In front of a lively audience packing the SERC 116 lecture hall, the College of Science and Technology held its 2024 Faculty and Staff Awards ceremony.

In addition to faculty awards for teaching, mentoring and research, the event highlighted those CST staff and faculty earning other accolades and distinctions. These include the Ralph Jenkins Award for Exemplary Service, participants in Temple’s management and leadership academies, named professorships and the university’s service awards.

“The individuals we honor today have demonstrated tremendous dedication to their work,” said Miguel Mostafá, dean of the college. “They exemplify a deep commitment to our students, to the college and to Temple’s mission. Thank you all for your remarkable achievements to further the mission and enhance the reputation of the College of Science and Technology.”

Distinguished Faculty Awards

Instituted in 2007, the college’s Distinguished Faculty Awards recognize outstanding tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty. Nominated by their peers and students, awardees exemplify a deep commitment to teaching, student mentoring or research of the highest caliber.

Several of CST’s Distinguished Faculty Awards are made possible through the generous contributions of alumni donors. The Italia-Eire Foundation Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award is funded by Joseph Allegra, past chair and current member of CST’s Board of Visitors. The Dean's Distinguished Teaching Awards are funded by Barry Arkles, a member of the CST Board of Visitors and the Temple University Board of Trustees.

The 2024 Italia-Eire Foundation Distinguished Teacher of the Year
Jay Lunden, assistant professor, biology
Dr. Lunden believed in my potential even when I didn't believe in it. He has been a pivotal part of my academic journey by providing support, advice and encouragement in every endeavor I’ve pursued.

Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award Tenure Track
Graham Dobereiner, associate professor, chemistry
Professor Dobereiner embodies the ideal qualities of a STEM professor. His wit and humor create a warm atmosphere that will have everyone laughing within moments. He ignited a newfound passion for chemistry within me.

Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award Non-Tenure Track
Jonathan Smith, professor of instruction, chemistry
Dr. Smith's dedication to his students and his passion for teaching have inspired me to pursue a similar path in education. He is a truly outstanding teacher, one who has not only made my academic journey smoother but also sparked a genuine enthusiasm for learning and problem-solving in STEM.

The Dean’s Distinguished Excellence in Mentoring Award
Andreas Metz, professor, physics
Dr. Andreas strikes the perfect balance between offering guidance and fostering independent thought. He encouraged me to explore new ideas and perspectives through thought-provoking questions, cultivating a deeper intellectual curiosity within me and preparing me to tackle complex problems on my own.

The Dean’s Distinguished Award for Excellence in Research
Weidong Yang, professor, biology 
Since arriving at Temple in 2012, Weidong has had a very active, continuously funded research program using super-resolution microscopy to track molecules in living cells in real time. He continues with the development of new techniques, but importantly, the methods led to important basic research breakthroughs from his laboratory in understanding of biophysical components of nuclear transport mechanisms for mRNAs, virial particles, cytosol, membranes and proteins.    

CST Named Professorships

Named professorships honor faculty members for their outstanding contributions to the college and to their fields through teaching, research and service. CST has three named professorships.

The Selma Lee Bloch Brown Professorship recognizes promising new female faculty members in the field of Mathematics or Physics, by providing financial support for their career development.

Selma Lee Bloch Brown Professor
Jacklyn Lang, assistant professor, mathematics

The Robert Smith Early Career Professorship recognizes promising new faculty members in the Department of Chemistry, by providing financial support for their career development.

Robert Smith Early Career Professor
Carol Manhart, assistant professor, chemistry

The Hazel Tomlinson Professorship recognizes faculty members who embody the longstanding Temple tradition of excellence in teaching, research, knowledge, and discovery. This professorship honors the legacy of Hazel Tomlinson, who taught in the chemistry department for more than 40 years.

Hazel Tomlinson Professors
Alix Davatzes, associate professor, earth and environmental science
Rachel Spigler, associate professor, department of biology

Ralph Jenkins Award

The Ralph Jenkins Award recognizes exemplary service by a CST staff member to the college and to the university. The award honors Dr. Jenkins, a long-time CST administrator and professor at Temple.

Ralph Jenkins Award
Ventsi Ivanoff, data analyst
Tanya Santiago, senior administrative specialist

Carnell Professorship

Established in 1985 by Temple’s Board of Trustees, Laura Carnell professorships recognize faculty who have distinguished themselves in research, scholarship, the creative arts and teaching. They honor Temple's first dean, Laura H. Carnell, who worked alongside founder Russell Conwell from 1893 to 1925. CST is home to nine Carnell Professors, more than any other school or college at the university.

Laura H. Carnell Professor
Bernd Surrow, physics

Temple Leadership and Management Academies

The Management Academy is a certificate program designed for high-potential mid-level employees at the university. With a focus on financial management and fostering collaboration, participants learn how to lead and influence their peers to achieve better performance and accountability. Leadership Academy is a premier professional development program offered exclusively to eligible full-time faculty and senior-level administrators recognized as rising leaders.

Management Academy
Lawrence Mahoney-Jones
Diana McFadden
Mary Volk

Leadership Academy                          
Martha Constantinou
Graham Dobereiner
Dominic Letarte

Temple University Service Awards

The Temple Employee Service Awards honor hard work and dedication to the university and its goals. CST honors those employees who have reached these milestones from October 2023 through September 2024.

Five years of service
Tamer Aldair
Abha Belorkar
Andrew Eisenberg
Jean-David Grattepanche
Olena Mishchuk
Derrick T. Myers
Uloma Opara-Osuoha
Mindy Shi
Demetria S. Wade
Yan Wang
Yu Wang

Ten years of service
Abby Cohen
Graham Dobereiner
Alexander Gray
Stephen B. Hedges
Krishna Kant
Axel Kohlmeyer
Sudhir Kumar
Ronald M. Levy
Diana K. McFadden
James S. Meenan
George Mehler
Karl Morris
James Napolitano
Matthew Posik
Robert Rarig
Sujith Ravi
Maxwell D. Sanderford   
Keith D. Schweiger
Jeromy Sivek
Maryam Taheri
Jesse Thornburg
Jeffery Tolliver
David Walton
Wei Wu

Fifteen years of service
Ergin H. Ahmed
Stephanie K. Ballard
Ilya V. Buynevich
Vincenzo Carnevale
Ke Chen
Michael L. Klein
Kenneth Ruff
Benjamin Seibold
Cinzia Sevignani
Brent Sewall
Jie Wu
Xiaoxing Xi
Xiaojun Xu
Michael Zdilla

Twenty years of service
Eric U. Borguet
Farzana Chaudhry
Matthew J. Dampf
James J. Lunden
Gregory S. Smutzer

Twenty-five years of service
Shohreh Amini
Yury Grabovsky
Igor Rivin
Dennis Terry

Thirty-years of service
Anthony Hughes

Thirty-five-years of service
Martin Lorenz

Forty years of service
Mikhail Guevara