Meet Some Of Our Eminent Scholars!
The Eminent Scholar designation has been established to recognize faculty members of unusual merit and service to the University. Only faculty members holding the rank of full professor at Old Dominion University for a minimum of three years may be considered for this honor. Only when Eminent Scholar status is considered as a part of the initial appointment process may this requirement be waived. A select number of full professors may be designated as Eminent Scholars.
Designated faculty members will hold the title permanently and will receive an annual salary supplement for as long as they remain at the University. The names of all Eminent Scholars will appear on a plaque prominently displayed at the University.
Eligibility
Nominees shall have met the following criteria:
- Service in the rank of full professor at Old Dominion University for a minimum of three academic years.
-
A scholarly publication record or stature in the creative arts which will have clearly established a national reputation as a scholar in the nominee's discipline.
-
Substantial success in obtaining external funding for research, if applicable.
Nomination Process & Schedule
ONLY ELECTRONIC SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
All required to nominate a faculty member for the Eminent Scholar designation is a letter from any tenured faculty member in the nominee's discipline submitted to the nominee's department/school chair and dean. The nomination must be a written letter highlighting the applicant's qualification for the designation and submitted to the department/school chair and dean no later than September 15.
Candidates are responsible for providing sufficient materials to enable the department/school colleagues and chair, the dean, and the University Eminent Scholars Committee to decide whether they meet the criteria. In addition to an up-to-date curriculum vitae, a letter from the candidate should explain why he or she merits this honor and what is being provided to document the request for designation as an Eminent Scholar. Five external reviews by nationally recognized experts testifying to the national and international reputation of the body of the candidate's work should be solicited independently by the department/school chair.
For additional details on the application process, please see the updated ODU Teaching and Research Faculty Handbook.
Schedule of Tenured Faculty For Eminent Scholar Designation
|
DATE |
ACTION |
|
9/15 |
Nomination(s) by any tenured department/school colleague in the nominee's discipline are submitted to the department/school chair. |
|
10/1 |
Department/school chair convenes the department/school Eminent Scholars Committee and ensures that the complete application packets are available for review no later than 11/1. |
|
11/1 |
Formation of University Eminent Scholars Committee. |
|
11/15 |
Chair of the department/school Eminent Scholars Committee conducts a secret ballot of all tenured members in the department/school on the nomination(s). |
|
12/1 |
Department/school chair completes an independent evaluation and submits their letter, the letter and vote from the department/school Eminent Scholar Committee, and the applicant’s credentials to the dean. |
|
1/15 |
Dean evaluates credentials and submits independent evaluations and faculty member’s credentials, the vote and review letters from the department/school Eminent Scholar Committee, and the letter from the department/school chair to the University Eminent Scholars Committee via the Provost’s Office. The materials must be submitted to the Provost’s Office Electronically. |
|
2/1 |
Provost and vice president for academic affairs makes application packets available electronically to the University Eminent Scholars Committee. |
|
3/1 |
University Eminent Scholars Committee, by affirmative vote of at least five members, submits recommendations to the provost and vice president for academic affairs, who will make final designation. |
|
4/15 |
Provost and vice president for academic affairs notifies the faculty member of the decision concerning designation as an Eminent Scholar. |
Award & Presentation
The recipients are recognized at the annual Faculty and Administration Awards Dinner with a certificate. Also, their names will be added to a large plaque prominently displayed at the University. In addition, recipients will receive an annual salary supplement for as long as they remain faculty members at ODU. The recipient is not required (or invited) to make a presentation.
2024 Eminent Scholars
Dr. Jennifer N. Fish is a sociologist who focuses on women’s labor and migration in the informal economy, with an emphasis on transnational activism and development. As a public sociologist, Dr. Fish has conducted community-based research with students and partner organizations in Nepal, South Africa, Rwanda, Haiti, and Senegal. Her research informs four books, numerous chapters and journal articles, and organizational reports for policy and research organizations worldwide, including the International Labour Organization of the United Nations. Dr. Fish is a member of the Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) policy-research network at Harvard University, and a Research Associate at the Social Law Project at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Her work is currently funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and the Centre for Global Social Policy at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Khan Iftekharuddin obtained his B.Sc. degree from Bangladesh Institute of Technology in 1989. He received an M.S. and a Ph.D. both in Electrical Engineering from the University of Dayton in 1991 and 1995 respectively. Dr. Iftekharuddin was a Principal Research Engineer at Timken Research, Canton, OH before joining North Dakota State University Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. There he was involved in research in signal and image processing, neural networks applications, time-frequency analysis, sensors, and embedded system design. Prior to Timken, Dr. Iftekharuddin was a Senior Systems Engineer at BDM Federal in Dayton, OH. There he was involved in software development, software process improvement, and automatic target recognition (ATR) research.
Dr. Michael Nelson joined the Department of Computer Science at Old Dominion University in 2002. He worked at NASA Langley Research Center from 1991-2002. Through a NASA fellowship, he spent the 2000-01 academic year at the School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Nelson is active in the Open Archives community and is an Editor of the OAI-PMH, OAI-ORE, Memento, and ResourceSync specifications. He has developed many digital libraries, including the NASA Technical Report Server. In 2007, he received an NSF CAREER award. Dr. Nelson’s research interests include web science, repository-object interaction, and digital preservation.
Dr. Willy Wriggers earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1998. He held Postdoctoral positions in Electron Microscopy (Scripps Research Institute) as well as Theoretical Chemistry (University of California, San Diego). In 1999, he was appointed Assistant Professor at The Scripps Research Institute. In 2003, he moved to the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, where he earned tenure as Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Molecular Medicine. In 2007, he joined the private D. E. Shaw Research laboratory in New York City, where he participated in the historic millisecond length molecular dynamics simulation on the Anton Special Purpose Supercomputer. In 2014, he returned to an academic position as Frank Batten Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at ODU.
Dr. Jennifer N. Fish is a sociologist who focuses on women’s labor and migration in the informal economy, with an emphasis on transnational activism and development. As a public sociologist, Dr. Fish has conducted community-based research with students and partner organizations in Nepal, South Africa, Rwanda, Haiti, and Senegal. Her research informs four books, numerous chapters and journal articles, and organizational reports for policy and research organizations worldwide, including the International Labour Organization of the United Nations. Dr. Fish is a member of the Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) policy-research network at Harvard University, and a Research Associate at the Social Law Project at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. Her work is currently funded by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada and the Centre for Global Social Policy at the University of Toronto.
Dr. Khan Iftekharuddin obtained his B.Sc. degree from Bangladesh Institute of Technology in 1989. He received an M.S. and a Ph.D. both in Electrical Engineering from the University of Dayton in 1991 and 1995 respectively. Dr. Iftekharuddin was a Principal Research Engineer at Timken Research, Canton, OH before joining North Dakota State University Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering. There he was involved in research in signal and image processing, neural networks applications, time-frequency analysis, sensors, and embedded system design. Prior to Timken, Dr. Iftekharuddin was a Senior Systems Engineer at BDM Federal in Dayton, OH. There he was involved in software development, software process improvement, and automatic target recognition (ATR) research.
Dr. Michael Nelson joined the Department of Computer Science at Old Dominion University in 2002. He worked at NASA Langley Research Center from 1991-2002. Through a NASA fellowship, he spent the 2000-01 academic year at the School of Information and Library Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Nelson is active in the Open Archives community and is an Editor of the OAI-PMH, OAI-ORE, Memento, and ResourceSync specifications. He has developed many digital libraries, including the NASA Technical Report Server. In 2007, he received an NSF CAREER award. Dr. Nelson’s research interests include web science, repository-object interaction, and digital preservation.
Dr. Willy Wriggers earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign in 1998. He held Postdoctoral positions in Electron Microscopy (Scripps Research Institute) as well as Theoretical Chemistry (University of California, San Diego). In 1999, he was appointed Assistant Professor at The Scripps Research Institute. In 2003, he moved to the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, where he earned tenure as Associate Professor of Biomedical Informatics and Molecular Medicine. In 2007, he joined the private D. E. Shaw Research laboratory in New York City, where he participated in the historic millisecond length molecular dynamics simulation on the Anton Special Purpose Supercomputer. In 2014, he returned to an academic position as Frank Batten Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at ODU.
Past Award Winners
2018:
- Kent Carpenter, Biological Sciences
2019:
- Nikos Chrisochoides, Computer Science
- Sylvain Marsillac, Electrical and Computer Engineering
2020:
- Eileen Hofmann, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Kenneth Mopper, Chemistry and Biochemistry
2021:
- Greg Cutter, Ocean and Earth Sciences
- Alex Gurevich, Physics
2022:
- Peter Schulman, World Languages & Cultures
2023:
- Moskov Amaryan, Physics
- Carolyn Rutledge, School of Nursing
2007:
- David Burdige, Ocean Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Sebastian Kuhn, Physics
- Jeffrey Richards, English
2008:
- Leposava Vuskovic, Physics
- Lawrence Hatab, Philosophy and Religious Studies
- Li D. Xu, Information Technology and Decision Sciences
2010:
- Gary Edgerton, Communications and Theatre Arts
- John B. Ford, Marketing
- Mark J. Butler, IV, Biological Sciences
- Ravindra Joshi, Electrical and Computer Engineering
2012:
- Dana Heller, English
- Shaomin Li, Business Management
- Larry Weinstein, Physics
2014:
- Richard Heller, Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences
- Charles E. Hyde, Physics
- Debra A. Major, Psychology
2016:
- Peter Bernath, Chemistry & Biochemistry
- Ling Li, Information Technology & Decision Sciences
- Li-Shi Luo, Mathematics & Statistics
2017:
- Ian Balitsky, Physics
- Michelle Kelley, Psychology
1996:
- Oktay Baysal, Engineering and Technology
- Nancy Topping Bazin, English
1998:
- Daniel Dauer, Biological Sciences
- Mark Havey, Physics
- Anatoly Radyushkin, Physics
2000:
- Susan Kent, Sociology & Criminal Justice
2001:
- Adolphus Hailstork, Music
- Amed Noor, Aerospace Engineering
- Simon Serfaty, Political Science & Geography
2002:
- Dwight Allen, Educational Curriculum & Instruction
- Nina Brown, Educational Leaderships & Counseling
- Frank Day, Biological Sciences
- Lee Manning, Educational Curriculum & Instruction
- John Doukas, Finance
2003:
- Cynthia Jones, Oceanography
- Jay VanOrden, Physics
2004:
- William Cunningham, Educational Leadership & Counseling
- Hani Elsayed-Ali, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Colm Whelan, Physics
2006:
- Rocco Schiavilla, Physics
1989:
- Robert Ash, Aerospace Engineering
- Larry Atkinson, Oceanography
- Michele Darby, Dental Hygiene
- Albert Kirwan, Oceanography
- Kurt Maly, Computer Science
- Leonard Ruchelman, Urban Studies & Public Administration
- Karl Schoenbach, Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Daniel Sonenshine, Biological Sciences
- Wayne Talley, Economics
1990:
- Gabriel Csanady, Oceanography
- William Dunstan, Oceanography
- John Holsinger, Biological Sciences
- Gilbert Hoy, Physics
- Osama Kandil, Aerospace Engineering
- Govind Khandelwal, Physics
- Surendra Tiwari, Mechanical Engineering
- Melvin Williams, Health Physical Education & Recreation
- Ram Dahiya, Mathematics & Statistics
1991:
- Michael Andrews, English
- Stephen Culver, Geological Sciences
- John Echternach, Physical Therapy
- Chuh Mei, Aerospace Engineering
- Donald Swift, Ocean Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
1992:
- Joseph Daniel, Biological Sciences
1993:
- Charathi Rao, Marketing
- Lytton Mussleman, Biological Sciences
1994:
- Carl Boyd, History
- Robert Gable, Special Education
1995:
- Maurice Berube, Educational Leadership & Counseling
1974:
- Harold G. Marshall, Biological Sciences
- Betty Yarborough, Educational Curriculum & Instruction
1981:
- Lewis Ford, Philosophy
- Wynford Harries, Physics
1982:
- Alfred Mapp, English
2018:
- Kent Carpenter, Biological Sciences
2019:
- Nikos Chrisochoides, Computer Science
- Sylvain Marsillac, Electrical and Computer Engineering
2020:
- Eileen Hofmann, Ocean, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Kenneth Mopper, Chemistry and Biochemistry
2021:
- Greg Cutter, Ocean and Earth Sciences
- Alex Gurevich, Physics
2022:
- Peter Schulman, World Languages & Cultures
2023:
- Moskov Amaryan, Physics
- Carolyn Rutledge, School of Nursing
2007:
- David Burdige, Ocean Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
- Sebastian Kuhn, Physics
- Jeffrey Richards, English
2008:
- Leposava Vuskovic, Physics
- Lawrence Hatab, Philosophy and Religious Studies
- Li D. Xu, Information Technology and Decision Sciences
2010:
- Gary Edgerton, Communications and Theatre Arts
- John B. Ford, Marketing
- Mark J. Butler, IV, Biological Sciences
- Ravindra Joshi, Electrical and Computer Engineering
2012:
- Dana Heller, English
- Shaomin Li, Business Management
- Larry Weinstein, Physics
2014:
- Richard Heller, Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences
- Charles E. Hyde, Physics
- Debra A. Major, Psychology
2016:
- Peter Bernath, Chemistry & Biochemistry
- Ling Li, Information Technology & Decision Sciences
- Li-Shi Luo, Mathematics & Statistics
2017:
- Ian Balitsky, Physics
- Michelle Kelley, Psychology
1996:
- Oktay Baysal, Engineering and Technology
- Nancy Topping Bazin, English
1998:
- Daniel Dauer, Biological Sciences
- Mark Havey, Physics
- Anatoly Radyushkin, Physics
2000:
- Susan Kent, Sociology & Criminal Justice
2001:
- Adolphus Hailstork, Music
- Amed Noor, Aerospace Engineering
- Simon Serfaty, Political Science & Geography
2002:
- Dwight Allen, Educational Curriculum & Instruction
- Nina Brown, Educational Leaderships & Counseling
- Frank Day, Biological Sciences
- Lee Manning, Educational Curriculum & Instruction
- John Doukas, Finance
2003:
- Cynthia Jones, Oceanography
- Jay VanOrden, Physics
2004:
- William Cunningham, Educational Leadership & Counseling
- Hani Elsayed-Ali, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Colm Whelan, Physics
2006:
- Rocco Schiavilla, Physics
1989:
- Robert Ash, Aerospace Engineering
- Larry Atkinson, Oceanography
- Michele Darby, Dental Hygiene
- Albert Kirwan, Oceanography
- Kurt Maly, Computer Science
- Leonard Ruchelman, Urban Studies & Public Administration
- Karl Schoenbach, Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Daniel Sonenshine, Biological Sciences
- Wayne Talley, Economics
1990:
- Gabriel Csanady, Oceanography
- William Dunstan, Oceanography
- John Holsinger, Biological Sciences
- Gilbert Hoy, Physics
- Osama Kandil, Aerospace Engineering
- Govind Khandelwal, Physics
- Surendra Tiwari, Mechanical Engineering
- Melvin Williams, Health Physical Education & Recreation
- Ram Dahiya, Mathematics & Statistics
1991:
- Michael Andrews, English
- Stephen Culver, Geological Sciences
- John Echternach, Physical Therapy
- Chuh Mei, Aerospace Engineering
- Donald Swift, Ocean Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
1992:
- Joseph Daniel, Biological Sciences
1993:
- Charathi Rao, Marketing
- Lytton Mussleman, Biological Sciences
1994:
- Carl Boyd, History
- Robert Gable, Special Education
1995:
- Maurice Berube, Educational Leadership & Counseling
1974:
- Harold G. Marshall, Biological Sciences
- Betty Yarborough, Educational Curriculum & Instruction
1981:
- Lewis Ford, Philosophy
- Wynford Harries, Physics
1982:
- Alfred Mapp, English