Faculty Honored at Annual Awards Ceremony

Four faculty members were presented with the prestigious President’s Awards for Faculty Excellence.

Janet Astle, from the School of Pharmacy, and Dr. Jessie Goicoechea, from the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, both received the President’s Award for Excellence in Service to the Mission. 

In her almost three decades at Duquesne University, Astle distinguished herself in several roles—as assistant and associate dean for student services, as volunteer for many professional pharmacy organizations and as a school and community leader on the topic of substance use disorder. She created the substance use disorder awareness program and other opportunities to help educate students and the larger community.

Goicoechea is director of clinical training and the director of the Rita M. McGinley Psychology Clinic at the University. Her work focuses on serving others—she devotes countless hours to helping clients and training students. Goicoechea’s efforts are instrumental in ensuring that both the clinic and her students are positioned to positively impact the community and provide relevant, up-to-date care.

The President’s Award for Excellence in Scholarship was given to Dr. Jeffrey Evanseck, professor in the Department of Chemistry in the School of Science and Engineering.

Evanseck is a renowned chemistry, biochemistry and chemical education scholar and researcher. His significant contributions to the field include an extensive list of peer reviewed publications; serving as principal investigator on several high-profile grants; and the numerous presentations he has done at regional and national conferences and universities. Evanseck’s research and collaboration are pivotal to a wide range of faculty projects across the chemistry department and the school.

Senior instructor Sean Tierney from the School of Science and Engineering received the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Consistently praised by his students and peers for the quality of education he provides, Tierney is also known for his genuine enthusiasm and care for his work—and his students. He is known to go above and beyond to make complex course material accessible for his students. Tierney also serves as an AP exam evaluator and as a facilitator for several learning and professional development events across campus. 

Endowed chair holders who were renewed during the ceremony include:

• Sr. Rosemary Donley, The Jacques Laval Chair for Justice for Vulnerable Populations for the School of Nursing
• Stephen Baicker-McKee, The Joseph A. Katarincic Chair of Legal Process and Civil Procedure for the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.
• Dr. John A. Pollock, the Lambert F. Minucci Endowed Chair in Engineering and Computational Sciences for the School of Science and Engineering, was installed as a newly appointed endowed chair. 

In addition, the following faculty were recognized for 25 years of service to Duquesne:

• Dr. David Delmonico, Ph.D., School of Education
• Dr. Mike Dillon, Ph.D., McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts
• Dr. Patrick Juola, Ph.D., School of Science and Engineering
• Dr. David Lampe, Ph.D., School of Science and Engineering
• L. Kathleen Sekula, Ph.D., PMHCNS-BC, FAAFS, FAAN, School of Nursing

Congratulations to all of the University faculty who were recognized and celebrated at the 2023 ceremony.