Tucker, Minar and Oxnam awards honor DPU faculty excellence

Courtesy Photo Five DePauw University faculty members retiring at the end of the current academic year pose with President Brian Casey (center). They are (from left) David A. Bohmer, director of the Eugene S. Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media; Mary P. Dixon, the J. Stanford Smith Professor of Economics and Management; Victor A. DeCarlo, the professor of physics and astronomy; Claude Cymerman, the John C. and Lillian W. Siegesmund Professor of Music; and Darrell E. La Lone, professor of evolutionary anthropology and coordinator of evolutionary studies.

Two members of the DePauw University faculty -- Wade N. Hazel, professor of biology, and Nachi-muthu Manickam, professor of mathematics and chairman of the mathematics department -- have been named the 2014 recipients of the Mr. and Mrs. Fred C. Tucker Jr. Distinguished Career Award.

Presented annually since 1988 by the president of the university to one or more senior members of the faculty, the Tucker Award is designed to recognize the achievements of those faculty members who have made notable contributions to DePauw by their commitments to students, teaching excellence, their chosen disciplines and service to DePauw.

Also honored at Friday evening's faculty recognition program, hosted by President Brian W. Casey at The Elms, was Matthew J. Hertenstein, associate professor of psychology and chairman of that department.

Hertenstein was presented with the 2014 Edwin L. Minar Jr. Scholarship Award. Established in 1981, the Minar Award is presented in recognition of exceptional scholarly achievement by a faculty member and is named in honor of its first recipient, a former professor in the department of classical studies.

Meanwhile, Sharon M. Crary, Percy L. Julian Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and associate professor of chemistry and biochemistry was announced as the recipient of the G. Bromley Oxnam Award for Service.

Named after De-Pauw's 13th president (1928-36), the award was created in 2009 by a gift from Neal B. Abraham, who served as DePauw's executive vice president, vice president for academic affairs and professor of physics from 1998 to 2009.

The festivities also included recognition of five DePauw faculty members who are retiring at the conclusion of the current academic year: David A. Bohmer, director of the Eugene S. Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media; Claude Cymerman, John C. and Lillian W. Siegesmund Professor of Music; Victor A. DeCarlo, professor of physics and astronomy; Mary P. Dixon, J. Stanford Smith Professor of Economics and Management; and Darrell E. La Lone, professor of evolutionary anthropology and coordinator of evolutionary studies.