Faculty Honors Convocation 2023 Three Crean College Faculty Members Take Home Top Awards

Each year, the Office of the Provost and the Faculty Senate co-host the Faculty Awards Convocation honoring members of the Chapman University faculty for teaching, scholarship, and research. We are delighted to report that three Crean College faculty members took home top prizes.

Dr. Amy Moors Assistant Professor,  Psychology has been chosen to receive the 2023-2025 Wang-Fradkin Assistant Professorship award. This award is the most significant recognition given by to a junior faculty member whose research/scholarship is exceptional. The Wang-Fradkin professorships are named in honor of Hua-Cheng Wang, a distinguished political scientist and diplomat, and Dr. Cheng-Mei Wang Fradkin, who was professor of biology and chair of the Division of Natural Science until her death in 1983. Originally founded by Dr. Fradkin as a fellowship in 1982 in honor of her father, the University in 1996 changed the award to a professorship and added the name of Dr. Fradkin to honor both scholars. Today the Wang-Fradkin Professorship recognizes exceptional merit in scholarly and creative activity. Dr. Moors’ research program focuses on the impact of inequity on people’s belonging and well-being in intimate and professional contexts. Dr. Moors studies the relationships people have with others (romantic partners, family, colleagues) and with broader institutions (workplaces, marriage). Much of her research addresses issues related to gender, sexuality, diversity, and well-being. Dr. Moors’ name will appear on the Wang-Fradkin plaque exhibited in the Doy and Dee Henley Reading Room of the Leatherby Libraries and she will receive a financial contribution to her research.

Dr. Brennan Peterson, Professor, Marriage and Family Therapy was this year’s recipient of Crean College’s award for Overall Faculty Excellence. Chapman’s Faculty Excellence awards are given by the Faculty Research and Development Council and the Provost’s Office. Recipients are chosen by their peers for their exceptional contributions to the university. He shared, “It’s really meaningful to win this award because there are so many great faculty in Crean whose work and efforts deserve to be recognized. It’s also a huge honor that this happened during my 20th year at Chapman. Over the past month, it really began to sink in just how significant that is. I love being at Chapman and am truly grateful to work in an environment where I’ve been so supported by so may great colleagues in my journey.”

We are please to congratulate Dr. Dave Frederick, Associate Professor of Psychology for receiving  the 2023-2024 Valerie Scudder Award in recognition of outstanding achievement in teaching, scholarly/creative activity, and service to the university. This award is given in recognition of exceptional contributions in teaching, research, and scholarship. Recipient of Crean College’s award for overall faculty excellence. Recipients for this award are chosen by their peers for their exceptional contributions. The Valerie Scudder Award was the first award of merit to be given to faculty members by the university. It began around 1980, when trustee Valerie Scudder, a returning adult student to Chapman College, approached the administrators with her desire to honor faculty for their excellence. The first Valerie Scudder Awards were handed out to Virginia Carson, Jim Doti, the late Ron Huntington, Shari Kuchenbecker and the late Ronald Thronson.

Dr. Frederick remarked, “It is a true honor to be selected for the award.  Faculty, staff, and students faced immense challenges over the past three years, and I was incredibly fortunate to work with many wonderful research assistants and students in classes whose efforts and achievements during this time were truly remarkable.  Mentoring these students and seeing them develop as people and scholars has provided a continuing source of inspiration for me.  I am also incredibly grateful for the amazing leadership and colleagues we have had in the psychology department, it has provided me with the opportunity to develop as a mentor and a scholar.  Since I joined the faculty 11 years ago, it has been very exciting to see the Chapman grow in impressive ways, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to the university.”

Congratulations to our award-winning professors!