The University Record, April 9, 1996
MAGB convocation honors two faculty, two undergrads
The Michigan Association of Governing Boards of State Universities (MAGB) honored two faculty members and two undergraduates at the Outstanding Students and Distinguished Faculty Awards Convocation today (April 9) in East Lansing.
Susan Alcock, assistant professor of classical archaeology and classics, has been instrumental in revising the under graduate offering in classical civilization and archaeology and the graduate program in classical art and archaeology. In her four years at the University, she has developed three courses for undergraduates and two for graduate students. Teaching evaluations indicate that she is one of the most exciting teachers of undergraduates in LS&A.
Alcock’s first book, Graecia Cepta, has received positive reviews, as has a collection of essays she co-edited, Placing the Gods: Sanctuaries and Sacred Space in Ancient Greece . In the past two years she has published or had accept ed for publication 11 major articles.
James K. Wight, professor of civil engineering, is known for his expertise in the earthquake-resistant design of concrete structures. The government of Egypt invited him to evaluate the damage to monuments and mosques after the Cairo earthquake in 1992. Last year he served as an expert on the team sent to evaluate the damage after the earth quake in Kobe, Japan.
Wight’s success in the classroom is largely due to his open door policy which allows for significant out-of-class con tact with students. He consistently receives high performance evaluations for his teaching accomplishments and has been selected professor of the year six times by civil engineering students.
Richard Bernstein, an LS&A senior, stands out for his work in and out of the classroom. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and has been an Angell Scholar. He also was awarded the William J. Branstrom Freshman Prize for placing in the top 5 percent of his freshman class.
Bernstein’s service on the education task force of the Council on Disability Concerns and on the multicultural council has enhanced the University’s ability to serve nontraditional students. As student body president in LS&A and a participant in the Leadership 2017 program, he has sponsored initiatives to improve instruction for undergraduate students. Bernstein, who is legally blind, used his entire salary from Leadership 2017 to establish a scholarship for students with disabilities.
LS&A senior Rachel J. Lawson was honored for her work experience, University activities and academic success. Her volunteer experiences included leading students and administrators in a Martin Luther King Day service project, being a co-leader of Hillel’s volunteers in action and facilitating the drama club at the Western Wayne Correctional Facility. She also represented Hillel in Leadership 2017.
Lawson was awarded class honors, the Angell Scholar, the William J. Branstrom Freshman Prize, the B’nai B’rith Century Lodge Scholarship and Phi Beta Kappa.
