Faculty applauded for excellence in teaching, research

KOKOMO, Ind. - Indiana University Kokomo applauded faculty and staff for outstanding research, service, and teaching at its annual fall convocation.

Nicholas Baxter, associate professor of sociology, received the junior faculty scholarship award. Paul Cook, professor of English, received the senior faculty scholarship award.

Karen Sallee, academic advisor for the School of Nursing and Allied Health Professions, received the Virgil Hunt Distinguished Service Award.

Dmitriy Chulkov, Sarrah Grubb, Ashley Leicht, Jamie Oslawski-Lopez, and Brandon Wysong received IU Trustees Teaching Awards.

The Virgil Hunt Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding service by resident faculty and staff. Karen Sallee's nomination noted that she "offers a level of care, compassion, and support that truly ensures student success," listening carefully to students in advising appointments, and providing tailored guidance and follow-up support.

She also led an initiative for SNAHP faculty and staff to collect items for 10 Thanksgiving meals and to provide a full Christmas for a family of eight, and volunteers at the Kokomo Humane Society.

Nicholas Baxter received the junior faculty annual research award, which recognizes scholarship accomplishments, as well as the faculty member's contribution to their field and the enhancement of the culture of scholarship at IU Kokomo.

The faculty research and creative activity award committee noted that Baxter's scholarship relates to several subdisciplines in sociology, and that he had four different projects in 2025 with an emphasis on climate and environmental issues. He had four publications, several presentations, and an extensive list of scholarly activities.

"His work in environmental sociology is especially significant and connects theory with real-world challenges," the committee said in its recommendation. "The committee is very impressed with how his scholarship of learning and teaching work is well-integrated with his overall scholarly work."

He also earned commendation for publishing on digital ethnology, and his work mentoring students, including teaching honors courses, organizing the Undergraduate Research Symposium, and directing the Honors Program.

The Trustees Teaching Awards recognize faculty who have had a positive impact on student learning - especially for undergraduates. Department chairs and deans identify candidates, who are then recommended by a selection committee.

Dmitriy Chulkov, professor of business analytics and economics, was commended for his leadership in course and curriculum development, creation of accessible instructional videos and other original materials, and continued use of problem-based learning to make quantitative business content relevant and engaging for students. The committee also noted his assessment evidence and his teacher-scholar profile, including publications, sharing of teaching resources with colleagues, Quality Matters work, and wider professional engagement, stating that taken together, "it reflected sustained excellence in development, assessment, and engagement."

Sarrah Grubb, associate professor of education, earned recognition for her work in the Paraprofessional Pathway, her leadership in curriculum realignment, and the development of new program learning outcomes, along with her commitment to making students feel both challenged and supported. The committee also noted the strength of her active learning designs and practices that help students build confidence, voice, and professional identity, as well as her work as an IU GenAI Fellow, her leadership in residency coordination, national and community-facing commitments, and her willingness to revise in response to student feedback.

Ashley Leicht, graduate program coordinator and lecturer in business, was recognized for her work with a first-year business class, where the peer mentorship program showed a strong feedback loop from assessment to program revision. The committee also noted her teaching excellence inside and outside the classroom, and her advising, leadership development work, conference participation, and commitment to belonging and student success. Leicht also earned accolades for her redesign of an online class that increased connections, accountability, and student engagement.

Jamie Oslawski-Lopez, associate professor of sociology, was noted for her transparent course design, strong use of high-impact practices, and the way her teaching philosophy was carried through course development and assessment work. The committee cited her new applied sociology course, with its public-facing and community-engaged emphasis, as a particularly strong example of helping students connect disciplinary learning to the real world. It also referenced her sustained scholarship of teaching and learning, her accessibility work, and the way she connected her research and teaching in concrete ways.

Brandon Wysong, lecturer in biology, earned recognition for the consistency of his student-centered teaching and by strong evidence that students experience his courses as welcoming, engaging, and intellectually supportive. The committee also noted his strong classroom climate, care in helping students feel seen and known, and ability to make science accessible for students from a wide variety of backgrounds. He was also commended for a redesign of a sustainability class into a hybrid course with fieldwork, hands-on activities, and applied learning that deepened engagement, and for involvement in honors mentoring and teaching Groups Scholars classes.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.