University Awards

DISTINGUISHED FACULTY AWARD
MICHAEL J. LEAHY
DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING, EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

Michael Leahy was one of only eight professors at MSU to receive the Distinguished Faculty Award. He was honored for his prolific and influential career as a scholar in rehabilitation counseling. His research has defined the scope of practice for the discipline and laid the foundation for the national credentialing examination and accreditation standards applied to graduate programs in rehabilitation counseling. He was also lauded for establishing the Office of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies as an unbrella for the master's and doctoral programs, continuing education and outreach, and collaborative research.


TEACHER-SCHOLAR AWARD
CHRISTOPHER J. WOMACK
DEPARTMENT OF KINESIOLOGY

Chris Womack was honored for the passion he holds for teaching and research. He is known for offering challenging and enjoyable courses to undergraduates and graduates and for using multiple approaches to help students understand difficult concepts. He also regularly involves students in his work as a teacher and researcher. His research on blood coagulation (clotting) and fibrinolytic (clot dissolving) responses and adaptation to exercise is at the cutting edge of exercise physiology. His most recent projects on the interaction between genetic traits and exercise interventions have helped inform physicians, coaches, teachers about risks for stroke and heart disease and the extent to which exercise can help minimize those risks.


TEACHER-SCHOLAR AWARD
YONG ZHAO
DEPARTMENT OF COUNSELING, EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

Yong Zhao was credited for enhancing MSU's reputation as a national powerhouse in instructional and learning technologies. His leadership of two MSU centers has helped teacher education faculty and students use technology, and he has influenced the teaching capacity of the entire College of Education. A committed mentor to students, Zhao has helped prepare education researchers by jointly producing more than 20 publications with his graduate students. Over the years, he has secured more than $18 million in external grants. His projects include a Web-based program to accelerate students' literacy development and language learning; a technology-rich after-school program for middle school students; and a Web-based second-language learning environment for American and Chinese students.