The College of Health Sciences distributed end-of-semester awards to faculty and staff members during the College’s annual holiday event Dec. 11. Dean Patrick Vivier and Associate Deans Deb Riebe and Brian Quilliam handed out awards for excellence in research, teaching and service, as well as a staff excellence awards.
The categories and winners, along with comments from the dean’s office, include:
Staff Excellence Award: Suzanne Horton (HDF)
Horton is the glue that holds the Department of Human Development and Family Science together. She is always willing to do whatever is needed and has taken on critical roles including budget management, class enrollments, securing part-time faculty, scheduling classes, and purchasing. For more than 10 years, she has been essential to aiding job candidates during the search process and onboarding new faculty. She has demonstrated her commitment to HDF through steadfast, calm support of four department chairs, which has been critical to HDF’s sustained success and collaborative nature over the last decade. As one faculty member said, “Suzanne is always my go to person for pretty much everything and she makes my life so much easier. She goes above and beyond in her role.”
Excellence in Teaching Award: Professor Liz Grubel (HDF)
Grubel is an exceptional educator whose passionate and innovative approach to teaching significantly enhances the educational experience of her students. With a commitment to high-quality, thoughtful instruction, she embodies the principles of best practice—ensuring equity for all students, emphasizing the application of theory to practice, and utilizing evidence-based teaching methods. Gruebel’s ability to engage students both inside and outside the classroom is truly remarkable. She revitalized the HDF Undergraduate Club and organizes multiple events each semester on essential topics such as graduate school, professional development, and networking. Her exceptional interpersonal skills enhance the department’s connections with students, addressing their evolving academic and professional needs. As suggested by a student, “Liz is hands down the best teacher at URI. Her lectures are detailed and meaningful; I have never learned so much from a class until I took one with Liz. She truly deserves recognition; she is the best in the world.”
Excellence in Service Award: Associate Professor Steven Cohen (HLT)
A few of Cohen’s many highlights include serving as a faculty senator, serving as faculty advisor for the URI Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, and being a member of the (URI)2 Steering Committee. Cohen served on the Graduate Data Science Committee, which developed a master’s program in data science. He has chaired or served as a member of more than 60 dissertation, thesis, and comprehensive exam committees, and eight faculty searches. Cohen’s service to his profession is equally impressive. He was elected chair of the 1,300-member American Public Health Association Aging and Public Health Section, and served on the planning committee for the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Workshop on Advancing Equity in Diagnostic Excellence to Reduce Health Disparities. Cohen is a standing member of the NIH National Institute on Aging Study Panel and serves as editor-in-chief of Health Care Analysis, deputy editor of Journal of Public Health Policy, and statistical editor for Clinical Infectious Disease.
Excellence in Research Award: Dr. Jing Jian Xiao (HDF)
Xiao is a distinguished scholar in consumer behavior, personal finance, and household economics. His extensive body of work—including 44 published papers in the last four years alone—demonstrates a steadfast commitment to advancing knowledge. Recently recognized as one of the top 10 most prolific authors in core financial planning, Xiao’s contributions are both numerous and impactful. His impressive academic credentials are further underscored by his recognition in the top 2 percent of scientists in his field worldwide. With more than 16,000 Google Scholar citations, an h-index of 58, and an i10-index of 123, Xiao’s research not only resonates widely but also profoundly impacts the academic and professional landscape. His role as a member of the editorial boards for several journals underscores his influence and leadership in the academic community. As the editor of the Journal of Financial Counseling and Planning, Xiao has significantly enhanced the journal’s quality and reputation.