Congratulations to faculty in CNS for the recognition, and particular ones in Biology!
Te-Wen Lo: Recognized for extraordinary leadership with college-wide impact as Middle States Self-Study and Executive Team co-chair. In this role, Te-Wen demonstrated steady, committed, efficient, and inspiring leadership, bringing her infectious ebullience as well as industrious dedication to every aspect of the college’s reaccreditation work. The result was an immensely successful self-study, site visit, and review. While steering the college through this arduous process, Te-Wen found time to mentor 12 students in her lab (including three Summer Scholars), to produce two new co-authored publications (one about women and STEM; the other, co-authored with Ian Woods, about reimagining undergraduate research conferences), and to present an invited talk, 10 poster presentations (all with student collaborators), and a conference paper. She also participated generously in Dean’s Office “welcome” events for admissions purposes, and she was selected in a competitive process to participate in the HERS Leadership Institute in Summer 2026.
Susan Swensen: Recognized for highly effective stewardship of H&S’s signature interdisciplinary program, Innovation Scholars, which centers sustainability and social justice within a liberal arts framework. IS will be entering its second year in AY 26-27. For its first iteration, Susan devised an ICSM specifically tied to the new program and worked in tandem with Michael Smith, whose ICSM was also linked to IS, to build a cohesive cohort. She will continue her efforts in ‘26-27, leading the IS steering committee and working to further develop this important new program in our school. At the same time, Susan maintained her commitment to supporting undergraduate researchers, bringing a group of eight students (in partnership with Assistant Professor Cynthia Becker, Biology) to Vieques, Puerto Rico, for a 5-day research trip to study plant life and marine biology.
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*The H&S awardee is selected by the Dean, with the goal of recognizing extraordinary faculty achievement during the preceding academic year.