Fox Cities News

Three Lawrence University professors—Kelly Culhane, Matthew Michelic, and Matthew Stoneking—have been honored with the university’s 2024 teaching awards. The awards were presented at the Commencement ceremony on June 9.

Kelly Culhane, assistant professor of chemistry, received the Excellence in Teaching for an Early Career Faculty Member Award. Culhane, a biochemist who joined the faculty in 2021, has taught courses such as Biochemistry I and II and General Chemistry. Her research focuses on G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), which are crucial in processes like vision, stress response, mood regulation, bone strength, and blood sugar regulation. Before joining Lawrence University, she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota.

Peter Blitstein, provost and dean of faculty, praised Culhane's contributions: "In your short time at Lawrence, you have worked with colleagues to revise the curriculum for the biochemistry major and taught the introductory chemistry sequence and First-Year Studies. Your pedagogy is centered on active learning that prepares students to work together doing science. As a member of the inclusive pedagogy committee, you have taken a leading role in supporting the teaching development of your colleagues. And you have mentored some 15 students in independent research in your laboratory."

Matthew Michelic, associate professor of music, was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award. Michelic has been part of the Lawrence faculty since 1987 and has taught courses in musicology, music theory, and music pedagogy. He has also performed with various ensembles at Lawrence University and symphony orchestras across the country. Michelic will retire at the end of this academic year.

Blitstein commended Michelic's extensive contributions: "Your contributions to Lawrence have been extensive and varied, not only in the viola studio but also in musicology, music theory, and chamber music. Your pedagogy is informed by the acronym ALICE: Affirm, Listen, Inspire, Challenge, and Empower. You strive to truly see and affirm the unique personhood of each student as creative artists and as individuals. This close attention to nurturing each student individually personifies the ideal of teaching at a music conservatory and liberal arts college."

Matthew Stoneking received the Excellence in Scholarship/Creative Activity Award. Stoneking is an experimental plasma physicist who splits his professional time between Lawrence University and a physics research institute in Munich, Germany. His research includes working on thermal equilibrium in non-neutral plasmas with funding from a three-year $431,200 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). This grant supports internship opportunities for students at Lawrence University as well as equipment purchases for experiments.

Blitstein highlighted Stoneking's scholarly achievements: "Your expertise in this field is nationally and internationally recognized with no less than five NSF grants to your name. With more than two dozen peer-reviewed publications in leading journals and over 100 co-authored conference abstracts, you are one of Lawrence’s most prolific scholars."