Researchers Saluted
Faculty Members Recognized by University
East Carolina University honored some its faculty members Feb. 20 at the second annual Research and Creative Activity Awards Ceremony.
Researchers were presented with the Lifetime Research and Creative Activity Award, the Five-Year Research and Creative Activity Award, the Scholarship of Engagement Award, and the Coastal-Maritime Council Coastal Scholar Award. ECU also recognized three inventors who received patents in 2017 and its Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy members.
A researcher who’s spent more than two decades working to help older drivers be safer drivers, Anne Dickerson, professor of occupational therapy, was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award for accomplishments made throughout her 24-year career at ECU.
Dickerson’s work focuses on senior driving safety, including the tools used by occupational therapists to assess senior driving fitness. Her research often contemplates the effect loss of driving mobility has on the life of seniors, with a focus on prolonging a person’s driving lifespan and maintaining community engagement.
“It is a privilege to work with outstanding graduate students and peers, interdisciplinary colleagues from around the world, and the wonderful citizens of eastern North Carolina who volunteer to be participants so that we can contribute to the research of how to improve and maintain driving safety for older adults and drivers with medical conditions,” Dickerson said.
Chris Geyer is presented the Five-Year Research and Creative Activity Award by ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton.
John Hoppenthaler is presented the Five-Year Research and Creative Activity Award by ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton.
Sharon Rogers Moore is presented the Scholarship of Engagement Award by ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton.
Jacob Hochard is presented the Coastal-Maritime Council Coastal Scholar Award by ECU Chancellor Cecil Staton.
Christopher Geyer, associate professor of anatomy and cell biology, and John Hoppenthaler, professor of English, received Five-Year Research and Creative Activity awards. The awards are presented to faculty members whose work over the past five years has made an impact on their field of study.
Geyer’s research focuses on mammalian spermatogenesis – the production of mature sperm in mammals. His lab, which he started at ECU in 2010, is interested in uncovering the basic mechanisms that regulate the production of sperm that are essential for male fertility. He also uses spermatogenesis as a tractable model system to study stem cell dynamics.
Hoppenthaler, who joined ECU’s faculty more than 10 years ago, began his literary career by writing and publishing essay reviews and interviews with poets Jean Valentine and Michael Waters. During his career at ECU, he has published 60 new poems in high-quality literary journals, had 30 poems reprinted in literary anthologies, conducted and published 69 interviews with significant poets and has presented 30 papers.
The ceremony also recognized associate professor of health education and promotion Sharon Rogers Moore with the Scholarship of Engagement Award. Moore’s tenure spans 11 years at ECU, with her research focusing on the emergency preparedness of high school athletics. Her research has been used to develop athletic safety programs in rural high schools of underserved northeastern North Carolina counties.
Vice Chancellor of Research, Economic Development and Engagement Jay Golden said that ECU’s award winners are helping the university raise its research profile.
“Our award winners are part of an excellent group of faculty members undertaking valuable research projects that not only affect the ECU community, but others around the world,” Golden said. “Faculty members like our award winners are leaders in helping us increase our commitment to research. They should be proud of the hard work that went into this honor.”
Economics professor Jacob Hochard was named the Coastal-Maritime Council Coastal Scholar Award winner. The Office of Innovation and New Ventures recognized Mark Mannie, Qun Lu and Yan-Hua Chen for receiving patents last year. The Office of Community Engagement and Research also recognized Patricia Clark, Bernice Dodor, Randall Etheridge, Lynne Murphy, April Reed, Sachiyo Shearman, and Matthew Whited as part of the Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy.