Ithaca College

At the annual recognition and awards program, assistant professor of music performance Read Gainsford was presented with the Energy East Foundation Teaching Excellence Award; professor of organizational communication, learning, and design Diane Gayeski was given the Excellence in Scholarship Award; and associate professor of therapeutic recreation and leisure services Janice Elich Monroe received the Excellence in Service Award.

The service and scholarship awards are sponsored by the College; the teaching award is sponsored by the Energy East Foundation through the Independent College Fund of New York. Candidates are nominated by members of the campus community and reviewed by the Faculty Development Committee and recipients of the excellence awards from the previous year. Honorees receive $1,000 and released time from courses.

Read Gainsford

The criteria for the teaching excellence award are subject mastery, presentation, dedication to teaching, and the ability to successfully interact with students. In a letter of support, professor of music performance Phiroze Mehta called Gainsford "the most talented pianist and teacher and valuable faculty member I have seen in the 28 years I've been on the College piano faculty."

In another letter, one of Gainsford's students, Peter Cirka wrote, "Professor Gainsford has the finest communicative and effective teaching methods I've ever seen. His students cannot help but shine. In the two years I've studied with him, I've accomplished things that before had only been dreams."

As a performance faculty member, Gainsford concentrates on private studio teaching of piano majors. This requires a very high level of individual focus.

"His approaches to aural and sensory skills are extremely challenging, but they are liberating to the musical intelligence of his students," says professor of music performance Patrice Pastore. "He is a musician's musician and a teacher's teacher."

Diane Gayeski

The Excellence in Scholarship Award recognizes exemplary and creative contributions to knowledge. Gayeski has fulfilled these criteria by producing an internationally recognized body of work on business performance improvement, organizational learning and communication, and educational technologies.

"Diane Gayeski's scholarly work is stunning," wrote Gordon Rowland, associate professor and chair of the Department of Organizational Communication, Learning, and Design. "Her scholarship is strongly grounded in theory, but it is neither deeply theoretical nor highly abstract. Rather, its strength is in the concrete reality of professional practice."

The author of 13 books and scores of articles, Gayeski is a frequent speaker at conferences and executive briefings. In addition, she has led over 300 projects for clients worldwide to help them assess and adopt new communications technologies and management systems. Her work has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and ComputerWorld.

"Very, very few scholars have the ability to shape, shift, and adjust their work for a variety of audiences and constituencies," wrote professor of cinema and photography Patricia Zimmermann. "Being able to bridge the gap between theory and practice has identified Diane Gayeski as one of the leading thinkers in media technology applications in organizations."

Janice Elich Monroe

The Excellence in Service award recognizes continued and exceptional contributions to the College, the larger community, and the discipline. In her 12-year association with the College, Monroe has been intensely involved in her department, school, college, professional association, and community.

"In multiple contexts Janice Monroe has promoted academic excellence, experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and diversity," wrote Linda Heyne, associate professor and chair of therapeutic recreation and leisure services.

Monroe's commitment to interdisciplinary learning is evident in her leadership role with the Gerontology Institute and the Interdisciplinary Internship Coordinators Committee. Her efforts in those areas resulted in two major interdisciplinary grant projects. She is also involved in curriculum initiatives, as evidenced by her service on the provost's task force on the development of core experiences for Ithaca College students.

Monroe has demonstrated a strong commitment to student learning by participating in the All-College Mentoring Program and the Summer Faculty Institute on Multicultural Training and Curriculum Transformation. She is also involved in several national professional organizations, including the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.

Photo -- from left to right: President Peggy R. Williams; associate professor of therapeutic recreation and leisure services Janice Elich Monroe; professor of organizational communication, learning, and design Diane Gayeski; provost and vice president for academic affairs Peter Bardaglio; and assistant professor of music performance Read Gainsford.

Contributed by Keith Davis