SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The pandemic delayed the celebration of faculty award winners who are formally recognized during Wofford College’s Commencement exercises.
Dr. Cissy Fowler, associate professor and department chair of sociology and anthropology, has been awarded the Philip Covington Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Humanities and Social Sciences. Dr. Stefanie Baker, professor of biology and associate chair of the department, has been awarded the Roger Milliken Award for Excellence in the Teaching of Science.
“Cissy and Stefanie demonstrate consistent excellence as teacher-scholars, and they are held in high regard by their peers and students,” says Mike Sosulski, Wofford’s provost. “They deserve thunderous applause for their many contributions and leadership at Wofford College.”
Fowler was recognized for her “record of consistent excellence in teaching and advising,” as well as her published monograph on the cultural significance of fire. She is also the recipient of a faculty Fulbright grant to conduct research in Indonesia. She served as co-editor of the 2018 book “Fire Otherwise: Ethnobiology of Burning for a Changing World,” which was published by University of Utah Press. She also authored a chapter in the book and co-authored the introduction.
Baker has conducted research with students and Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) faculty. She is also recognized as “a strong leader in teaching excellence at Wofford.”
Both awards include cash prizes.
The Covington Award winner receives $5,000 a year for three years. One recipient is named annually by the president and academic dean of the college. Funds may be used at the recipient’s discretion for research, travel or other professional development. The award honors Philip Stanhope Sheffield Covington, an academic dean at Wofford from 1953 to 1969. In academic circles, Covington was recognized as creative, a brilliant teacher and a gifted speaker.
The Milliken Award is funded by a $1 million endowment that provides a $50,000 prize ($5,000 annually for up to 10 years) for use in pursuing research, travel and professional development. The award recognizes outstanding performance in the teaching of science. Full-time faculty in all science disciplines – biology, chemistry, environmental studies, computer science, geology, mathematics, physics and psychology – are all eligible. A three-person, off-campus committee composed of business and professional leaders in science selects the recipient from a list of nominees developed and approved by the college provost. The award is named for the late textile magnate Roger Milliken, the longest-serving member of the college’s Board of Trustees.
Wofford College, established in 1854, is a four-year, residential liberal arts college located in Spartanburg, S.C. It offers 27 major fields of study to a student body of 1,764 undergraduates. Nationally known for its strong academic program, outstanding faculty, study abroad participation and successful graduates, Wofford is recognized consistently as a “best value college” and is among the New York Times’ “Top Colleges Doing the Most for the American Dream,” a ranking based on accessibility for low- and middle-income students. The college community enjoys Greek Life as well as 19 NCAA Division I athletics teams.