Michael Deschenes, Recipient of Plumeri Award for Faculty Excellence
Recipients of Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence announced
| April 6, 2012Four years ago, Joseph J. Plumeri II ’66, D.P.S. ’11 made a commitment to create the Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence at William & Mary. At the time, he said the goal was to empower the College’s professors to continue to “work passionately to challenge the minds of our exceptional students.”
First awarded in 2009, Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence have touched faculty and students in almost every corner of the campus, and now the College is announcing the 2012 honorees.
Including this year’s cohort, 80 William & Mary faculty members have received this prestigious award and used it to strengthen research, support scholarly publications and travel to conferences and universities around the world. The experiences and knowledge these faculty members gain as a result of this award has a tangible effect on their teaching and students, according to William & Mary Provost Michael R. Halleran.
“Individually, these awards expand opportunities for our faculty and students,” he said. “Collectively, they enhance the teaching and learning that takes place at William & Mary.”
The awards are given to 20 William & Mary faculty members each year in recognition of their exemplary achievements in teaching, research and service. All recipients receive $10,000, which is used for research, summer salaries or other stipends associated with scholarly endeavor.
“The impact these awards have is undeniable and stunning,” Halleran said. “We are infinitely grateful to Joseph Plumeri II for his passion, generosity and dedication to his alma mater.”
Michael R. Deschenes
Professor of Kinesiology and Health Sciences
Professor Deschenes balances excellence in teaching with exceptional scientific productivity. He has served on numerous departmental and campus-wide committees including chairing the Protection of Human Subjects Committee from 2004–2010. He was appointed chair of the Kinesiology and Health Sciences Department on July 1, 2011. In addition to his service to the College, Deschenes is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and serves as an associate editor of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. During his tenure at William & Mary, Deschenes has maintained a highly productive and distinguished research record. He has received consistent funding from the National Institutes of Health and in his 49 peer-reviewed journal articles, undergraduates have been cited as coauthors 45 times. He has also developed five innovative courses during his time at William & Mary that challenge students and prepare them for medical and graduate school. His courses have grown more popular each year, and attract students who may not have considered this discipline before. Deschenes was recognized by the University of Connecticut, where he earned a doctorate in physiology, as Outstanding Alumni Researcher in 2002 and Outstanding Kinesiology Professional in 2003.
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