Varinder M. Sharma
Professor, Marketing
2025 Distinguished Faculty Award for Research
A member of the IUP faculty since 1996, Varinder Sharma has expertise in developing and testing theoretical frameworks in marketing and has produced many high-quality publications. Recently, he enhanced his skills in digital business analytics through programs at Wharton and MIT. Before coming to the US, he worked as a quality control technologist in the Middle East, which gave him a global perspective. He coauthored his first published research as an MBA student, and over time, this interest evolved into an academic research stream in marketing. He has published 40 studies in refereed journals, has made 39 presentations at national and international conferences, and continues to advance academic and applied research in business. Currently, he has two manuscripts under review, and one is progressing toward completion. At IUP, he has worked to develop and upgrade graduate and undergraduate courses to provide students with knowledge and skills to navigate marketplace changes. He has consistently demonstrated a commitment to teaching and mentorship, encouraging students and faculty participation in research. In addition, he has served on various committees of APSCUF, the Eberly College of Business, and the Marketing Department to contribute to the governance and development of IUP.
Jeffrey Santicola
Assistant professor and chair, Hospitality and Employment Relations
2025 Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching
A member of the IUP faculty since 2014, Jeffrey Santicola had spent his entire career in the food service and hospitality industry as an owner, chef, and restaurant general manager before beginning his teaching career in 2004 at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in Pittsburgh. Eventually, he became dean of academics at PCI, and in 2008, he was appointed director of academics for the 17 Le Cordon Bleu schools in North America that operated out of Chicago. When Le Cordon Bleu left the US in 2014, he joined the IUP Academy of Culinary Arts, and in 2017, he transitioned to the Hospitality Management Department to reopen the Allenwood student-run restaurant lab in Ackerman Hall. The Allenwood has since become available to students, faculty, staff, and the Indiana community. His Wine and Wine Service class field trip each spring and his Homecoming farm-to-table dinner each fall are two of his favorite weeks on campus. He attributes any successes he has had as an educator to servant leadership philosophies. He also believes the great coworkers, teachers, and supervisors he has had since joining academia have helped guide the care he takes to ensure each of his students will be successful.
Chauna Craig
Professor, Language, Literature, and Writing; director, Cook Honors College
2025 Distinguished Faculty Award for Creative Arts
Hired in 2000 to teach creative writing at IUP, Chauna Craig has also served as director of Women’s and Gender Studies and dean’s associate for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Since 2019, she has directed the Cook Honors College, in addition to teaching. She has written two short story collections: The Widow’s Guide to Edible Mushrooms (2017) won the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Short Fiction, and Wings and Other Things (2022) was hailed for “hard-won wisdom, sharp insights, and generous compassion” and “dexterous writing that entertains by not straying into the formulaic.” She has also published 43 short stories and 16 works of creative nonfiction in literary magazines and anthologies. Those works have been recognized for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best American Short Stories. She has been awarded competitive writing residencies at Hedgebrook, Vermont Studio Center, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Ragdale Foundation, and the PLAYA Art and Science Residency Program.
In 2016, she was writer-in-residence at Fort Lyon, a state-funded residential community in Colorado for unhoused people in recovery from addiction. The experience affirmed her belief that creative expression is a tool for meaning-making and healing for everyone.
About the University Senate Awards
Distinguished Faculty Award for Teaching
The primary mission of IUP is to teach, and the university has received national and international acclaim because of the quality and dedication of the faculty. In appreciation of outstanding teaching ability, IUP presents this award. Past recipients are Mohammed E. Ghobashy, 1978; Irwin Marcus, 1979; Frank Viggiano Jr. and Mark A. Plivelic, 1980; Robert A. Patsiga, 1982; Ronald M. Weiers, 1983; Howard E. Tompkins, 1984; Conrad J. Gates, 1985; Ronald L. Marks, 1986; Francis W. Liegey, 1987; Joann E. Walthour, 1988; Robert J. Stonebraker, 1989; Mary Lou Zanich, 1990; Terry T. Ray, 1991; John W. Kuehn, 1992; Barbara A. Kraszewski, 1993; Gary J. Olmstead, 1994; Hilary L. DeMane, 1995; Rebecca A. Stoudt, 1996; Mary Ann Cessna, 1997; Sherrill J. Begres, 1998; William McPherson, 1999; Ronald A. Juliette, 2001; Laurence D. Kruckman, 2002; Linda J. McPherson, 2003; Thomas R. Lord, 2004; James J. Jozefowicz, 2005; Sally M. McCombie, 2006; Dan J. Tannacito, 2007; Richard J. Lamberski, 2008; David J. LaPorte, 2009; Becky A. Knickelbein, 2010; Lynne B. Alvine, 2011; Fredalene B. Bowers, 2013; Ajawad I. Haija, 2014; DeAnna M. Laverick, 2015; Joann M. Migyanka, 2016; Lisa Hammett Price, 2017; P. Michael Kosicek, 2018; John Lipinski, 2020; Prashanth N. Bharadwaj, 2021; Todd N. Thompson, 2022; Crystal Machado, 2023; and Gloria Park, 2024.
Distinguished Faculty Award for Research
Research endeavors frequently culminate in the publication of scholarly articles and books that reflect favorably both on the individual faculty member and on the university. IUP presents this award for these scholarly contributions and for the institutional recognition they invoke. Past recipients are Joseph C. Clark, 1978; Vincent Miller, 1979; June K. Phillips, 1980; W. Wayne Smith, 1981; Arthur C. Hulse, 1982; Martin J. Morand, 1983; Donald A. Walker, 1984; Thomas R. Schaub, 1985; Patrick M. Hartwell, 1986; Gopal S. Kulkarni, 1987; Robert J. Ackerman, 1988; Charles D. Cashdollar, 1989; James M. Cahalan, 1990; Mary H. Micco, 1991; Devki N. Talwar, 1992; Edward W. Gondolf, 1993; Abbas J. Ali, 1994; Stephen K. Sanderson, 1995; Edward M. Levinson, 1996; Krzysztof (Krys) Z. Kaniasty, 1997; Charlene Pleger Bebko, 1998; Patrick D. Murphy, 1999; C. Thomas Ault, 2000; Prashanth N. Bharadwaj, 2001; John Zhang, 2002; Terry L. Peard, 2003; Alicia V. Linzey, 2004; Wang Xi, 2005; Narayanaswamy Bharathan, 2006; Gawdat Bahgat, 2007; Lynn A. Botelho, 2008; Abbas J. Ali, 2009; Kelli R. Paquette, 2010; John F. Sitton, 2011; Raymond P. Pavloski, 2012; Michael Sell, 2013; Shundong Bi, 2014; Benjamin L. Ford, 2015; Bitna Kim, 2016; Todd N. Thompson, 2017; Jeffery L. Larkin, 2018; R. Scott Moore, 2019; Dana Driscoll, 2020; Gloria Park, 2021; Lorraine J. Guth, 2022; Waleed E. Farag, 2023; and Julie W. Ankrum, 2024
Distinguished Faculty Award for Creative Arts
There are many avenues for scholarly or learned expression, and the creative arts provide, perhaps, the most visible of these avenues. Through public performances and exhibitions, IUP faculty members have brought acclaim and recognition to the university as well as to their particular media. The university annually considers candidates for this award based on their dedication to quality in the arts. Past recipients are Charles A. Battaglini, 1977; Ned O. Wert, 1978; Thomas J. Dongilla, 1980; Paul Ben-Zvi, 1981; Christopher L. Weiland, 1982; Ronald A. Juliette, 1983; John J. Dropcho, 1984; W. Delight Malitsky, 1986; Christopher L. Weiland, 1987; Donn W. Hedman, 1988; Carol A. Teti, 1989; Rosaly Roffman, 1990; James G. Staples, 1991; Jean J. Slenker, 1992; Ronald F. Smits, 1993; Mary Beth Leidman, 1994; Sarah J. Mantel, 1995; Dominic J. Intili, 1996; Maurice A. Kilwein-Guevara, 1997; Edward K. Simpson, 1998; Holly R. Boda, 1999; Annie-Laurie Wheat, 2001; Edward K. Simpson, 2002; Daniel J. Perlongo, 2003; Stanley L. Chepaitis, 2004; Chauna Craig, 2005; John E. Stamp, 2007; Patricia E. Villalobos-Echeverría, 2008; Richard J. Kemp, 2010; Barbara A. Blackledge, 2011; Joan E. Van Dyke, 2012; Kevin E. Eisensmith, 2014; W. Zachary Collins, 2015; Mary Beth Leidman, 2016; Stanley L. Chepaitis, 2017; David G. Martynuik, 2019; Stephanie B. Caulder, 2020; Jason W. Worzbyt, 2021; and Sharon M. Massey, 2023.
Distinguished Faculty Award for Service
This award recognizes either significant or sustained contributions to the university community or to the community at large. Service may be part of an extension of professional responsibilities that exceed the nominee’s nominal job description or may be distinguished service to the local, state, national, or international community. Past recipients are Isadore R. Lenglet, 1982; John E. Merryman, 1983; Richard D. Magee, 1984; Warner E. Tobin, 1985; Daniel DiCicco, 1986; J. Merle Rife, 1987; Lorrie J. Bright, 1988; Mark J. Staszkiewicz, 1989; Anthony G. DeFurio, 1990; Marlin E. Hartman, 1991; Charles D. Cashdollar, 1993; Connie J. Sutton, 1994; Melvin R. Woodard, 1995; Donna L. Streifthau, 1996; Darlene S. Richardson, 1997; Mary Ann Cessna, 1998; Fran Pollock Prezant, 1999; Jerry L. Pickering, 2000; Steven F. Jackson, 2001; Veronica Toombs Watson, 2002; Mary E. Williams, 2003; Linda S. Nelson, 2004; Gail S. Sechrist and Ramesh G. Soni, 2006; Caleb P. Finegan, 2007; Calvin O. Masilela, 2008; Jonathan B. Smith, 2009; Joseph W. Domaracki, 2010; Janet E. Goebel, 2011; David M. Piper, 2012; Edel M. Reilly, 2013; Sue A. Rieg, 2014; Michele R. Papakie, 2015; David G. Lorenzi, 2016; Justin D. Fair, 2017; R. Scott Moore, 2018; Gail S. Sechrist, 2019; Francisco E. Alarcón, 2020; David D. Chambers, 2021; Stephen B. Shiring, 2022; Lynn A. Botelho, 2023; and Mimi Benjamin, 2024.
Distinguished Staff Award for Service
With this award, the university recognizes staff members for their involvement in significant service. Past recipients are Raj Murthy and Michele A. Norwood, 2016; Evelyn (Lynnan) Mocek, 2018; Jessica Mulvihill, 2019; Julene J. Pinto-Dyczewski, 2020; Beverly P. Mastalski, 2021; and Cindy L. Varner, 2023.