Eleven Faculty & Staff Honored for Teaching, Scholarship, Or Service Excellence At MGA Fall Convocation

Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Friday, August 8, 2025 12:00 AM
Categories: School of Business | School of Arts and Letters | Honors/Awards | School of Health and Natural Sciences | Faculty/Staff | School of Aviation | School of Computing | Pressroom | School of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Macon, GA

See photos of the honorees on the Middle Georgia State University Facebook page.

Middle Georgia State University (MGA) recognized 11 faculty and staff members for outstanding achievements in teaching, scholarship, and various areas of service.

University leaders presented the awards at 2025 Fall Convocation, an annual gathering of all MGA faculty and staff leading into a new academic year and the return of students.

In addition, MGA recognized faculty and staff for reaching various milestones in years of service to the University.

Those receiving recognition were:

Dr. Matt Noble, Associate Professor of Math - Excellence in Scholarship. The successful research collaborations he has published with five different students exemplify what it means to be a faculty scholar who fosters the next generation of mathematicians.

Dr. Elaina Behounek, Associate Professor of Sociology - Excellence in Service. This award recognizes a faculty member who has contributed extraordinary service to Middle Georgia State University and/or its surrounding public communities. Some of the highlights of Behounek’s service are serving in administrative roles on a range of committees, engaging in community projects that support working families and victims of violence, and holding leadership positions in national organizations.

Marina Spears, Associate Professor of English, Area I Coordinator - Excellence in Full-Time Teaching. This award recognizes a full-time faculty member who provides high-quality instruction and exceptional learning experiences. Among many other things, Spears leads class field trips, organizes writing marathons, presents conference papers on teaching, and actively participates in faculty teaching communities.

Dr. Allison Hamilton - Excellence in Part-Time Teaching. Regarded as a highly effective instructor, Hamilton engages with students and inspires them to understand the importance of government and politics while maintaining a balanced approach.

Dr. Sabrina Wengier, Professor of French & Coordinator of Modern Languages - Provost’s Award. The Provost’s Award aims to recognize a faculty member’s significant contributions in all three areas of their career: teaching, scholarship, and service. In teaching, Wengier has been a USG Governor’s Teaching Fellow, a Provost’s Fellow for Faculty Career Advancement at MGA, and the winner among all state universities in the USG of the 2024 Felton Jenkins Jr. Faculty Hall of Fame Award. In service, she received the MGA Service Award in 2021. In scholarship, Wengier has published and presented on online language teaching, critical thinking, and career readiness. In 2024, she published in The French Review on her retention and recruitment efforts and later that year received a World Language 360 grant to support these efforts.

Dr. Joobum Kim, Associate Professor of Computer Science - MGA's Nominee for the Regents’ Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Award. Kim’s impact can be seen in positive outcomes for MGA students and in his contributions to the successful growth of his department and the School of Computing.

Cory Smith, Senior Lecturer in Psychology - MGA's Nominee for the Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award for Online Teaching. He implements evidence-based strategies for creating a robust and authentic sense of instructor presence.

Dr. Rebekah Hazlett-Knudsen, Associate Professor of Social Work, Program Coordinator for Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work - MGA's Nominee for the Regents' Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award. She has a long, well-earned reputation for being a champion for connecting with students as whole people. Her teaching centers care, action, and reflection in how she supports student learning.

Terri Reckart, Academic Advisor I - Unsung Hero. This award is for a staff member who works behind the scenes and yet continues to go beyond the call of duty to improve the MGA experience for students and coworkers. Reckart is known for consistently looking for ways to improve the student and staff experience at MGA, and her work ethic reflects a deep belief in the mission of the University.

Karl Brown, Skilled Craft Maintenance Worker III - Service Excellence. This award is for a staff member who has made exceptional contributions, exceeding normal expectations, to deliver superior service to members of the campus community and/or the community at large. Brown is often the first staff member on campus in times of need.

Dell Mullis, Communications & Mail Clerk – Champion Award. This award is given to a staff member who exemplifies the University’s core values of Stewardship, Engagement, Adaptability, and Learning.

25 Years of Service Awards: Allen Chastain, Kevin Floyd, Wilhelmina Ford (Mimi), William Hervey (Bill), Ronald Holloway (Adam), Elizabeth Riley (Liz), Freeman Small.

20 Years of Service Awards: Yulonda Banks, Janel Carmel, Yunsuk Chae, Chadwick Dent, David Foster, Nathanael Gilbert, Karmen Lenz, Anderson Ligon, Carol Melton, Rebecca Nees, John Pattillo, Amanda Register, Patrice Sanders, Stephen Svonavec, Kirby Swenson, Isaac Taylor, Xubo Wang (Lily).

15 Years of Service Awards: Deneice Bausley, Richard Burnam, Angela Clay, Brock Giddens, James Hagler, Michael Hammock, Joshua Hill, Derrick Hunter, Jamie Jordan, Betsy McDaniel, Patricia Norwood (Trish), Jeannie Ruggerio, James Sisson, Tina Ward, Jeffrey Wiles, Jamie Woods.

10 Years of Service Awards: Richard Binkley, Adam Bousum, Angela Brice, Kathleen Burt, Dana Casper, Xiaoyan Chase (Shannon), Susan Collins, Geraldine Davis, Ana Carolina Evans, Tabitha Floyd, Tamara Gray, John Hall, Kassi Hill, Renat Khatmullin, Scotty Kight, Richard Kilburn, Troilus Rhodes, Shannon Riddle, Frances Ruff, Helen Sawyer, Cory Smith, Angela Taylor, Douglas Waldrep, Elizabeth Walker, Lacey Wallace, Tiffany Wright, Cameron Willis.

5 Year Service Awards: Ashley Bennett, Alexandria Brooks, Lawrence Camarota, Tabitha Chapman, William Cole, Yazmin Cruz, Hope Fuqua-Duskin, Erin Garner, Ryan Graham, Zachary Hartley, Julie Holloway, Teri Jackson, Suzanne Julson, Joobum Kim, James Mitchell (Tripp), Amy Muse, Folasade Olajide, Misty Oxford, Kendall Palmer, Crystal Roberts, Mary Roberts, Ruby Ronca, Kayla Sheppard, Jessica Sisa, Eva Brooke Strange, Traci Swartz, Victoria Lindsey Waites (Lindsey), Devony Whitehead, Paisley Willis, Jason Antwan Williams, Jessica Williams.