Distinguished Teacher of the Year
The Harry W. Rodgers III Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award was founded in 1971 to give public recognition to full-time faculty members whose teaching activities demonstrate a high degree of professional excellence. The award was established through the generosity of Harry W. Rodgers III, '50 and is supported by the Harry W. Rodgers III Distinguished Teacher Award Fund.
Undergraduate students nominate teachers for the award. Once selected as the Distinguished Teacher of the Year, the faculty member is inducted into the Alpha Sigma Nu Society in April. Colleagues who have been nominated in the past may be re-nominated. Colleagues can only receive the award once.
The award will be included in Loyola's Maryland Day Events.
Current Awardee
2024 - Kerry Tan, economics 
Kerry Tan joined Loyola’s Economics Department after receiving his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 2012. He strives to develop his students’ economic intuition so they can critically discuss and analyze economic issues. Dr. Tan’s course offerings range from fundamental courses like Microeconomic Principles and Intermediate Microeconomic Theory to electives like Business & Government, Econometrics, and Sports Economics to Managerial Economics in Loyola’s PMBA program. He believes the smaller class sizes at Loyola allow him to really get to know his students and build a rapport with them not only in class, but also during office hours. Dr. Tan’s research pertains to competition in the airline industry, and he has presented his scholarship at both the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice. Dr. Tan has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Forbes, CNBC, and several other media outlets.
Past Awardees
2023 - Theresa Nguyen, chemistry & biochemistry
Theresa Phuong Thao Nguyen joined the Chemistry & Biochemistry Department in 2015 after receiving her Ph.D. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology from UCLA. She teaches General Chemistry and Biochemistry courses, and serves as an ALANA faculty mentor. Her research examines the cholesterol-lowering and probiotic abilities of novel microorganisms found in traditional Chinese medicine. She is also writing a collection of essays on science and spirituality titled The Ignatian Lab Manual. Her own Jesuit education inspires her to teach a view of science that seeks justice, discerns purpose, and finds wonder in all things.
2022 - Mavis Biss, philosophy
Dr. Mavis Biss joined Loyola’s department of philosophy in 2011 after receiving her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on Kant’s practical philosophy and contemporary moral theory. She serves on the board of the Eastern division of the North American Kant Society and is a member of the DC-Baltimore Kant Workshop and the Kant Women Scholars Network. She teaches a broad range of courses in the history of philosophy as well as courses in contemporary philosophy that serve Environmental Studies and Gender and Sexuality Studies. She was part of the first cohort of High Impact Practices Faculty Fellows and continues to focus on active and collaborative learning and inclusive pedagogy.
2021 - Jason Q. Zhang, marketing
Jason Q. Zhang is a professor of marketing at Loyola. He holds a doctoral degree in marketing, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in statistics and finance. His research focuses on marketing strategies in various business contexts, including customer experience, social media, branding, ROI of marketing, and corporate social responsibility. His work has appeared in premier academic journals and received recognition from leading research institutions, such as the Marketing Science Institute and the Wharton School’s Interactive Media Center. Presently, Jason teaches marketing management, customer management, and strategy courses at the undergraduate, graduate, and executive levels. His teaching and executive training have won him numerous awards, including the Executive MBA Teacher of the Year (three times) and the University’s and Dean’s Teaching Excellence Awards. His graduate classes also enjoyed appearing in the popular press including the Baltimore Sun.
2020 - Marianna Carlucci, psychology
Dr. Marianna Carlucci came to Loyola University Maryland in the fall of 2011. She earned her B.A. in Psychology (with a certificate in Women’s Studies) and Ph.D. in Legal Psychology from Florida International University. Originally from Venezuela, Dr. Carlucci grew up in Miami, Florida until 2011 when she moved to Baltimore. She teaches Introductory Psychology, Forensic Psychology, Psychology of Gender, Research Methods, Advanced Research Seminars in Psychology, and graduate courses in Research Methods. She has taught in the classroom, online, and at correctional institutions in Maryland. Dr. Carlucci’s research lies at the intersection of psychology and law, and includes investigations into eyewitness memory and juror decision-making. She is particularly interested in understanding injustice in the criminal justice system. Recently, she (with colleague Amy Wolfson) has partnered with the Department of Juvenile Services to understand and enhance the sleep-wake environment during residence in juvenile justice facilities in the state of Maryland. Dr. Carlucci is also the current Equity and Inclusion Fellow for Faculty Affairs, working to advance equity and inclusion goals for Academic Affairs and working with divisions and groups across campus to further equity, inclusion, and belonging on campus. Her favorite place to be is in the classroom with her students!
2019 - John P. Krahel, accounting
JP Krahel is an associate professor of accounting at Loyola University. He earned a B.A. in English (2007) and a Master of Accountancy (2008) from Rider University, a Ph.D. in accounting from Rutgers University (2012), and his CPA license (2015). Since joining the faculty in 2012, he has taught introductory, intermediate, and advanced accounting courses to undergraduate students. He spearheaded the opening of Loyola’s on-campus Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic, helped facilitate student-guided microloans to local businesses, and gives financial literacy lectures to groups across campus. His research has been published in the Journal of Information Systems, Accounting Horizons, and Issues in Accounting Education. He has been quoted in The Washington Post, The Baltimore Sun, and The Daily Record, and has appeared on Baltimore-area television affiliates of ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, and PBS.
2018 - Mark Johnson, finance 
Mark A. Johnson is an associate professor of finance in the Sellinger School of Business and Management of Loyola University Maryland. He joined Loyola in 2009 and has taught more than a dozen different courses to undergraduate and graduate students. His research interests include financial markets, behavioral finance, consumer sentiment, financial literacy, and investments. He has also received other awards from Loyola including the STAR Award for Research from the Sellinger School of Business and Management, the STAR Award for Teaching also from the Sellinger School, the Strong Truths Well Lived Award from The Green and Grey Society, the Most Valued Professor from the Executive MBA program, and the A.F.F.I.R.M Award from The Green and Grey Society for his work serving as a mentor at Loyola.
2017 - Birgit Albrecht, chemistry 
Dr. Birgit Albrecht joined the Loyola Community in 2007 and serves as an associate professor of chemistry. A native of Germany, she was awarded her DPhil from the University of Oxford and was a post-doctoral research fellow at Yale University. Her research interests in physical and computational chemistry focus on studies of protein-protein and protein-ligand interactions and she serves as a Co-PI for Loyola’s Supercomputer cluster. She currently teaches General Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, as well as in the Honors program. Dr. Albrecht has taken a specific interest in peer-led and active learning approaches and has used these pedagogical changes to foster a more active learning environment and to increase student engagement and retention.
2016 - Kevin Hula, political science
Kevin Hula joined Loyola’s faculty in 1994 and serves as Associate Professor of Political Science. He holds Ph.D. and A.M. degrees in political science from Harvard University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas. Dr. Hula teaches courses on American politics, particularly those relating to the executive branch, strategic intelligence, and lobbying. His research interests include interest group politics and intelligence activities. Hula was selected by the student body in 2015 to receive the Educator for Life Award, presented by Loyola’s Green and Grey society. Outside the classroom, he has served as the faculty advisor for the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship student group for over twenty years.
Photo credit: Larry Canner
2015 - Rebecca Brogan, biology
Rebecca Brogan joined Loyola's Biology department in 2005. She teaches courses in neurobiology, organismal biology, and biology research. She came to Loyola after a postdoctoral fellowship at the Oregon Regional Primate Research Center where she was involved in studies trying to determine how energy load translated into neuronal activation of the brain areas that control reproduction. Her research is at the intersection of metabolism and reproduction and she has a long history of collaboration, including with colleagues and students at Loyola.
Photo credit: Rita Buettner
2014 - Graham McAleer, philosophy
Graham McAleer joined Loyola's department of philosophy in 1996. He teaches classes
in business ethics, philosophy of law, political theory, and phenomenology. Director
of Loyola's Committee on Catholic Social Thought for over a decade, most of his classes
and research touch upon this body of papal thinking in one way or another. He earned
his doctorate at the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and served as director
of Loyola's Study Abroad Programme there for two years.
Photo credit: Jerry Young
2013 - William Kitchin, political science
William Kitchin has taught at Loyola since 1975. He obtained a Ph.D. in political
science from The Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from the University of
Baltimore. His areas of teaching specialization are American constitutional law, American
politics, and biopolitics, and for years he taught Soviet Law. He has served as Loyola’s
Prelaw Advisor.
2012 - Elizabeth J. Kennedy, law and social responsibility
Elizabeth J. Kennedy is an Assistant Professor of Law & Social Responsibility in the
Sellinger School of Business. She received her J. D. from the University of California
at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. Her research focuses primarily on the evolution
and application of legal protections for workers in an increasing global and decentralized
American workplace. Her current teaching interests are in the areas of labor and employment
law, urban politics and development, and executive and legislative policymaking. Prior
to arriving at Loyola in 2008, Professor Kennedy practiced law with the New York firm
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP, specializing in corporate finance, and
served as labor and employment counsel to the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy on the
Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee.
2011 - Thomas Ward, modern languages and literature
Thomas Ward, Ph.D., is a professor of Spanish and currently the Modern Languages and
Literatures Associate Chair for Student Issues and Director of Latin American and
Latino Studies. He teaches Latin American literature and the Spanish language in a
way that incorporates authentic materials in a Spanish-only classroom to derive the
Latin American perspective on culture, history, politics, and social movements. Regarding
social movements, Professor Ward offers his students the possibility of working with
Baltimore's Latino immigrant community to put book knowledge in a context defined
by real people. He brings to his class the literary and cultural studies research
he has conducted and published in three books and over thirty journal articles.
2010 - Gerard Athaide, marketing
A professor of marketing, Gerard Athaide received his Ph.D. and MBA in marketing from
Syracuse University. He joined the Loyola faculty in 1992. His research interests
focus on new product development and innovation management with a particular emphasis
on the commercialization of technology-based innovations. His current teaching interests
include New Product Development and Technology and Innovation Management (TIM). In
addition, he leads an MBA class studying international marketing on a Chilean Study
Tour.
2009 - Janet Preis, speech-language pathology/audiology
An associate professor in speech-language pathology/audiology, Preis holds a doctorate
in special education from The Johns Hopkins University. She joined the Loyola faculty
in 1995.
2008 - Michael Franz, political science
A professor of political science, Michael Franz holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in political
science from Loyola University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State
University. He joined the Loyola faculty in 1987, teaches a wide range of courses
dealing with political philosophy, and has published a book on the sources of ideology.
He has served as chair of Loyola’s Curriculum Committee, founded the Loyola College
Political Philosophy Society, and is a representative to Loyola Conference.
2007 - Timothy Stapleton, philosophy
An associate professor of philosophy, Stapleton received his Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania
State University. During his tenure at Loyola, Stapleton has served as chair of the
philosophy department as well as director of the undergraduate honors program. His
primary area of specialization is in contemporary European philosophy along with the
relationship between philosophy and literature. He has authored and edited a number
of books and articles in these areas.
2006 - Andrew Schoeffield, biology
An associate professor of biology, Schoeffield received his Ph.D. from the University
of Maryland Dental School. During his tenure at Loyola, he has served as the University's
pre-health adviser and as chair of the biology department for more than six years.
His research interests include the role of bacteria in aquatic ecosystems; how bacterial
populations interact with one another; and how these interactions affect the ecosystem
and other organisms within it.
2005 - Stephen Walters, economics
A professor of economics, Walters received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and began teaching at Loyola in 1981. His research interests include industrial organization and regulation, economic analysis of law, sports economics, and urban economics. He is the author of Enterprise, Government, and the Public (McGraw-Hill, 1993) as well as articles in The Journal of Law & Economics, The Southern Economic Journal, The Journal of Labor Research, and other scholarly journals, as well as numerous general-interest articles in major daily newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal. He also has served as a consultant for government agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and private companies such as the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs baseball clubs.
2004 - Catherine Castellan, education
An assistant professor of education, Castellan received her Ph.D. from the University
of Maryland College Park. She began teaching elementary education courses at Loyola
in 1999 and includes a service-learning component in many of her courses. Her research
interests include the impact of service-learning on teacher education students and
the education of effective mathematics teachers for elementary schools.
2003 - Nancy A. Williams, economics
An associate professor of economics, Williams received her Ph.D. from the University
of California, Berkeley. Her research covers a variety of topics including determinants
of housing prices, and most recently, the efficacy of prison jobs programs. Her most
recent article, appearing in The American Economist, is co-authored with department
colleagues Fred Derrick and Charles Scott, and addresses the question of how prisons
should choose an industry for their jobs program in order to minimize the crowding
out of private jobs in the region. She routinely engages in statistical consulting
and served as economics department chair from 2000-04.
2002 - Michael O'Neal, education
An associate professor of education, O'Neal received his Ph.D. from the University
of Delaware. His research interests include the natural variability of past climates
and their resulting effects on global sea level. He has delivered more than 20 presentations
around the world and has published a number of papers.
2001 - Kathleen Siren, speech-language pathology/audiology
An assistant professor of speech-language pathology/audiology, Siren received her Ph.D. from the University of Kansas. Her areas of clinical and research interest include articulation and phonological development and disorders, with a particular emphasis on the acoustic analysis of speech and voice.
2000 - Francis G. Hank Hilton, S.J., economics
Francis Hilton, S.J., an associate professor of economics, Fr. Hilton received his
Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Institute for Environmental Studies. He joined
the Loyola faculty in 1997, received tenure in 2002, and served as department chair
from 2005-09. His research, publications, and private sector consulting focus on the
interaction of energy use, economic growth, and environmental improvement. At St.
Pius Church in Baltimore, Fr. Hilton is completing his 13th year on staff.
1999 - David Rivers, biology
An associate professor of biology, Rivers studies the interactions between parasitic
wasps and their insect hosts, with a primary focus on how venoms are used in host-parasite
relationships. Rivers also founded and chaired the Scientific Research Task Forces,
serves as academic advisor for several students, and has served as a subject editor
for the journal Annals of the Entomological Society of America.
1998 - Ilona McGuiness, writing
The dean of first-year students and academic services as well as an associate professor
of writing, McGuiness received her Ph.D. from the University of Iowa.
1997 - Roger Kashlak, management and international business
A professor of international business and management, Kashlak began teaching at Loyola
in 1993. His B.S. in economics is from the University of Pennsylvania and his MBA
and Ph.D. in international business from Temple University. His research has focused
on topics such as international reciprocity, international alliances and negotiations,
global control systems, and comparative analyses of leadership, work attitudes and
corporate governance. He is an author of International Management: Managing in a Diverse
and Dynamic Global Environment (McGraw-Hill, 2005, 2009) and articles in journals
such as Journal of International Business Studies, Strategic Management Journal, Management
International Review, Journal of International Management, Journal of Business Research
and Long Range Planning and serves on various editorial and corporate boards.
1996 - Heather Kirk Thomas, English
A former associate professor of English at Loyola, Thomas received her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri and taught nineteenth-century American literature, women's, and minority writings.
1995 - Andrea Giampetro-Meyer, law and social responsibility
A professor of law and social responsibility, Giampetro-Meyer received her J.D. from the Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William & Mary. Her research focuses primarily on legal responses to race and gender discrimination in employment. Her current teaching interests are in the areas of law, ethics, and corporate social responsibility. She has earned both national and local awards for teaching and has received the Holmes-Cardozo Award from the Academy of Legal Studies in Business in recognition of excellence in legal scholarship.
1994 - Elissa Derrickson, biology
An associate professor of biology, Derrickson received her Ph.D. from the University
of Pennsylvania. Her research experience involves studies directed at understanding
the evolution of growth characteristics in mammals. Techniques include live-trapping
and other field methods; statistical analysis of comparative patterns; laboratory
analysis of diet quality on growth in mice; and biochemical analysis of milk composition.
1993 - Timothy Brown, S.J., law and social responsibility 
1992 - Charles LoPresto, psychology
An associate professor of psychology, LoPresto received his Ph.D. from Howard University.
His research interests include various aspects of homophobia/ homonegativity and construction
of sexual orientation, stigma associated with sexual minority status, adolescent treatment
issues, cognitive-behavioral approaches to treatment, cross-cultural psychology, and
men's issues.
1991 - E. Barry Rice, accounting
An assistant professor emeritus of accounting and CPA, Rice received his MBA from
the University of Maryland, College Park. During his 27-year tenure, he served twice
as chair of the accounting department. He has been recognized by the Maryland Association
of CPAs, the American Institute of CPAs, and the American Accounting Association for
being a pathfinder in using technology in accounting education.
1990 - Donald Keefer, biology
A professor of biology, Keefer received his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill in 1974. After joining the Loyola community in 1983, he served as chair
of the biology department for 15 years. During this time, he has developed educational
software packages to accompany several major biology textbooks. His research interests
run the gamut from the effects of hormones on neuronal architecture and receptor levels
to the effects of wasp venom on insect neuronal ultrastructure. Since stepping down
as chair, he has also served as rifle coach for the Loyola marksmanship club.
1989 - Doris Van Doren, marketing
A professor of marketing before her passing in 2009, Van Doren received her Ph.D.
from the University of Maryland in College Park. Her dissertation was based on a study
of the requirements for job success and self-development of retail personnel. Her
major focus was increasing productivity and developing personnel through effective
management and marketing skills. In 1996, she was recognized as one of Loyola's Top
Eight Teachers with the distinction of Affecting Eternity. For many years she led
the International Marketing European Study Tour. She incorporated this global experience
into her managerial approaches to training.
1988 - Barbara Mallonee, writing
A former associate professor of writing, Mallonee received her MAT and MLA from Johns
Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
1987 - Bernard Weigman, engineering science
A professor emeritus of engineering science, Weigman received his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame.
1986 - M. Antonia Keane, sociology
An associate professor of sociology, Keane applied her skills to a wide variety of
public service activities, including chairing both the Governor's Commission on Juvenile
Justice and Baltimore City Council Task Force on Rape, serving as a consultant to
the U.S. Department of Justice, lecturing at the Baltimore City Police Academy, and
spending eight years as a special consultant to the Baltimore City Police Department's
Youth Division. She was a founding member of the Youth Diversion Project of Southeast
Baltimore. She served on legal services committees of the Baltimore City Bar Association
and the University of Maryland School of Law.
1985 - John Gray, law and social responsibility
A professor of Law and Social Responsibility, Gray received his J.D. from the University
of Baltimore. From 1995-2002, he served as the faculty coordinator for Loyola's MBA
degree program at the Universidad Jesuita Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile, and
has also served as graduate dean and as interim dean of the Sellinger School. He serves
as an arbitrator with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and is a mediator
for the Baltimore District Office of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
He has served as a special assistant attorney general in the Securities Division of
the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Maryland and on a number of local
and national nonprofit boards. He is currently on the board of directors of the National
Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Maryland and is vice chair of the Board of Baltimore
Mental Health System, Inc. He co-authored The Legal Environment of Business (Southwestern
1988) and has published in a variety of journals.
1984 - Timothy J. McNeese, chemistry
A professor of chemistry, McNeese received his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He has
served as chair of the chemistry department and as a member of a variety of college
committees during his tenure at Loyola. His research interests in inorganic chemistry
are concerned with the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of organometallic
compounds.
1983 - Sue Abromaitis, English
A Baltimorean, Dr. Abromaitis received her B.A. from the then College of Notre Dame
of Maryland, her M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland College Park, and
became a member of the Loyola faculty in January 1962. At Loyola she was chairman
of the English Department (1983-91), was active over the decades in faculty governance,
has served on many committees, and has been an advisor for many student organizations,
e.g., the Greyhound (when it was a newspaper), the Young Republicans, and a variety
of right-to-life clubs. Her scholarly interests include the literature of the long
18th century as well as 20th-century Catholic literature, particularly that of G.
K. Chesterton, J. R. R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis.
1982 - P. Andrew McCormick, modern languages and literature
Andrew McCormick was born in Baltimore, went to Baltimore City College, then Loyola College and then went on to Georgetown University where he received a Ph.D. in Russian Area Studies. During his years at Loyola, Dr. McCormick taught Russian in the Department of Modern Languages, and Russian History in the History Department.
1981 - George Mackiw, mathematical sciences 
A professor of mathematical sciences, Mackiw chaired the mathematical sciences department and led Loyola's successful application for a Phi Beta Kappa chapter before his passing. He spoke Ukrainian fluently.
1980 - Hans Mair, political science
An associate professor emeritus of political science, Mair died on Sept. 4, 2007 at
the age of 77. Throughout his extensive teaching career, Mair was known for fostering
rich classroom discussions with generations of Loyola students. He was a strong advocate
of the interactive classroom experience, rather than the authoritarian style of education
he knew growing up in Austria. He was also heavily involved in the University’s extracurricular
activities, performing alongside students in theater pieces and singing in the Loyola
Chorale. Mair received his Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University and he specialized
in international politics and European government, teaching courses such as international
relations, comparative government, and contemporary history.
1979 - Faith Gilroy, psychology
A professor emerita in psychology, Gilroy received her Ph.D. from St. Louis University.
Her scholarly interests include business applications of psychology, attribution theory,
conformity, attitudinal measurement, women's issues, gerontology, career patterns,
and gender choice of offspring.
1978 - Francis Trainor, writing
1977 - Francis Cunningham, philosophy
An associate professor of philosophy, Cunningham received his Ph.D. from Fordham University.
1976 - James Maier, biology
1975 - Bernard Nachbahr, philosophy
A former professor of philosophy, Nachbahr was the first director of the Center for Humanities.
1974 - Malke Morris, modern languages and literature
1973 - Thomas Scheye, English
A distinguished professor of English, Scheye received his Ph.D. from the University
of Pennsylvania. His interests include Renaissance Literature, Shakespeare, and Milton.
1972 - Richard McCoart, mathematical sciences
A professor emeritus of mathematical sciences, McCoart received his Ph.D. from the University of North
Carolina.
1971 - James Rozics, computer science
A professor of physics in the engineering, physics, and computer science department (ENCSP) and director of the academic computer center, Rozics began his career at Loyola College in 1964. He started what would become the office of technology services while teaching and mentoring students and colleagues. Rozics received his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame and his B.S. from Canisius College.
For inquiries or to submit biographical information, please contact Joanna Alexander.