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Dear University Community:

At Humboldt State University, we take great pride in the accomplishments of our students, staff, and faculty. Today, I’d like to call your attention to this year’s two winners of the Distinguished Faculty awards, as well as the recipients of this year’s McCrone Awards.

Professor Stephen Cunha, Department of Geography, Outstanding Professor Award recipient uses his passion for geography to help students analyze the challenges to sustaining Earth’s diverse natural and human systems. His rousing lectures in demanding introductory and upper-level courses incorporate photographs, blowguns, glacial flour, and myriad other elements from far away lands. His scholarship and creative works empower students at every level. A former student writes, “Your pictures and narrative changed my perception of human beings and turned me into a compassionate person.”  UC Davis Professor Jack Ives states, “I think the most effective way to categorize Stephen‘s remarkable and many-sided career is for me to designate him as the latter day successor to Alexander von Humboldt himself. I know of no single person who can claim so many aspects of teaching, research, advising, contribution to environmental issues, support of minority mountain peoples, and the progress of society at large. The breadth and depth of his contributions is inspiring.”

Melinda Myers, Department of Psychology, Excellence in Teaching Award—Lecturer recipient, is recognized as a leading teacher in the field of psychology by faculty, students, and the broader community. Melinda is known for the rigor and accessibility that she has offered through her courses for more than 20 years. As a third generation HSU graduate, she reaches students in unique ways and is well known for her ability to convey critical thinking skills. Throughout her career, Melinda has consistently received outstanding evaluations from her students and is frequently sought out by new faculty as a mentor. Melinda is eager to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects and was a major collaborator in establishing HSU’s Critical Race, Gender & Sexuality Studies program and the Queer Studies minor. Among Melinda’s many achievements has been reducing the achievement gap for students from traditionally underrepresented groups in Introduction to Psychology, which has an enrollment of up to 200 students at a time.

Distinguished faculty award recipients are nominated by their colleagues or students.  The nominations that meet eligibility criteria specified for the award are then reviewed by a committee of previous award winners. 

Stephen and Melinda—along with this year’s Outstanding Students and the recipients of the Distinguished Alumni and Staff Recognition awards—will be celebrated at the annual Honors Dinner on April 21.

Each of them will also deliver special lectures as part of the Distinguished Faculty Lecture Series during the 2017-18 academic year. Please watch for announcements for those events.

I am also pleased to congratulate the winners of the 2017 McCrone Promising Faculty Scholars Award and the recipient of the Graduate Fellow Award: 

Amber Gaffney, Department of Psychology
Leena Dallasheh, Department of History
Tyler Stumpf, School of Business
Yojana Miraya Oscco, Alistair & Judith McCrone Graduate Fellow, Environment and Community M.A. Program

The McCrone awards recognize HSU’s newer faculty and one outstanding graduate student, acknowledge their potential in their field of research, and encourage their continued achievement. They will be honored at the annual Alistair and Judith McCrone Awards reception on April 19.

Congratulations to all of this year’s award recipients!

With best wishes,

Lisa A. Rossbacher, Ph.D.
President