Three faculty and staff members honored with Excellence in Access and Inclusion Awards

On April 3, 2012, Services for Students with Disablities and The Office for Diversity and Inclusion honored three Physics faculty and staff members for their tireless efforts in providing a welcoming learning environment for all students.

Dr. Kriton Papavasiliou and Prof. Leo Piilonen, as well as undergraduate program coordinator Diane Walker-Green, each received the 2012 Excellence in Access and Inclusion Award.

Dr. Papavasiliou was honored for helping students grasp and better understand physics concepts. Said the student who nominated him, "He has readily made himself available by holding several office hour sessions throughout the week and meeting with students before and after class. Dr. Papavasiliou also goes to great levels to help me and other students understand our errors on exams and homework assignments, and helps us overcome them. He is very respectful to my accommodations and goes out of his way to help me meet them, which creates a positive learning environment."

Prof. Piilonen, who recently became department chair, was nominated by the SSD office and Assistive Technologies for his cutting edge work into transferring Braille Nemeth Code in LaTex files for a student with visual impairments. He has presented his work to the Annual Conference on Higher Education Pedagogy.

Fellow staff member Jo Ellen Morgan wanted Diane Walker-Green to be recognized for "going beyond the role of an advisor to make sure that the complex needs of students with disabilities are met. Diane works with students with disabilities to ensure not only accessible textbooks and materials, but to help the students be well integrated in the physics and university communities."

Additionally, Prof. Piilonen was the recipient of the 2012 Sally Bohland Award for Exceptional Leadership in Access and Inclusion. Established in 2011, this award goes to a teaching faculty member who is a model for others, whose leadership fosters a culture of access and inclusion, and who modifies or develops their instructional methods to be more inclusive for all students, not just providing accommodations, but improving access on many levels.