Above, Carpenter (second from left) is joined by (left to right) SCHEV Director Peter Blake; SCHEV Council member and managing director of public policy at Dominion Energy, William "Bill" Murray; and SCHEV Council Chairman Heywood Fralin. Below, Gov. Ralph Northam poses with award recipients.
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Old Dominion biologist Kent Carpenter is the University's latest winner of the prestigious Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV).
Carpenter, professor and Eminent Scholar in the Department of Biological Sciences, was recognized along with 11 other Virginia University faculty members at a luncheon on March 9 in Richmond.
The recognition includes a $7,500 gift from Dominion Energy, which sponsors SCHEV's Outstanding Faculty Awards. Carpenter is the 33rd Old Dominion faculty member to receive SCHEV's highest academic honor.
Carpenter, who has taught at Old Dominion University since 1996, is an internationally recognized conservation biologist, studying the evolution of marine fish and biogeography. His research centers on population genetics of marine fishes in the Philippines and the assessment of extinction risk using the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) "red list" criteria. Carpenter is the worldwide manager of the IUCN's Global Marine Species Assessment.
"Inspiration for my work at ODU comes largely from my students because we share the same passion for learning about the marine environment," Carpenter said.
Gail Dodge, dean of the College of Sciences, expressed pride in Carpenter's recognition, something she herself received in 2015. "He is an excellent researcher, mentor and teacher. On top of that, he is an outstanding colleague. I am thrilled to see his accomplishments recognized by SCHEV," she said.
SCHEV Outstanding Faculty Award recipients come from large and small institutions throughout Virginia, both two- and four-year institutions, private and public. Their fields of expertise range from physics to communications. All exemplify the highest level of scholarship, teaching, mentoring, public service and research.
"Virginia's system of higher education is among the best in the country. This is due in large part to our outstanding faculty members who continually give their time, talent, and expertise to help their students learn and grow," said Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni.
Nominees were selected by the institutions, reviewed by a panel of peers and chosen by a committee of leaders from the public and private sectors. In all, 85 nominations were submitted this year. This group was narrowed to a field of 27 finalists and then to the 12 recipients.
The Outstanding Faculty Awards are overseen by SCHEV and presented in partnership with the Dominion Foundation, which has fully funded the program since 2005.
Below is a list of Old Dominion University's past SCHEV award winners:
2018: Helen Crompton, Teaching and Learning
2017: Jennifer Michaeli, Engineering Technology; Anatoly Radyushkin, Physics
2016: Charles Hyde, Physics
2015: Gail Dodge, Physics
2014: Carolyn Rutledge, Nursing
2012: Steve Yetiv, Political Science
2011: Mark Butler, Biological Sciences
2009: Lawrence Hatab, Philosophy; Lawrence Weinstein, Physics
2008: Bridget Anderson, English; Shaomin Li, Business Management
2007: John Adam, Mathematics and Statistics
2006: Donald Zeigler, Political Science and Geography; Sharon Raver-Lampman, Early Childhood, Speech Language Pathology and Special Education
2005: Katharine Kersey, Early Childhood, Speech Language Pathology and Special Education; Cynthia Jones, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
2004: Charles Wilson, English
2003: Sheri Reynolds, English
2002: Janet Peery, English
2001: Sushil Chaturvedi, Mechanical Engineering; Dwight Allen, Educational Curriculum and Instruction
2000: John Toomey, Music
1999: Daniel Dauer, Biological Sciences; Chris Drake, Political Science and Geography
1997: Dana Heller, English
1996: William Stanley, Engineering Technology
1995: Helen Rountree, Sociology and Criminal Justice
1994: Nancy Bazin, English
1993: Michele Darby, Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting
1992: Gregory Selby, Mechanical Engineering
1991: Karen Polonko, Sociology and Criminal Justice
