2026 Academic Awards

The Charles A. Brickman Teaching Excellence Award was established by the Brickman family to recognize a faculty member whose teaching is a model of dedication to students and to student learning. The recipient should be someone who embraces the teaching and mentoring of students as a calling.

Today we recognize a colleague whose teaching seeks to educate the whole person, helping students transition from the mentality of high school students to that of independent learners with the ability to think for themselves, communicate effectively, and embrace lifelong learning.

Our colleague teaches “a large and diverse range of subjects” at all levels of the curriculum, and rather than relying on just one pedagogical approach, incorporates elements of different theories into teaching practice. While students at lower-level courses work to build their foundational competencies, students in upper-level courses build on that foundation to develop mastery in the lab setting and in the real world.

Throughout her courses, our colleague encourages students to develop a deeper appreciation for the norms and traditions of others, especially important in an age with unprecedented access to diverse societies across the world. Whether it is helping students practice new language skills through the use of films, songs, and performances, helping students learn their grammar through the use of 17th and 18th century fairytales, or supervising students in Martinique during the summer, our colleague works tirelessly to foster a strong sense of community among her students. She can often be found discussing papers and oral presentations with a group of students around the fireplace in her home after a meal of home-cooked French food, and sharing the works of Nobel Literature prize winner Andre Gide.

For her inventive integration of multiple pedagogical approaches into her instruction, her creative infusion of cultural studies into linguistic skill development, and her leadership in the French program at Denison, and on behalf of her colleagues who have selected her for this award, I am honored to present the Charles A. Brickman Teaching Excellence Award to Christine Armstrong, professor of French.

The Bonar Family Mentorship and Teaching Excellence Award was established by the family of the late Emeritus Professor of Mathematics, Don Bonar. The recipient of the award will have demonstrated a clear commitment to outstanding teaching and to the advancement of liberal education through inspiring, advising, and mentoring students throughout their college careers and beyond.

The colleague we honor today is recognized as a mature and effective teacher who tries new pedagogies and connects effectively with students at all levels of the curriculum. Described as “the quintessential liberal arts professor” and a “master of the class,” this colleague is adept at “finding ways to engage students where they are,” adapting his research to be accessible and providing avenues for his students to explore research techniques and participate meaningfully in his research program.

Lauded for his willingness to step up and take on work that needs to be done, including teaching numerous overloads and teaching classes outside his specialty or department, this colleague is committed to an “academic life worth living” with a special focus on the experience and success of learners from underrepresented populations.

Viewing summer research as an “intense interaction that is incredibly important for student growth,” with a special focus on mentoring women majors to persist on towards graduate study, this colleague also works with the Office of Admission to engage with applicants interested in computer science even before they matriculate.

His research is focused on the intersection of mathematics, computer science, and statistics, and his sports analytics work and his work with machine learning are examples of how he has adapted his research interests to meet the needs of his department and those he teaches.

For his commitment to the liberal arts, his dedication to the field of Computer Science, and his investment in his students at all levels of the curriculum, and On behalf of his colleagues who have selected him for this award, I am honored to present the Bonar Family Mentorship and Teaching Award to Matt Kretchmar, professor of computer science.

The Dr. David Baker Research and Scholarship Excellence Award is awarded to a tenured faculty member for distinguished and sustained research, scholarly, or creative work over the arc of their career. The faculty member will have produced a substantial body of published scholarship or creative work of the highest quality, and the work will be nationally or internationally recognized in their field. The awardee also will have shown a commitment to the liberal arts and to Denison through a record of engagement on Denison’s campus.

Today we recognize a colleague who has an extraordinary record of scholarly production which includes: 63 peer-reviewed publications, 27 professional conference presentations, and 13 invited seminars and lectures. Our colleague is recognized as an expert in the field, serving as a manuscript reviewer for 25 different publications, as a reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, as a judge for presentations for both graduate and undergraduate students, a peer-reviewer for conference research proposals, and as a panel reviewer for the National Science Foundation.

While our colleague has a tremendously sustained and distinguished record of scholarship, she is also a “firm believer in the value of the liberal arts” and seeks to “foster a willingness and confidence” in her students as she works to build connections with them through her teaching and service.

Our colleague has expanded her connections in surprising new ways as she transitioned to teaching in a program outside her home department which required her to relearn and implement new pedagogical approaches, learn new content, and build successful new courses. She is passionate about finding ways to ensure that Denison is an equitable and inclusive institution and has worked to expand participation in the annual Summer Scholars Symposium, the Anderson Scholarship for Excellence in Science, and in her work with the S-STEM grant from the National Science Foundation.

Her research on the Interactions between Native and Non-native Fish, the Impacts of Fish in Aquatic Communities, her research on the ecology of turtles, and her new research into tick surveillance, all seek to answer important questions related to environmental and population health.

For her work as a population and community ecologist, and her commitment to her students and the Denison community, and on behalf of her colleagues who have selected her for this award, I am honored to present the David Baker Research and Scholarship Excellence Award to Jessica Rettig, professor of biology.

Dea is a biochemistry major who has distinguished herself as a deep critical and creative thinker whose questions and curiosity both delight and stump her professors. With a goal of becoming an M.D. or Ph.D., she has already completed rigorous undergraduate research that has been presented at the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology annual conference and published in the prestigious Journal of Biological Chemistry. 

Dea has worked as a summer scholar, a research intern, a teaching assistant, a tutor, and a peer-learning strategist. She has won multiple department awards, is part of the Denison scholar-leader program, and is a member of the Phi Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta. Her professors describe her as exceptional and note that in every measurable way — academic distinction, research productivity, intellectual maturity, leadership, and service — Dea exemplifies the very highest ideals of Denison scholarship.

A double major in classical studies and English literature with minors in ancient Greek and Latin languages, Eliana has built up a remarkable scholarly resume. She has completed multiple independent summer research projects and senior research with distinction, which her mentors compare to masters level work. And along with acceptance to competitive summer and semester-long programs while at Denison, including the American School of Classical Studies, she has received offers to prestigious graduate programs.

She has published in the journals Exile and Articulate, Denison’s student-run literary periodicals, and served as an editor for the latter. And she has used her aptitude for ancient languages to tutor her peers and work alongside them in such endeavors as translating an entire Euripides play and then adapting that play for a student audience. Eliana has received numerous awards in both her majors and is a member of the Phi Society and Eta Sigma Phi. Her professors call her an academic and intellectual powerhouse who has distinguished herself as a thinker, writer, poet, performer, interpreter, and leader.

Lewis is a double major in chemistry and mathematics who is doing research far beyond his years. Although his next step is a Ph.D. in chemistry, his professors agree that he would excel in multiple graduate programs, including math, computer science, and physics. Lewis has a first-author publication in the premier journal Nanoscale and is a regular participant in summer research and the American Chemical Society conference. 

He supports his peers as a teaching assistant, tutor, and mentor and regularly attends department events and seminars. He is also the recipient of numerous awards and prizes and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa as a junior. In summing up Lewis’s achievements, his professors say he combines extraordinary intellectual ability with unusual maturity, independence, and scholarly discipline.