Xenia Daily Gazette

WILBERFORCE — Two Central State University faculty members were honored for faculty excellence for teaching, service and scholarship efforts.

Dr. Fred Aikens, associate professor and chairperson for the Central State Business Administration Department, and Dr. Anne-Marie E. Walkowicz, assistant professor and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, both received the Southwestern Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE) Faculty Excellence Award.

Dr. Aikens currently serves on the Institutional Review Board, Academic Standards Committee, and he is the 2016-17 vice-chair of the University’s Faculty Senate. In addition, he serves on the University Program Review Committee and on the Committee on the HLC Assurance Argument.

“I am elated that my peers nominated me for this distinguished honor,” he said. “Being recognized by SOCHE tells me that I am doing something right. When I read through my student evaluations, I am humbled by the sentiment that my students share about me and the appreciation that they have for the effort placed into delivering the material and bringing the content to life.”

Dr. Walkowicz was honored because of her work with curriculum design and assessment. According to her nomination, she understands the relationship between good teaching and curriculum, and exhibits a delicate work balance between faculty leadership and student-centered learning.

“It’s humbling,” she said. “This is an award given to the entire southwest region of the state of Ohio as recognition of the work that I have been doing.’’

This year’s SOCHE awards honored nearly 60 educators from more than 10 area colleges and universities. Chief academic officers at each college nominated the recipients.