Excellence at Work: Faculty honors

YSU Faculty and Staff Scholarly Achievements

John Feldmeier, professor of Astronomy, is Chief Imaging Scientist for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment, which recently began full scientific operations. HEDTEX is a large international consortium that involves about 100 scientists; Feldmeier has been part of the collaboration since 2011. The experiment will create a three-dimensional map of 2.5 million galaxies to help astronomers understand how and why the expansion of the universe is speeding up over time. A news release updating the project includes a photo of a galaxy, M101, that was imaged in part by data that Feldmeier took a number of years ago. Feldmeier earned a PhD from Penn State University and joined the YSU faculty in 2006.

Christopher Barzak, professor of English and World Languages, has won the Whippoorwill Award for his most recent novel, The Gone Away Place. The award is presented by the National Conference for Teachers of English. The Gone Away Place is Barzak’s fourth novel, all award-winning works. His debut novel, One for Sorrow, won the Crawford Fantasy Award and was made into the Sundance feature film titled “Jamie Marks is Dead.” 

Bookauthority.org ranks a book written by Paul Sracic, professor of Politics and International Relations, among the “100 Best Constitutional Law Books of All Time.” The rankings are based on recommendations by thought leaders and experts. Sracic’s 2006 book is titled San Antonio v. Rodriguez and the Pursuit of Equal Education: The Debate over Discrimination and School Funding. A former two-time Fulbright Scholar in Japan, Sracic has delivered more than 50 international lectures in Europe and Asia. He is also the co-author of the 2015 book, Ohio Government and Politics.

Victoria Kress, professor of Psychological Sciences and Counseling, has been elected president of the North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. NCACES is a professional association that advances counselor education across 13 states. Kress also received the Ohio Counseling Association’s David Brooks Distinguished Mentor Award recognizing an individual who is willing to serve, teaches responsibility and creates new paths in the counseling profession. 

Amy Williams, assistant professor of Psychological Sciences and Counseling, has been elected as the president of the Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. 

Jake Protivnak, professor and Counseling Program director, received the Ohio Counseling Association’s Research and Writing Award for extraordinary research and writing. The award was announced at the virtual 2020 All Ohio Counselors Conference.

Nancy Walker-McCain, adjunct faculty, Psychology, has been named the Mahoning County Children Services Agency’s first-ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. Walker-McCain, who holds a bachelor’s degree in Religious Studies and two master’s degrees (Business and Community Counseling), has experience in counseling, was a founding board member of the Ohio Multiethnic Advocates for Cultural Competence and on the board of the Ohio’s National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Lillian Lewis, assistant professor of Art Education, is the 2020 recipient of the State Division Award for Supervision, Policy and Administration from the Ohio Art Education Association. Lewis, who holds a PhD in Art Education from Penn State University and joined the YSU faculty in 2015, also was recently one of 39 artist educators invited to participate in an international symposium entitled “What Happens at the Intersection of Conceptual Art and Teaching?” Watch Lewis’ presentation on YouTube. She also was invited by Sacramento State University to give an invited lecture on Anti-Bias Training to students, staff and faculty.