Office of the President
President’s Lecture Series Features Three Award-Winning Faculty
Widener University showcased the creativity and talents of three faculty award winners at the President’s Lecture Series held recently in Harris Hall.
“Our presenters have shown us what it means to push boundaries, to serve with purpose, and to lead through innovation,” President Stacey Robertson said in kicking off the program. “From transformative research to innovative teaching and meaningful service, each awardee embodies the spirit of curiosity and impact that moves our institution forward.”
The event featured remarks by:
- Associate Professor Hilary Barnes, recipient of the Outstanding Researcher Award that recognizes a faculty member who has exhibited distinction in scholarly work. Barnes teaches in the Jack & Nancy Dwyer School of Nursing and her remarks were titled, “From Role Transition to Health Policy: Research on Nurse Practitioners and Healthcare Delivery.”
Barnes’ research program focuses on understanding and optimizing the roles and impact of nurse practitioners within an evolving healthcare delivery landscape. Her work aims to inform policy, education, and practice to improve healthcare access, quality and value. She is recognized as a national leader on the nurse practitioner workforce, having published in high-impact, interdisciplinary journals.
- Professor Stuart Eimer, recipient of the Civic Engagement Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to students’ understanding of their social responsibilities, and to Widener’s civic engagement in the local or global community through teaching or research. Eimer is co-chair of the Department of Sociology and teaches in the College of Arts & Sciences. His remarks were titled, “What Kind of Civic Engagement.”
Eimer’s civic engagement initiatives are longstanding and have run the gamut from first-year seminars to research, internships and workshops for adult union members. The efforts have included high-impact service-learning classes, such as fundraising to buy bicycles for low-income children in Chester, tutoring in after-school programs and helping to staff food pantries. He has engaged in collaborative work with community partners to evaluate programs, and with union leaders to develop and deliver meaningful educational opportunities for members working for social change.
- Associate Teaching Professor Catherine Safran, recipient of the Fitz Dixon Innovation in Teaching award, recognizing faculty who have designed, implemented and assessed an innovative or experimental teaching and learning project. Safran teaches in the College of Arts & Sciences. Her remarks were titled, “Bridging Instructional & Student Goals Through Peer-Supported Science Courses.”
Safran is the founding director and coordinator of the Widener Learning Assistant program, a structured program that supports the teaching community while fostering student learning. Learning assistants are undergraduate students embedded in the classroom who enhance student belonging and facilitate learning under the guidance and mentorship of course instructors. The program aligns with Widener’s institutional priorities of student retention and the application of high-impact teaching practices.
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