The University of Illinois Springfield celebrated faculty achievements during the 2026 Faculty Honors Celebration held May 5 in the Student Union Ballroom. Chancellor Janet L. Gooch and Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Brandon E. Schwab presented the awards, with Craig McFarland serving as emcee. The annual event recognizes excellence in teaching, scholarship, service and community engagement.

Awards presented

• Burks Oakley II Distinguished Online Teaching Award – Nathan Steele
  Steele was recognized for creating rigorous, student-centered and intentionally designed online and blended courses that offer clear structure while honoring student autonomy and helping learners connect course concepts to their professional and civic lives.

• Early Career Scholarship Award – Suyang Yu
  Yu was honored for establishing a research agenda that connects public administration and policy theory to real-world problem solving, producing scholarship that is both timely and useful through peer-reviewed publications, funded projects and policy-facing work.

• Faculty Engagement Award – Minh Tam “Tammy” Schlosky
  Schlosky was recognized for bringing energy, creativity and genuine partnership to experiential learning, expanding opportunities for students through professional training, competitions and industry engagement that connect academic preparation with workforce needs.

• Faculty Excellence Award – Frances Shen
  Shen was honored for sustained excellence in teaching, scholarship and service, including rigorous, highly experiential learning that helps students connect theory to practice, along with leadership in student success and mentoring initiatives.

• Pearson Faculty Award – Shipra Gupta
  Gupta was recognized for excellence in teaching, bringing clarity, organization and real-world relevance to undergraduate and graduate classrooms through active-learning strategies such as simulations, workshops and experiential projects.

• Reciprocal Partnership Award – Livia Arndal Woods
  Woods was honored for modeling reciprocal partnership by bringing the humanities into meaningful conversation with health, history and community experience, creating collaborative projects that invite public participation and elevate local voices.

• Scholarly Impact Award – Jason Pierceson
  Pierceson was recognized as a nationally respected scholar of LGBTQ rights, policy and constitutional law, with an influential body of work that extends beyond the academy through public scholarship and national media commentary.

• Spencer Faculty Service Award – Megan Styles
  Styles was honored for sustained and consequential service that strengthens programs, governance and university life, exemplifying the role of a faculty member committed to service and the broader academic community.

Center for Faculty Excellence programs recognized

UIS also recognized faculty participation in several Center for Faculty Excellence initiatives.

Recipients of the Provost’s Certificate for Excellence in Professional Development were Brooke Depenbusch, Matt Geras, Jennifer Martin, Joseph Schweickert and Neetu Singh. The certificate recognizes meaningful engagement in professional growth through development activities, mentoring and reflective practice.

Faculty recognized for their contributions to the Guiding Lights New Faculty Peer Mentoring Program included Brian Chen, Brandon Derman, Lynn Fisher, Rick Funderburg, Sharon Graf, Shipra Gupta, Youngjin Kang, Amy McEuen, Frances Shen, Neetu Singh, Megan Styles, Missy Thibodeaux-Thompson and Jun Wang.

The following faculty completed the UIS Peer Review of Teaching Program, a developmental initiative focused on strengthening instructional practices: Brandon Derman, BJ Fletcher, Jennifer Martin and Anna Payne.

Tenure, promotions and sabbaticals announced

Faculty recommended for tenure:

• Sahar Farshadkhah, Management Information Systems, College of Business and Management
• Tim Hakenewerth, Counseling and Social Work, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Xiang Huang, Computer Science, College of Health, Science and Technology
• Sunshin Lee, Computer Science, College of Health, Science and Technology
• Yifei Li, Mathematical Sciences and Philosophy, College of Health, Science and Technology
• Sara Olivares, English, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Trung Pham, Accounting, Economics and Finance, College of Business and Management
• Daniel Platt, Legal Studies, College of Public Affairs and Education
• Yuan Wen, Management, Marketing and Operations, College of Business and Management

Faculty recommended for promotion to full professor:

• Brytton Bjorngaard, Art, Music, & Theatre, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
• Ty Dooley, Public Management and Policy, College of Public Affairs and Education
• Shipra Gupta, Management, Marketing and Operations, College of Business and Management
• Arwi Sai Kriz, Public Management and Policy, College of Public Affairs and Education
• Ann Strahle, Communication and Media, College of Public Affairs and Education
• Megan Styles, Integrated Sciences, Sustainability and Public Health, College of Health, Science and Technology
• Tih-Fen Ting, Integrated Sciences, Sustainability and Public Health, College of Health, Science and Technology
• John Transue, Politics and International Affairs, College of Public Affairs and Education

Faculty recognized for emeritus status:

• Beverly Bunch, Public Management and Policy
• Vickie Cook, Education
• Karl McDermott, Accounting, Economics and Finance

Sabbatical leaves recommended for the 2026-27 academic year:

• Deborah Anthony, Legal Studies
• Rick Funderburg, Public Management and Policy
• Xiang Huang, Computer Science
• Jennifer Manthei, Sociology/Anthropology
• Jason Pierceson, Politics and International Affairs
• Magic Wade, Politics and International Affairs
• Livia Arndal Woods, English

Livia Arndal Woods was also named the recipient of the Harry and Deborah Berman Sabbatical Award, which provides supplemental funding to support sabbatical projects.

All tenure, promotion, sabbatical and emeritus status recommendations are subject to approval by the University of Illinois Board of Trustees.