Changing Lives: Faculty Honored by Their Students for Teaching, Mentoring

Two smiling women stand together wearing nametags. The older woman has flowers in her lapel.
Lauren Wittern-Keller won this year's Torch Award, nominated by student Jessica Bailey-Tolbert, left. (Photos by Brian Busher)

ALBANY, N.Y, (April 21, 2026) — Faculty and staff who have made a marked impact on students’ lives were honored last week at the Academic Innovator Awards ceremony. Teaching faculty were nominated by students for the Torch, Spark and Catalyst awards. Faculty and staff were nominated by peers for the new Ember Award.

15 smiling people wearing name tags stand in a row.
Provost Carol Kim and Dean of Undergraduate Education JoAnne Malatesta, center, stand with winners and distinguished nominees at the Academic Innovator Awards ceremony.

Torch Award

The oldest of the transformational teaching awards, the Torch Award honors faculty who have had an outstanding positive impact over the course of a student’s undergraduate career. The award began in the 1990s and is based on nominations from graduating seniors.

Laura Wittern-Keller, a lecturer in the Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences, was this year’s Torch Award winner. She was nominated by Jessica Bailey-Tolbert.

Distinguished Torch Award nominees were:

  • Heta-Maria Miller, professor of practice in Educational & Counseling Psychology, School of Education. Nominated by Darren Johnson. 
  • Mehmet Yigit, associate professor of chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences. Nominated by Emmett Hanson.
  • Mathias Vuille, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences. Nominated by Kordehlia Koopmann.

Spark Award

A smiling woman stands beside a young man speaking at a lectern.
Spark Award winner Marcie Newton was nominated by Tytan Overbaugh.

Instituted in 2023, the Spark Award celebrates faculty-student engagement during a student’s first year at UAlbany and honors faculty who have helped students transition into college life while sparking a passion for learning.

This year’s Spark Award went to Marcie Newton, assistant director and teaching professor in the Writing & Critical Inquiry program. She was nominated by Tytan Overbaugh.

Distinguished Spark Award nominees were:

  • Caroline Herbelin, lecturer and French program director in the Department of Languages, Literature & Cultures, College of Arts and Sciences. Nominated by Nicholas Carey.
  • Lynn Greene, lecturer, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, College of Arts and Sciences. Nominated by Pete Arigela.
  • Ryan Orr, teaching professor in the Writing & Critical Inquiry program. Nominated by Kayla Andrews.

Catalyst Award

A woman in bright red glasses speaks from a lectern
Catherine Dumas

New this year is the Catalyst Award, which honors faculty and staff who go above and beyond to support student researchers through guidance, collaboration, encouragement and sustained commitment to students’ academic and professional growth. Undergraduate students who have been mentored in research, scholarship or creative work were invited to submit nominations.

Catherine Dumas, visiting assistant professor in the Department of Cybersecurity, College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, was the inaugural Catalyst Award winner. She was nominated by Reza Jari.

Distinguished Catalyst Award nominees were:

  • Luis F. Luna-Reyes, professor of Public Administration & Policy, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. Nominated by Akhenaton Lazarre.
  • Byoung Park, associate professor in the Department of Economics, College of Arts and Sciences. Nominated by Gaheul Yi.

Ember Award

A man in a blue jacket with purple floers on the lapel speaks at a lectern
Mahamadu Sillah

Now in its second year, the Ember Award was established in 2025 in celebration of Linda Krzykowski’s retirement and in recognition of her more than 30 years of commitment to student success and community building at UAlbany. Nominations for the Ember Award are peer-driven and open to faculty and staff. 

Mahamadu Sillah, an apartment coordinator in Residential Life, won this year’s Ember Award.

Christine Gervasi, an instructional support specialist in the Department Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, was a distinguished nominee.