The College of Applied Human Sciences recognized four faculty members – Rawn Boulden, Patrick Hairston, Erin Jordan and Erin McHenry-Sorber – for outstanding work in the 2022-23 academic year at its all-college assembly on May 10.
Rawn Boulden was the recipient of the 2023 CAHS Outstanding Researcher Award. The award acknowledges a faculty member whose research has made significant contributions to one’s discipline in the past year. In the past year, Boulden’s work investigated issues of school counseling in rural areas, with special emphasis on Appalachia and culturally sustaining school counseling practices. His research portfolio included six peer-reviewed journal articles published or appearing in the press during the award period.
Patrick Hairston received the 2023 Laddie R. Bell Distinguished Service Award, which is given to the individual who has made exceptional contributions to the achievement of our mission and the development of our programs. Since arriving at WVU in 2021, Hairston has provided experiential learning opportunities for approximately 350 CAHS students to engage in multi-site community and service projects that bolstered cultural competency and professional networks. His service also includes serving as chair of the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Additionally, he serves as the coordinator for the CAHS Living-Learning Community.
The winners were selected by the 2022-23 CAHS Research and Engagement Committee, which was comprised of Gonzalo Bravo, Jeff Daniels, Rodney Hughes, Emily Murphy, Samantha Ross, and Yuanhua Wang.
Erin Jordan and Erin McHenry-Sorber were the CAHS recipients of the WVU Foundation Awards for Outstanding Teaching. The award recognizes those with exceptional teaching and/ or innovation in teaching methods, course and curriculum design, and instructional tools.
Jordan’s student-centered approach includes a flexible course policy and the adoption of Open Education Resources that have saved students over $50,000 over the last four semesters. She’s integrated technology into her courses and uses experiential learning to augment classroom concepts, connect course learning and support students’ career preparation. She shared her teaching innovation insights at WVU’s Celebrate conference as well as the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education annual meeting.
McHenry-Sorber’s teaching methods involve building connections and community by engaging students in difficult discussions and empowering them to take ownership of their learning, their contributions to their program, and their application to practice. Her commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is integrated into her courses in a variety of ways, including asking students to consider problems from multiple and competing perspectives and inviting internal and external speakers to share their challenges and opportunities in the DEI field.
The Graduate Academic Affairs committee comprised of Rawn Boulden, Matt Campbell and Dana Voelker, reviewed the nominations and selected the recipients of the WVU Foundation Awards for Outstanding Teaching.