PRESS RELEASE

Faculty earn recognition for service, teaching, research

KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo honored faculty for outstanding service, research, and teaching at its annual fall convocation.

Mark Meng, associate professor of hospitality and tourism, received the Virgil Hunt Distinguished Service Award.

Dmitriy Chulkov, professor of business analytics and economics, received the senior faculty scholarship award. Jamie Oslawski-Lopez, assistant professor of sociology, received the junior faculty scholarship award.

Nicholas Baxter, Minda Douglas, Hong Liu, Melinda Stanley, and Joseph Waters received IU Trustees Teaching Awards.

The Virgil Hunt Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding service by resident faculty and staff.

Meng was honored as a founding faculty member for the hospitality and tourism program, and for serving on more than 30 committees at the department, school, and university level.

Chancellor Mark Canada said he’s been a leader in the Kokomo Experience and You (KEY) program, often leading students to educational destinations such as Churchill Downs, the Louisville Slugger Museum, Sweetwater at Fort Wayne, and Walt Disney World. He also works to connect students with regional partners to apply their skills in real-life projects at places like the Grissom Air Museum, the Honeywell Center, and the Kokomo Conference Center.

Meng has also served his profession as an editorial board member for the top journal in his field, and a board member for the International Society of Travel and Tourism Educators, which earned him the Heidi Sung Achievement Award.

Dmitry Chulkov received the senior faculty annual research award, which recognizes scholarship accomplishments, as well as the faculty member’s contribution to their field and the enhancement of the culture of scholarship at IU Kokomo.

Dean Chittibabu Govindarajulu described Chulkov as “one of the most prolific researchers in the School of Business,” noting that his interdisciplinary research combines the social science of economics with the applied discipline of business analytics. In 2024, he was the first or sole author of nine research publications, which included articles in four peer-reviewed journals (three of which are top-tier), two editorial-reviewed journals, and three conference proceedings. Among these are articles related to corporate social responsibility, CEO gender and compensation structure, and executive turnover in top management, in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management and the International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance. He also made presentations on these topics at four professional conferences, including in South Korea, Japan, and Istanbul. He was awarded five competitive grants to support his research, including an IU Kokomo grant-in-aid and an international mobility grant from the IU Office of the Vice President for International Affairs; and in 2025, took a sabbatical leave to conduct research related to top management turnover and firm exposure to climate change. 

Jamie Oslawski-Lopez received the junior faculty annual research award. The selection committee noted she published articles in three peer-reviewed professional journals, including an article related to gender and class inequality in outsourced household labor in the Midwest Social Sciences Journal; a co-authored article related to the fertility decisions of husbands and wives in the highly selective Journal of Family Issues; and a co-authored article related to engagement and multitasking in podcast-based learning in Teaching Sociology, a selective journal published by the American Sociology Association. She also published a teaching resource related to best practices for podcast use in TRAILS, a peer-reviewed resource library for the teaching of sociology. She also presented on these research areas at five professional conferences.

She currently has a manuscript under review by the Journal of Marriage and Family, has been invited to contribute a chapter to Teaching Introduction to Sociology, and has a chapter proposal accepted for inclusion in an upcoming volume of Advances in Gender Research. She serves as board member of the Applied and Community Research Center, is an external reviewer for professional journals, and is an area editor of TRAILS.

The trustees teaching awards recognize faculty who have had a positive impact on student learning – especially for undergraduates. Department chairs and deans identify candidates, who are then recommended by a selection committee.

Nicholas Baxter, assistant professor of sociology, was commended for serving as director of the Honors Program, organizing KEY opportunities, and for serving as a peer reviewer for the American Sociological Association Journal, Teaching Sociology. The selection committee said his teaching narrative was well-written, with an emphasis on how student needs call for different approaches.

Minda Douglas, associate professor of fine arts, was applauded for different forms of student engagement, including leading travel to Italy and the Innovation Symposium in the United Kingdom, undergraduate research program grant work, and thesis/capstone mentoring. The selection committee said she demonstrates a strong commitment to experiential learning, student engagement, and creative scholarship.

Hong Liu, associate professor of computer science, earned recognition for using multiple assessment methods, teaching practice that reflects on student learning outcomes, and detailed data on course performance, tying assessment to curricular changes. She published three teaching-relevant peer-reviewed papers in respected journals that demonstrate leadership in professional and institutional engagement and are aligned with teaching excellence. 

Melinda Stanley, senior lecturer in healthcare management, earned commendation for presenting at three conferences and attending three more for professional development in the last year. She passed the QM Master Certification course and won the President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Technology.

Joseph Waters, clinical associate professor of psychology, was applauded for helping design the Master of Mental Health Counseling program and using high-impact practices and active learning. The committee commented that he uses formal and informal assessment methods, and is reflective of student performance data, provides constructive feedback, and revises courses as needed.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.