April 02, 2026
SIU to honor eight 2026 Excellence Award recipients
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale will recognize eight faculty and staff members for superior scholarship and creative endeavors, teaching and service with the 2026 Excellence Awards.
The awards are bestowed annually for exceptional work both in and outside the classroom. The recipients will be recognized during a ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, April 14, in Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium. A reception will follow in the library’s first-floor rotunda.
“The Excellence Award recipients embody the very heart of the Saluki spirit,” Chancellor Austin A. Lane said. “They don’t just dream of a brighter future, they work tirelessly to ensure that our students are able to achieve their dreams, and turn their own individual aspirations into a tangible, positive impact on our community.”
The 2026 SIU Carbondale Excellence Awards recipients are:
- Scholar Excellence Award: James E. Garvey, director, Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, School of Biological Sciences.
- Teaching Excellence Award (tenured and tenure-track): Julia Rendleman, assistant professor, Charlotte Thompson Suhler School of Journalism and Advertising, College of Arts and Media.
- Teaching Excellence Award (non-tenure track): Jody Paulson, clinical associate professor, School of Art and Design, College of Arts and Media.
- Early Career Faculty Excellence Award: Brent Pease, assistant professor, School of Forestry and Horticulture, College of Agricultural, Life, and Physical Sciences.
- Women of Distinction: Maria Claudia Franca, professor, School of Health Sciences (Communication Disorders and Sciences Program) College of Health and Human Sciences.
- Emerging Leader Award: Marquitta Bowman, assistant director, director of training, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Student Health Services, Student Affairs.
- Staff Excellence Award: Cay Gerlock, automotive parts manager, School of Automotive, College of Health and Human Sciences, and Michael “Mickey” Soltys, instructional evaluation specialist, Center for Teaching Excellence, Academic Affairs.