Faculty honored for achievements in teaching, research, service
A child psychologist crusading for public health. An award-winning interdisciplinary scholar keeping Russian studies relevant in the modern world. A widely-published physicist exploring the most mysterious particles in the universe. These are just a few of the 20 talented and trailblazing professors from William & 玛丽 to receive the 2017 Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence. Today, the university is announcing all of this year’s honorees.
The award was established in 2009 thanks to a generous gift from Joseph J. Plumeri II ’66, D.P.S. ’11. Plumeri, who served as the chairman and CEO of Willis Group Holdings before becoming vice chairman of the First Data Board of Directors in 2014, is also a dedicated philanthropist, giving millions to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, among many other organizations. He has also long been a steadfast and generous supporter of William & 玛丽, creating scholarships, building playing and practice facilities for baseball at Plumeri Park and establishing the W&M/Plumeri Pro-Am Golf Tournament. He is also an honorary co-chair for the upcoming William & 玛丽 Weekend in New York City. Plumeri established this eponymous award in 2009 in order to encourage exceptional faculty members to pursue their research interests and further challenge their students.
“As a student at William & 玛丽, so many extraordinary professors encouraged me to think creatively, to innovate and to persist, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles,” said Plumeri. “I am thrilled to honor those professors whose passion for pursuing their life’s work has inspired the entire William & 玛丽 community.”
Each year, the awards recognize 20 faculty members for outstanding achievements in teaching, research and service. All recipients receive $10,000, which can be used during the course of two years to fund summer salaries, research or other stipends associated with scholarly endeavors.
"The ultimate goal of the Plumeri Awards is to promote and reward the innovation and creativity of our faculty, who serve as the foundation for the university's excellence,” said Provost Michael Halleran. “Invariably, recipients of Plumeri Awards express what a significant difference their awards make in their teaching and research. That difference can be felt across campus and beyond."
For one past recipient, the impact of the award has been extraordinary. Adam Gershowitz, a law professor and 2015 Plumeri Award recipient, used his funding to examine the emerging doctrine on the Fourth Amendment and technology. He was particularly interested in researching and analyzing cell phone search warrant cases. His subsequent findings were published by the Vanderbilt Law Review and he also incorporated the research into his criminal procedure course at the law school.
According to Gershowitz, "The Plumeri award enabled me to study the most current cases — even those that weren’t yet reported widely — to see what courts are doing and to identify best practices for what courts should do moving forward."
“Courts and legislatures are struggling to find the right balance between the need for surveillance and personal privacy. This is particularly significant with respect to cell phones because they now hold sensitive personal information that used to be locked away in people’s homes,” Gershowitz elaborated. “So, when law enforcement has a legitimate reason to search for incriminating text messages or emails, courts have to decide how much of a person’s digital life law enforcement can be allowed to search through. Should we let them look at everything, or should search warrants be drafted narrowly to ensure that the invasion of privacy is as limited as possible?”
Gershowitz isn’t alone in seeing the broader implications of the Plumeri Awards.
“Joe has done so many remarkable things for William & 玛丽 over the years,” said Vice President for University Advancement Matthew T. Lambert ’99, “and one of his biggest contributions is ensuring that our university remains at the forefront of scholarly pursuit. We are all very grateful.”
This year’s Plumeri Award recipients are:
Christopher J. Abelt
Chancellor Professor and Department Chair of Chemistry
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Aaron-Andrew P. Bruhl
Professor of Law
Bruhl is highly regarded as a top instructor and scholar at William & 玛丽 Law School. He joined the faculty in 2015, and he has already made a tremendous impact. His students value the way he simplifies complex issues, cares deeply about student learning, and ensures that student questions get answered, whether in or out of class. Since joining William & 玛丽, he has taught Civil Procedure, Federal Courts, Administrative Law and Legislation. Bruhl also excels in his scholarly endeavors. He has produced nearly 20 full-length articles in his career and a number of shorter pieces as well, on topics ranging from statutory interpretation to Supreme Court practice to judicial confirmation proceedings.
His work has been featured in respected law journals, including the University of Chicago Law Review, Duke Law Journal, Notre Dame Law Review, NYU Law Review and Michigan Law Review. His dedication to academic pursuits, the success of his students and service to the institution have earned him recognition as one of the most promising and valued professors at William & 玛丽 Law School. He holds a doctorate in law from the Yale Law School, a master’s in philosophy from the University of Cambridge, and is a member of the American Law Institute.
Danielle H. Dallaire
Director of Graduate Studies and Associate Professor of Psychology
Dallaire is a valuable member of the Department of Psychology at William & 玛丽. Since her arrival in 2006, she has researched the effects of parental incarceration on young children’s social and emotional development and published 34 articles, six book chapters, and four book reviews and encyclopedia entries. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Anthem Foundation and the March of Dimes. Integrating both undergraduates and graduate students in her research, she provides them with opportunities to contribute to publications. She teaches a variety of developmental psychology classes, from an introductory freshman seminar to a graduate seminar called Lifespan Development. Her enthusiasm for teaching inspires many to pursue further degrees in psychology.
Dallaire has supported local and regional health organizations, including Child Development Resources and the Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency. She is also principal investigator for William & 玛丽’s Healthy Beginnings Project and oversees a local diaper bank, which provides diapers for families in need. Her dedication to departmental and college-level service and student mentoring resulted in Dallaire being named director of graduate studies for the Department of Psychology in fall 2016. She holds a doctorate in developmental psychology from Temple University.
Neal E. Devins
Sandra Day O’Connor Professor of Law, Robert E. and Elizabeth S. Scott Research Professor of Law, Professor of Government; Director, Institute of Bill of Rights Law
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玛丽 C. Fabrizio
Professor of Marine Science
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Tara Leigh Grove
Cabell Research Professor of Law
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Georgia L. Irby
Associate Professor of Classical Studies
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Lee A. Kirkpatrick
Professor of Psychology
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Michael A. Kordosky
Associate Professor of Physics
Kordosky is widely considered an expert on experimental particle physics. His knowledge and research on neutrino interactions has consistently advanced the field of study on one of the smallest and most mysterious particles in the universe. Since his arrival at the university in 2008, he has diligently continued his work on the understanding of neutrinos, publishing 44 articles in scholarly journals, including the Physical Review Letters.
His classroom teaching is equally impressive with courses ranging from Physics 101 to Graduate Particle Physics. As a research collaborator, he guided MINERvA (an experiment that measures neutrino interactions) from the start of data collection and was given the honor of presenting the first MINERvA results to the physics community at Fermilab. He has been principal investigator or co-principle investigator on a total of $3.9 million in grants at the university. Kordosky’s dedication to the field of physics in every respect is indicative of the level of excellence that William & 玛丽 strives to achieve and has earned him respect among his colleagues and the university as a whole. He holds a doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin.
Graham C. Ousey M.A. ’93
Professor and Department Chair of Sociology
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Pieter Peers
Associate Professor of Computer Science
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Susan M. Peterson
Wendy & Emery Reves Professor of Government; Director, International Relations Program
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Elena V. Prokhorova
Associate Professor of Russian Studies
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Jennifer L. Putzi
Associate Professor of English and Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies
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Elizabeth S. Radcliffe
Department Chair of Philosophy
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Enrico Rossi
Associate Professor of Physics
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Sibel Zandi-Sayek
Associate Professor of Art & Art History
A prominent and energetic historian of modern architecture and urbanism, Professor Zandi-Sayek is also an extraordinarily versatile and inspiring educator and mentor. Her scholarship, published in English, French and Turkish, is highly regarded, nationally and internationally. She has received research awards from several prestigious organizations including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the MIT-Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture.
Her book, Ottoman Izmir: The Rise of a Cosmopolitan Port, 1840-1880, praised as theoretically sophisticated and nuanced yet eminently accessible, won the 2013 M. Fuat Köprülü Prize in Ottoman and Turkish Studies. Her current research on architecture and the networks of mobility and exchange has led to numerous speaking invitations from academic venues in the U.S., Canada and Europe, including conference keynote addresses in Palermo and London. Since joining the William & 玛丽 faculty in 2002, Zandi- Sayek has never shied away from a challenge. She received the 2014 Faculty Governance Award in recognition of her extensive departmental and university-wide service, especially her efforts as founding co-director of the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies program at William & 玛丽. She holds a doctorate in architectural history from the University of California,Berkeley.
Bongkeun Song
Associate Professor of Marine Science
Song displays both the scholarly expertise and the superb teaching ability that separates the William & 玛丽 faculty from its peers. Since arriving at William & 玛丽’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in 2013, he has taken particular pride in serving as more than just a professor to his students. He has served several advisory roles for students obtaining both masters and doctorates in marine science and advised undergraduates interested in marine science outside of the graduate-level coursework that he teaches. Song has received 30 grants for research and written 58 scholarly publications over the course of his career. Since his arrival at VIMS, he has published 17 peer-reviewed papers.
His papers and research topics include the biogeochemical nitrogen cycle and microbial community responses to climate change and anthropogenic disturbances, microbial mitigation of groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas emission, microbial interaction in harmful algal bloom and eutrophication, and microplastics in marine environments. He has served on several national and international journal review boards and committee panels, including roles assisting the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His teaching, service and scholarly work has earned Song awards from organizations across the world. He holds a doctorate in environmental science from Rutgers University.
Jeremy D. Stoddard
Associate Professor of Education and Department Chair of Curriculum and Instruction
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Timothy Zick
Mills E. Godwin Jr. Professor of Law
Zick, who joined the law faculty in 2008, is a leading expert on the First Amendment. His books Speech Out of Doors: Preserving First Amendment Liberties in Public Places and The Cosmopolitan First Amendment: Protecting Transborder Expressive and Religious Liberties, have made important contributions to our understanding of freedom of speech and religious freedom. Zick’s intense and deeply thoughtful approach to teaching constitutional law and the First Amendment provides students with an environment where real-world issues are the focus. Students emerge from his classroom with a better understanding of and appreciation for the Constitution and First Amendment freedoms.
Zick consistently receives high marks from students, who praise his balanced presentation of constitutional issues. A prolific author, Zick has published dozens of law review articles. He is working on a third book, The Dynamic Free Speech Clause, which is under contract with Oxford University Press. Zick also serves the William & 玛丽 Law School community tirelessly, having participated on seven different committees and as a faculty advisor since arriving on campus. The value of his scholarly work to William & 玛丽 and beyond is evident; this is his third Plumeri Award in total. He holds a doctorate in law from Georgetown University Law Center.
