Allison Harris, Paul Ugor, Geoffrey Duce, Tina Thompson, Liangcheng Yang, and Carla Pohl will be honored with Research Initiative Awards at the Founders Day celebration on February 16.
Geoffrey Duce, School of Music
Duce joined the School of Music from Indiana University (South Bend). Prior to that time, Duce was teaching as an adjunct instructor in New York City after earning his doctorate at the Manhattan School of Music from 2007-2012, while performing as a freelance professional pianist. Duce is an internationally recognized professional pianist and scholar. He has been an invited soloist with the highly respected Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and the Scottish Sinfonia and Dundee Symphony Orchestra in the U.K., among others.
Allison Harris, Department of Physics
Since joining Illinois State in 2013, Harris has published 11 articles and 21 conference presentations. In addition, she is the recipient of a large National Science Foundation grant along with several smaller external and internal grants that have added substantially to her research efforts. Department of Physics Chair Dan Holland underscores her prodigious record by saying, “Dr. Harris exemplifies the best attributes of a dedicated teacher/scholar. She is an exceptionally productive scientist who actively involves undergraduate students in her research agenda.”
Carla Pohl, Mennonite College of Nursing
Pohl joined Illinois State University’s Mennonite College of Nursing faculty in 2012 as assistant professor. She teaches across the undergraduate and Doctorate of Nursing Practice programs, is a certified nurse midwife, and an expert in public health. Pohl’s work with the American’s Promise Schools Project, funded by State Farm Insurance Companies, in partnership with school districts in Central Illinois is making a substantial difference in children’s health. Since her appointment in 2012, Pohl has published or presented 12 peer-reviewed papers in journals and international/national conferences.
Tina Thompson, Department of Management & Quantitative Methods
Thompson joined the faculty in the Department of Management and Quantitative Methods in 2013. Thompson has been highly prolific in her time here at Illinois State, publishing several journal articles in Organizational Behavior/Human Resources (OB/HR). She has also had several proceedings or presentations over the same time period including the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and the Academy of Management. Thompson was nominated for the best dissertation award at the annual Academy of Management Meetings, which is considered to be the premier conference for all areas of management.
Paul Ugor, Department of English
Ugor joined Illinois State after completing his doctorate at the University of Alberta and a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Birmingham (U.K.). In the first two years of his career, he has published two notable volumes, one from Carolina Academic Press and one from Ashgate. He has also presented conference papers, published two book reviews, and obtained external funding including a visiting professorship with CODESRIA.
Liangcheng Yang, Department of Health Sciences
Yang has a strong record of scholarship in the field of environmental health. Since his arrival at Illinois State in 2014, he has published six papers on anaerobic digestion in major journals in the discipline.
