Several Albright College faculty members earned 2022 awards for excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative work, and commitment to students. This year’s awardees are:
Arcana Albright, Ph.D., Professor of French
United Methodist Exemplary Teaching Award
Recognized for demonstrating remarkable teaching, leadership, and commitment to value-centered education, Albright is passionate about teaching communication skills and increasing cultural awareness. Her language classes help students to understand cultural difference and confront their own biases. Students describe her as a supportive and creative teacher, commenting that they feel empowered to practice a new language without worrying about making mistakes.
Michael D’Errico, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Music
Class of ’49 Annadora Vesper Shirk Award for Faculty Scholarship
Since January of 2021, D’Errico has published two book chapters, a peer-reviewed journal article, presented at two academic conferences, collaborated on an ACRE project, composed, and performed for live performances, and released a book. His book “Push: Software Design and the Cultural Politics of Music Production” represents years of ethnographic research within the music industry and was also influenced by his teaching and working with students in music production at Albright College. The book examines how the interface design of music production software influences the music that is created through these applications, and how these technologies can further shape social and cultural identities. A companion for the book website hosts over 30 videos created by D’Errico.
Lisa A. Hain, Psy.D., Assistant Professor and Chair of Applied Psychology
Melinda Riccio ’94 Memorial Excellence in Teaching Award
Nominated by Albright School of Professional Studies students, Hain is recognized for teaching excellence, enthusiasm and contribution toward student success. One nomination reads, “Every week, after completing my assignments for the previous week, I sit in eager expectation to read the warm, supportive comments, some of which can also be humorous, waiting for me on Canvas. Usually, reading these comments results in either big smiles, or warm feelings inside. Not only does [Hain] go above and beyond to make online learning a valuable experience, but she puts her heart into developing and increasing the good vibes felt when taking her courses … everything a student could ask for while enduring the challenges presented by this pandemic.”
Jeffrey Lentz, M.M., Senior Artist in Residence of Theatre and Music
Dr. Henry P. and M. Paige Laughlin Distinguished Faculty Award
Holding appointments in the departments of both Theatre and Music, Lentz teaches, directs, conducts and guides students to create magical theatre productions. Offering directing, acting and choral music classes, Lentz’s final exams are held on stage, under the white-hot spotlight, in front of a live audience. His syllabi interweave coursework and expectations with photographic and written exposés of professional artists and alumni. Known nationally through his work to showcase Albright students in Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival productions, he has garnered awards for excellence in production, distinguished production of a devised work, outstanding director of a play, and outstanding play. When he is not directing students on stage, he is instructing the choir from the piano bench. An accomplished pianist, He demonstrates for our students how to lead and how to accompany, and always, how to work and develop and create collaboratively. Unfazed by the global pandemic (that he affectionately refers to as a “personal marathon of adaptation”), he quickly adapted to teaching on Zoom, while encouraging students to act expressively and sing robustly through their face masks. Put simply, Lentz creates the conditions in which Albright College students make creative things happen.
Ian J. Rhile, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award
The Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award honors outstanding teachers. While serving on a number of committees over the past year, Rhile has utilized Title III grant resources to adapt his teaching methods and support student learning in response to the pandemic. What’s more – he has helped other members of the teaching community to do the same. Rhile’s important work has led to an increase in student success.
Gwendolyn Seidman, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
Laughlin Research Award for Faculty Scholarship
Honored for demonstrating exemplary scholarship, Seidman boasts an impressive body of work examining intimate relationships with respect to Internet use and personality traits such as narcissism. Within the past year, Seidman has produced two publications co-authored with undergraduate students, offered three conference presentations, and served as thesis advisor and reader for several students while maintaining a Psychology Today Magazine blog. Despite the continued challenges of the pandemic, she has been able to involve students at all levels of the research process and is an invaluable mentor.
