VALPARAISO | Valparaiso University President Mark Heckler made no small plans Tuesday in welcoming students, faculty and staff to a new school year at the annual opening convocation in the Chapel of the Resurrection.
The VU community is on a journey, Heckler said, "to create a university ... renowned worldwide for preparing women and men who are highly sought for their knowledge, character, integrity and wisdom."
For Northwest Indiana, the university will become "an engine of prosperity and vitality ... a vibrant place that leads and serves our region," he said.
Heckler presented a vision of VU as a "place of human flourishing," a distinguished Lutheran community of learning and a model of sustainability in economic, environmental and social realms.
Heckler compared the challenge to the misfortune-plagued Antarctic expedition led by explorer Ernest Shackleton aboard the ship Endurance nearly 100 years ago. The task will be daunting and will require the efforts of each member of the team, he said.
While citing the Endurance, Heckler also seemed to channel the Starship Enterprise in announcing the kickoff to the most extensive planning process in the university's 150-year history.
He called for the "development of bold goals and objectives" to set the university's direction for the next decade and beyond and promised "an ambitious journey."
In a twist on the annual tradition, new students marched into the chapel through a gauntlet of professors decked out in colorful academic garb. The faculty applauded the freshmen, who moved past with the same looks of delight, uncertainty and stoicism they no doubt wore just a few months earlier at their high school graduations.
During the convocation, faculty members were recognized for teaching excellence and for achieving tenure. Faculty and staff with longtime service to the university also were recognized.
VU Opening Day Awards
Caterpillar Award for Excellence in Teaching:
-- Jaishankar Raman, associate professor of economics
VU Alumni Association's Distinguished Teaching Award:
-- Laura Dooley, professor of law
School of Law's Jack A. Hiller Distinguished Faculty Award:
-- Ruth Vance, professor of law
Alumni Association's Faculty Development Awards:
-- Gretchen Buggeln, associate professor of humanities and American studies
-- Carter Hanson, associate professor of English
Receiving named professorships:
-- Gretchen Buggeln, associate professor of humanities and American studies -- Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christianity and the Arts
-- Robert Palumbo, professor of mechanical engineering -- Alfred W. Sieving Chair of Engineering
Faculty achieving tenure:
-- Penelope Andrews, law
-- Gail Hartzell, law
-- Alan Bloom, history
-- Gretchen Buggeln, Christ college
-- Elizabeth Gingerich, business
-- Musa Pinar, business
-- Michael Glass, mathematics and computer science
-- Andrew Richter, physics and astronomy
-- Jonathan Schoer, chemistry
-- Lissa Yogan, sociology and criminology
Cited for 25 years of service:
-- John Bernthal, music
-- Linda Ferguson, music
-- Edward Byrne, English
-- Theresa Durko, facilities management
-- Steven Engerer, chemistry
-- Gwen Graham, president's office
-- Bruce Hrivnak, physics and astronomy
-- Larry Mainstone, business
-- Mary Persyn, law
-- Sandra Tengblad, law
Cited for 30 years of service:
-- Ivan Bodensteiner, law
-- Seymour Moskowitz, law
-- Joel Lehmann, mathematics and computer science
-- William Marion, mathematics and computer science
-- Barbara Lieske, admission
-- Daniel Hart, engineering
-- Bruce Monnier, facilities management
-- Robert Monnier, facilities management
Cited for 40 years of service:
-- John Feaster, English
VU Opening Day Awards
Caterpillar Award for Excellence in Teaching:
-- Jaishankar Raman, associate professor of economics
VU Alumni Association's Distinguished Teaching Award:
-- Laura Dooley, professor of law
School of Law's Jack A. Hiller Distinguished Faculty Award:
-- Ruth Vance, professor of law
Alumni Association's Faculty Development Awards:
-- Gretchen Buggeln, associate professor of humanities and American studies
-- Carter Hanson, associate professor of English
Receiving named professorships:
-- Gretchen Buggeln, associate professor of humanities and American studies -- Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christianity and the Arts
-- Robert Palumbo, professor of mechanical engineering -- Alfred W. Sieving Chair of Engineering
Faculty achieving tenure:
-- Penelope Andrews, law
-- Gail Hartzell, law
-- Alan Bloom, history
-- Gretchen Buggeln, Christ college
-- Elizabeth Gingerich, business
-- Musa Pinar, business
-- Michael Glass, mathematics and computer science
-- Andrew Richter, physics and astronomy
-- Jonathan Schoer, chemistry
-- Lissa Yogan, sociology and criminology
Cited for 25 years of service:
-- John Bernthal, music
-- Linda Ferguson, music
-- Edward Byrne, English
-- Theresa Durko, facilities management
-- Steven Engerer, chemistry
-- Gwen Graham, president's office
-- Bruce Hrivnak, physics and astronomy
-- Larry Mainstone, business
-- Mary Persyn, law
-- Sandra Tengblad, law
Cited for 30 years of service:
-- Ivan Bodensteiner, law
-- Seymour Moskowitz, law
-- Joel Lehmann, mathematics and computer science
-- William Marion, mathematics and computer science
-- Barbara Lieske, admission
-- Daniel Hart, engineering
-- Bruce Monnier, facilities management
-- Robert Monnier, facilities management
Cited for 40 years of service:
-- John Feaster, English
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