1st Annual Faculty & Staff
Appreciation & Awards Banquet PROGRAM
In celebration of the dedicated service and outstanding achievements of La Sierra University faculty and staff
2ND MARCH '23 THURS 5:30 PM TROESH CENTER
Dear Colleagues,
As a valued member of our faculty and staff, you belong to a community whose collective purpose is to inspire students to impact the world by living God’s grace.
Inspiration through grace manifests in countless ways— teaching a class, coaching a game, sharing a meal, enjoying a conversation, helping a student navigate the admissions process—the possibilities to demonstrate God’s grace to our students are endless. The key to our ability to fulfill our purpose is YOU, our dedicated, gifted, talented, faculty and staff.
We could not do this work without you. Our faculty and staff are the most integral part of our ability to serve our students at La Sierra University.
So, this evening, I am deeply honored to welcome you, to this, YOUR event. We are here to celebrate you, to thank you, and to show you in both tangible and non-tangible ways, our deep appreciation.
Some of you will be recognized tonight for your years of service. Some of you will receive an award for faculty achievement. Some of you will be honored for your exemplary commitment to La Sierra’s mission. Others are here to celebrate with peers and enjoy good food and conversation. We appreciate all who are here this evening.
Everyone in this room makes a difference in the lives of our campus, every day. And for that, I am deeply grateful. Thank you.
Joy A. Fehr, PhD President
Faculty & Staff Appreciation & Awards Banquet
PROGRAM
Welcome and Prayer
Jason Decena, Campus Chaplain
Opening Remarks
Joy Fehr, President
Dinner and Conversation
Faculty and Staff Service Awards
Dell Jean Van Fossen, Director, Human Resources
Musical Selection
Jair Garcia Oliver, trumpet
Dr. Kimo Smith, pianist
Jay J. Nethery Service Award
Joy Fehr, President
Distinguished Faculty Awards
April Summitt, Provost
Musical Selection
Tashyanna Simpson, vocalist
Dr. Kimo Smith, pianist
Closing Prayer
Jason Decena, Campus Chaplain
*Pre-ceremony musical selections, Natasha Thomas, harp
P1
2023 Jay J. Nethery Award
Josefina Hadley, Associate Director, Physical Plant, Facilities Operations
Josefina Hadley, or Josie as she is known by most on campus, has worked at La Sierra University for nearly six years. Her broad responsibilities in her current position encompass oversight of the custodial department, event coordination, maintenance repair management, quality assurance inspections, vendor oversight and general department leadership. She functions as a “hands-on” manager who enjoys working alongside other university teams.
Josie says it has been a privilege to work at La Sierra’s beautiful campus and particularly to serve its students as they navigate their educational life journey. This quarter she supervises between 10 and 11 student employees including a special-needs student whose progress into a dependable, happy and productive worker has been a source of joy.
Josie has worked in facilities management for more than 30 years in various industries including entertainment, healthcare, and education. Each role has been a rewarding, educational journey leading to her position at La Sierra.
P8
2022 Anees A. Haddad Award
Jere Fox, Associate Professor of Law & Management, (Retired) Zapara School of Business
Professor Fox, a La Sierra alumnus, joined the university’s faculty in 2011 following a 33-year law career. He served on and participated in various committees, councils, task forces, projects, programs, and presentations. He also served twice as a senior class faculty sponsor and of the Black Student Union. Prof. Fox’s 11-year Faculty Senate tenure included twice serving as chair. In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic he played a key role in the university's response.
2022 Distinguished Scholarship Award
Tim Musso, Associate Professor of Art, Brandstater Gallery Dir.
Artist, illustrator, and author Tim Musso’s exploration of the natural world has resulted in extensive visual documentation that becomes the reference material for detailed lithograph drawings, etchings and woodcuts. An upcoming book titled "Chasing the Sun" which he wrote and illustrated, draws upon his trek through the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. His artworks appear in exhibits internationally and major museum collections. Professor Musso creates opportunities for students, such as art-related field trips and conference presentations.
P9
2022 Verla Rae Kwiram Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
David Kendall, Associate Professor of Music
Associate Chair, Department of Music
Dr. Kendall is an historical musicologist with interests in Spanish colonial music in the former Spanish colonial world, especially the Philippines. He has conducted research around the United States as well as in the Philippines and Mexico. In 2016, Dr. Kendall was granted a sabbatical to conduct documentary research on liturgical music in the Philippines where he also held the position of Visiting Professor of Musicology at the University of the Philippines College of Music.
2021 Anees A.Haddad Award
Lloyd Trueblood, Associate Professor of Biology
As a marine invertebrate physiologist, Dr. Trueblood’s research focuses on how organisms adapt to changing environments. Acting on a deeply-held belief in shared governance, during his 13-year tenure at La Sierra, Dr. Trueblood has held several positions including Faculty Senator for 10 years, Faculty Senate Parliamentary and Faculty Senate Steering Committee positions, for five years each, La Sierra University Strategic Planning Committee for nine years, and Biology Department chairship for nearly eight years.
P10
2021 Distinguished Service Award
Margaret Solomon, Professor, Administration & Leadership,
School of Education
Dr. Margaret Solomon grew up in southern India where she attended Spicer Memorial College. After immigrating to the U.S., she taught in Michigan public schools for 23 years and seven years at the University of Redlands, arriving at La Sierra University in 2010. She was twice named a Fulbright Visiting Scholar for her educational work in India and in 2022 was recognized as Professional Life Woman of the Year by the Association of Adventist Women.
2021 Verla Rae Kwiram Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Enoch Hwang, Professor of Computer Science Chair, Department of Computer Science
Dr. Hwang is fascinated with computers and excited about sharing his knowledge. As a result, he wrote the Digital Logic and Microprocessor Design textbook that is used by many universities and dedicated over 30 years to computer science education. This has involved serving as a visiting professor to universities in China and Ghana, the organization of numerous robotics camps for local youths, and a computer innovation lab donation for Riverside’s new Youth Innovation Center.
P11
2020 Anees A.Haddad Award
Dora Clarke-Pine, Associate Professor, School Psychology & Counseling, School of Education
Dr. Clarke-Pine joined La Sierra’s faculty in 1995. She was accepted into a postdoctoral fellowship in 1989 with Loma Linda University’s psychiatric department, then moved to Southern Adventist University until 2002 before returning home to La Sierra University. She earned a school psychologist credential in 2005. Prior to teaching, Dr. Clarke-Pine served six years in the U.S. military as a commissioned officer. She received the National Defense Service Medal for service during the Persian Gulf War.
2020 Distinguished Teaching Award (In Memoriam)
Elias G. Rizkallah, Professor of Marketing & Management 2001 - 2021, Zapara School of Business
A noted scholar and accomplished private-sector practitioner, Dr. Rizkallah graduated first in his class in 1974 with a BBA in marketing and management from Beirut’s Lebanese University. At La Sierra University, he chaired the Department of Management and Marketing and served as faculty liaison with the Zapara school’s Office of External Degree Program Services. He invested intensively in program quality enhancements, valued his students, extended kindnesses to many, and was an esteemed member of the campus community.
P12
Faculty & Staff Appreciation & Awards
of those in our campus community without whom this event would not have occurred:
Juliana Baioni
Ken Khan
Darla Martin Tucker
Lovelyn Razzouk
Marjorie Robinson
Dell Jean Van Fossen
Kasandra Smith
Traci Spedden
La Loma Federal Credit Union for their generous support
#LaSierraTogether
