KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Awards for outstanding advising, teaching, public service, research and creative activity have been presented to nine University of Tennessee-Knoxville professors and staff members.
Dean Larry Ratner presented the honors during the annual College of Arts and Sciences convocation held here Friday at the University Center auditorium.
Dr. John Nolt, associate professor of philosophy, won the Senior Teaching Award and a Public Service Award. Dr. Beauvais Lyons, associate professor of art, won the Junior Teaching Award.
Nolt teaches logic and environmental ethics. The awards acknowledge Nolt’s sustained commitment to public service over the past 12 years. He wrote “Down To Earth,” a book of essays on non-violent, sustainable living. He encourages his students to volunteer at urban community gardens which are funded by a $50,000 grant he solicited. He sits on the boards of many area environmental groups.
Beauvais Lyons teaches art, primarily printmaking. Every year since 1984 his work has been shown in solo exhibitions across the country. He has lectured and presented workshops extensively. In 1988 he won the Southern Art Federation-National Endowment for the Arts Emerging Artist Fellowship.
Dr. Chauncey J. Mellor, associate professor of Germanic and Slavic languages, received the Public Service Award. Mellor each year works with an annual spring festival for high school German students in Tennessee. For 22 years he was co-editor of a state newsletter for German teachers and was a member of the screening committee for the high school U.S.-German student exchange program.
Dr. Andrew Kramer, assistant professor of anthropology, and Jane Wallace Mayo, computer science instructor, won advising awards.
Kramer carries one of the largest groups of major advisees in his department. This reflects his abilities, since students are allowed to select their own advisors. He was a central force in designing and implementing the department’s progression requirements, and he chairs the new undergraduate committee which is developing an anthropology honors program.
Mayo counsels arts and sciences majors. Her clear and direct counseling of pre-computer science majors is evidenced by the high retention rate of majors admitted to the program. Mayo is known among students and faculty for her student counseling skills.
Stuart L. Pimm, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, won the Senior Research-Creative Achievement Award. Claudia I. Mora, associate professor of geological sciences, won the Junior Research-Creative Achievement Award.
Pimm, author of three books and countless other publications, is internationally known for his research on ecology and biological diversity. In 1993, he was awarded the prestigious Pew Scholarship in Conservation and the Environment.
Mora specializes in stable isotope geochemistry. Her research area is isotopic studies of ancient soils, elements and climate.
David Pratt, biology division manager, won the Extraodinary Service Award. For the last two years, Pratt voluntarily identified and organized faculty technical needs in order to relate them to the engineers and contractors of the Science and Engineering Building. Those efforts were over and above his regular responsibilities. Co-workers testify that he spent many evenings laboring over building plans.
Contact: Lynn Champion (423-974-5331)