2004 President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service

Faculty members are recognized for their contributions to the development and implementation of university policies and programs through non-administrative roles, while continuing to teach and pursue scholarship.
John P. Bruno profile picture

John P. Bruno

Professor
Department of Psychology

 


John P. Bruno has broadly served The Ohio State University during his 17-year tenure, epitomizing the ideal university citizen. His service record is diverse and voluminous, and he often assumes a leadership role on the committees on which he serves. His service activities involve four major areas of focus — faculty governance, student affairs, research and intercollegiate athletics, and include, among others, membership on the University Senate, Athletic Council, Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Honors Faculty Advisory Council and as the university's Faculty Athletics representative to the president. He has exhibited almost limitless generosity in his willingness to overlay his very full academic life of research and teaching with important service activities. He is considered fair, open and honest — someone who listens well and asks probing questions. Additionally, his understanding of human nature and political contexts of the university has enabled him to lead disparate committee members in achieving resolutions. The quality and energy that he brings to his university service also carries into his classrooms and is reflected in his membership in the Academy of Teaching Excellence. Bruno received his Ph.D. in psychology from Johns Hopkins University.

Richard Gunther profile picture

Richard Gunther

Professor
Department of Political Science

 


Richard Gunther has been defined as a "triple-threat" faculty member in service, teaching and research who serves as a model for excellence in his profession. He has served in many leadership capacities during his 27 years at Ohio State, including membership on the University Senate Fiscal Committee, Faculty Council and Research and Graduate Council. Most recently, he mobilized support for university funding in the face of proposed drastic state budget cuts that culminated in a public rally for education. Many believe his efforts were instrumental in effecting a positive outcome for higher education. Gunther's intelligence, forcefulness and commitment to marshaling persuasive evidence are his hallmark traits. Well-known for his ability to convince others, one nominator acknowledged that Gunther had persuaded him to change his mind in more than one departmental affair. He is recognized for his ability to define an issue, do homework to arrive at a position and then tirelessly argue for this position. He expresses a constant willingness to concentrate on what is best for Ohio State, effectively focusing his energy and efforts on the greater good. Gunther received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of California at Berkeley.

Russell M. Pitzer profile picture

Russell M. Pitzer

Professor
Department of Chemistry

 


Recognizing a need for high-performance computing, Russell M. Pitzer is credited with being a key force behind the creation and success of the Ohio Supercomputer Center on Ohio State's campus. He subsequently organized OARnet, a statewide computer network that provides access to the Supercomputer Center, so that today, more than 500,000 faculty, students and staff are served at any one time by the supercomputer, and more than 90 higher education research institutions are able to use the OARnet facilities. His grasp of computing technology, as well as his ability to get things done, led administrators to ask him to serve in acting and interim director positions during leadership transitions at the center. Noted for his quiet demeanor, Pitzer nevertheless is someone who is able to make big things happen without concern for his own possible rewards, accomplishing this through a desire to understand the problem, dogged pursuit of information and impartial interactions with others. He is often sought after to serve on committees and has held leadership roles on the University Senate as chair of the Council on Academic Affairs, on the Undergraduate Curriculum Review Committee and with the Promotion and Tenure Committee in his college. A professor of chemistry, Pitzer earned his doctorate in chemical physics from Harvard University.

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