Department of Public Administration Faculty and Staff Receive Awards

Jason Coupet, University Faculty Scholars

NC State’s faculty engage in the highest level of educational excellence that makes the university stand out amongst its peers. To recognize some of those faculty, Chancellor Randy Woodson established the University Faculty Scholars program in 2012.

The program, overseen by the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, recognizes and rewards emerging academic leaders who demonstrate significant achievement. “The faculty of NC State are among the university’s greatest strengths — the faculty bring their many talents to the teaching, scholarship, creative, extension, and service missions of the university every day,” said Katharine Stewart, senior vice provost for faculty and academic affairs. “The University Faculty Scholars program is designed to recognize and reward emerging faculty leaders in all of these domains at mid-career, a time when many faculty are taking on new responsibilities and challenges. I’m constantly inspired by the great work our University Faculty Scholars are doing.”

Each year, approximately twenty tenured or tenure-track faculty scholars are identified to receive this honor.  Faculty members selected as University Faculty Scholars carry the title for the duration of their faculty appointment at NC State. 

Christopher Galik, Outstanding Teaching Award

NC State honored winners of the 2020-21 University Teaching Awards in a virtual ceremony on April 21, 2021. “Throughout all of the challenges presented by the past year, our faculty have remained firm in their commitment to educational excellence,” said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Warwick Arden. “We owe a debt of gratitude to each of them, as they are what makes NC State a shining example for our peers in higher education.” Faculty were recognized for their commitment to educational excellence. Recipients of the Outstanding Teacher Award become members of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers for as long as they remain NC State faculty.

Bruce McDonald, Outstanding Engagement Award

The Outstanding Extension Awards and Outstanding Engagement Awards were established to encourage and recognize members of the faculty who are nominated and selected by their respective colleagues, schools or units on campus for their outstanding contributions to extension or engagement. “We are extremely proud of the extension and engagement work Bruce has done,” said Irwin Morris, executive director of the School of Public and International Affairs, “particularly in the area of workforce development. It’s great to see that the campus community has also taken notice of his work.”

The award recipients will become nominees for induction into the Academy of Outstanding Faculty in Extension and Engagement and also be considered to receive an Alumni Award. Awardees were recognized at the University Outreach and Engagement Awards Ceremony on April 16, 2021.

Meggie Romick, CHASS Award for Excellence

The Awards for Excellence is the most prestigious honor bestowed upon non-faculty employees. This award recognizes the outstanding accomplishments and contributions of individual employees, above and beyond an employee’s normal job responsibilities.

Over the last several years, Meggie has created a new office environment that promotes a sense of community for faculty and students. She did this in a number of ways. She created new promotional materials to improve the image of the programs, joined the students when they participated in community service activities, and, of her own volition, helped organized faculty participation in the annual Krispy Kreme run, one of the few events that brings all the SPIA faculty together socially each year. Meggie is someone who has true zeal for serving graduate students and enriching their experience at NC State. From their initial program inquiry to their final commencement photo, our students know they can count on Meggie to be not just responsive to their immediate needs, but also proactive in anticipating and addressing emergent ones. Her personal touches — such as creating a commencement photo booth for graduates and their guests to create special memories, or, in the COVID-era, displaying celebratory virtual backgrounds at the conclusion of Zoom-based dissertation defenses — have breathed life and fun into our departmental activities.