The Sacramento State Faculty Senate meeting struck a more positive note on Thursday, March 17 in the University Union Redwood Room.

Interim Provost Ming-Tung “Mike” Lee and Faculty Senate Chair Sylvester “Jim” Bowie hosted the 2015-16 faculty awards ceremony. The ceremony included the Outstanding Teaching Awards, Outstanding University Service Awards, Outstanding Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards, and the Outstanding Community Service Awards.

“I have to thank all of the outstanding faculty that were in my peer group and who were able to teach me how to view things in a positive way,” Lee said. “I know that in my many years of teaching in a classroom…[we] can make a difference in students’ lives. You are doing that every single day to all of the deserving students of Sacramento State.”

The faculty honored at Thursday’s ceremony were: Bryan Coleman-Salgado, Ghazan Khan, Vera Margoniner, Roberto Pomo, Kristin Van Gaasbeck, and William Vicars (Outstanding Teaching); Sue Escobar, Ben Fell, Ana Garcia-Nevarez, Enid Gonzalez-Orta, Greg Kim-Ju, and Mark Ludwig (Outstanding University Service); Barbara Carle, Lisa Hammersley, Katrin Mattern-Baxter, Carlos Nevarez, James DeShaw Rae, Sudhir Thakur, and Jian-zhong “Joe” Zhou (Outstanding Scholarly and Creative); and William DeGraffenreid, Susan Heredia, Sujatha Moni, Celeste Roseberry-McKibbin, and Jenny Stark (Outstanding Community Service).

During the ceremony, Lee and Bowie alternated between introducing the awardees. The award recipients also gave several moving speeches, many of which mentioned the impact of their students on their work.

“The students, if you know them personally, they inspire you,” said Ghazan Khan, an assistant professor of transportation engineering.

Another honoree also took a moment to mention students in his speech.

“The students are the ones that teach me on a daily basis,” said Roberto Pomo, a professor of theater history and film studies.

The awards ceremony closed on a poignant note from professor Jenny Stark from the department of communication studies.

“It’s just an honor and a privilege to work at an institution that values these things I do,” Stark said.