Missouri faculty for their outstanding contributions to their universities, Missouri and the world.
“It’s my honor to recognize the tremendous talent and contributions of our faculty,” Choi said. “Every day, these faculty lend their passion and skill to improve the education of our students, the strength of our institutions, and better the lives of people across Missouri and around the globe through their scholarship, research and teaching.”
Brett Johnson
President’s Award for Excellence: Early Career, Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences
Brett Johnson, professor of journalism, was recognized for his efforts to advance the understanding of the role of journalism in democracy. By crossing disciplinary and methodological boundaries to study the nexus of law and ethics, and to advance the understanding of the First Amendment, Johnson has achieved tremendous success through his research, teaching and service to the School of Journalism, university and community.
Zheng Yan
President’s Award for Excellence: Early Career, STEM
Zheng Yan, an assistant professor of biomedical, biological and chemical engineering, was recognized for pioneering the research of tailoring porous electronic materials for bio-integrated electronics. He is praised for his ability to balance highly productive research work with effective teaching and mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students.
Wendy Reinke
President’s Award for Excellence: Sustained Career, Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences
Wendy Reinke, associate vice chancellor for research and a professor in the College of Education, was recognized for her 122 journal articles, 14 chapters and 7 books authored to date. She’s been the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on more than $55 million in grant-funded projects, including a federally funded National Research Center on Rural School Mental Health. Reinke’s work as co-director of the Missouri Prevention Science Institute has redefined how educators respond to youth mental health care.
Ron Kelley
President’s Award for Community Engagement
Ron Kelley, associate professional practice professor in the School of Journalism, was recognized for his ability to seamlessly blend his passion for service both in his career and in his community involvement. As executive director of the school’s Student Development, Diversity and Inclusion Program, Kelley partners with industry, academic leaders and alumni to recruit, retain and engage diverse students. Outside of work, Kelley volunteers for a number of community organizations, mentors young students of color, and arranges career exploration events.
Kelli Canada, MU; Beth Huebner, UMSL; Ashley Givens, MU; Janet Garcia-Hallett, UMKC; Clark Peters, MU
President’s Award for Intercampus Collaboration
Kelli Canada, associate professor in the MU School of Social Work; Beth Huebner, professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at UMSL; Ashley Givens, assistant professor in the MU School of Social Work; Janet Garcia-Hallet, assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology at UMSL; and Clark Peters, associate professor in the MU School of Social Work comprise the inter-campus research team behind the Prison Research and Innovation Network grant, funded by the Urban Institute. In collaboration with the Missouri Department of Corrections, this research team was one of only five selected nationally to examine the climate of prisons and aims to identify strategies for improvements in living and working conditions using community-based research. Despite the challenges COVID-19 has presented within the prison system, the research team has made substantial progress and has been awarded three additional years of funding to continue this important work.
Glen Cameron
Thomas Jefferson Award
The Thomas Jefferson Award recognizes faculty who rise above excellence and demonstrate clear distinction in teaching, research, writing, creative activities, and service to the UM System and humankind. Glen Cameron, emeritus Gregory Chair of Journalism Research, was recognized by his nominators for his leadership of the Contingency Theory of Public Relations, which is one of the most-used approaches in the field. As one of the most cited researchers in the field of public relations with more than 10,700 citations, Cameron’s transdisciplinary approach tackles public health in minority populations via news delivery and has seeded communications research across the globe.
David Herzog
Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award
The C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Award recognizes a University of Missouri System faculty member who demonstrates commitment, dedication and effectiveness in advancing the land-grant mission through extension, international education and agricultural economics programs. David Herzog, professor in the School of Journalism, was recognized by his nominators for his work to advance the reach of the Missouri Method—practical, hands-on training in professional news environments—around the globe. With an instructional focus in investigative and data journalism, Herzog has taught countless MU students, visiting faculty and professional journalists from more than a dozen countries. He has served as adviser to several journalism programs in China, and his efforts have seeded the development of numerous courses in investigative and data journalism in both China and Kazakhstan.
