Slane College faculty took home four of Bradley University's most prestigious awards during the Founder's Day Convocation.

Dr. Ron Koperski
The Putnam Award for Excellence in Teaching The Putnam Award for Excellence in Teaching

Recognition of excellence in teaching became a tradition at Bradley in 1957 when Charles A. Putnam established this prestigious award.

Dr. Ron Koperski
Associate Professor of Communication

Dr. Koperski is in his 41st year on the faculty at Bradley. He led the way in the development of the public relations program at the University. He regularly uses videoconference technology in his classes to arrange guest presentations by important industry figures. Each year he organizes at least one communication expedition trip to Chicago or Los Angeles to give students the opportunity to examine the inner-workings of the public relations field. He has arranged an exclusive internship for Bradley students at the annual Chicago Auto Show, where students work as public relations practitioners writing news releases, shooting photographs, and assisting media covering the event.

Dr. Kyle Dzapo
Samuel Rothberg Award for Professional ExcellenceSamuel Rothberg Award for Professional Excellence

The Samuel Rothberg Professional Excellence Award recognizes outstanding achievements in research and creativity by a senior faculty member. Recipients are expected to make original contributions to their field and submit the contributions to the critical appraisal of their professional peers.

Dr. Kyle Dzapo
Professor of Music

Dr. Dzapo has professional achievements and stature among national and international professionals. She has conducted research into the work of the nineteenth-century Danish flute player and composer Joachim Andersen and is considered the leading scholar of his life and work. In addition to that work she has six journal articles. She was invited to present at the 2006 British Flute Society convention in Manchester and the 2007 German Flute Society convention in Berlin. She performs internationally having twice played at St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London and the Royal Academy of Music in Denmark. She can also be heard locally as the principal flutist of the Peoria Symphony and in Chicago as a pre-concert lecturer for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Jim Ferolo
Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Award for ScholarshipCaterpillar Inc. Faculty Award for Scholarship

The Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarship is awarded to full-time tenure-track faculty members who have not yet attained tenure status.

James Ferolo
Assistant Professor of Multimedia

Mr. Ferolo is the director of the Multimedia Program at Bradley, directing an interactive media and design program with more than 120 majors and minors. He conducts research and production that focuses on the creation of online and location-based interactive experiences for commercial and non-profit organizations. He is a National Endowment for the Arts Research Fellow; has received an Ameritech Partnership grant and a French Cultural Services grant with fellow faculty; has created Immersive VR footage for music videos for well-known artists; was a featured speaker at the Conference on Educational Gaming for The New Medical Center.

Steve Synder
Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Award for TeachingCaterpillar Inc. Faculty Award for Teaching

The Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarship is awarded to full-time tenure-track faculty members

Steven Snyder
Assistant Professor of Theatre Arts

Mr. Snyder has directed several significant stage productions and has collaborated as acting and vocal coach on many other productions. He works independently with students in the lab theatre, mentoring their creative activity. He also has worked independently with senior students to develop professional audition and portfolio materials. Each year he prepares almost 2 dozen students to participate in the Irene Ryan National Acting Scholarship Auditions as part of Bradley's involvement in the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Also winning the Caterpillar Inc. Faculty Achievement Award for Scholarship was:

Dr. Shari Britner
Assistant Professor of Education

Dr. Britner is active in action-based research and serves as a Kemper Coordinator working closely with the faculty, administration and students of Roosevelt Magnet Middle School. She has written six research based articles and has published on the topic of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the Encyclopedia of Middle Grade Education. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

Also winning the Putnam Award was:

Dr. Kurt Field
Professor of Chemistry

Dr. Field joined the Bradley faculty in 1976. He has taught a variety of classes related to organic chemistry and chemistry in general during his 30-year tenure. He has served as mentor and advisor to undergraduate and graduate research students, including them in every aspect of his scholarly research. He has received funding for numerous research and instructional improvement grants. He has more than 20 scholarly publications and numerous posters and talks at professional meetings.

Additional awards presented included:

Francis C. Mergen Award for Public Service
Dr. Molly Cluskey
Associate Professor of Nursing

The Francis C. Mergen Memorial Award recognizes faculty and staff who have distinguished themselves in the area of public service. The award is named for Frances “Frank” Mergen, chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering until his death in 1972, who shared his engineering experience and his personal and professional resources to help the Peoria community solve a variety of problems.

Dr. Cluskey assisted with efforts to earn a federal designation for the Heartland Community Health Clinic, and her leadership with the Salvation Army has been rewarded with the establishment of the Peoria Family Services Wellness Center. She is active on boards or committees for OSF St. Francis Fertility Care Center, the Breast and Cervical Health Advisory Council, and the Tazewell County Breast and Cervical Cancer Coalition, among others. She previously has been recognized with the American Red Cross Lifesaver Award, the YWCA Mother Frances M. Krasse Professions Award for Community Service, the Outstanding Service Award from the College of Education & Health Sciences, and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Leadership Program Fellow Award.

In addition, the Lydia Moss Bradley Award was presented to Nancy Hinrichs Proehl of Manito, Illlinois.

Nancy Hinrichs Proehl ’64 MA ’70 • 2007 Lydia Moss Bradley Award
Nancy’s dedication to Bradley University began as a student and has never wavered. As a member of the Bradley Chorale, Forensics Team, Student Senate,
Anaga staff, Campus Carnival and Homecoming steering committees, Junior-Senior Prom Queen and Homecoming Court, her devotion to Bradley was solidified
and embodied in a lifetime of distinguished service.
She has served as a forensics instructor, a member of the BU Council (1986-1994), and College of Education and Health Sciences Advisory Board (1994-
1998). She is a former Bradley University Alumni Association director (1983-1985), Vice President (1986-1987), President (1987-1988), and Board Chairman
(1988-1989) and has recently completed a term as Alumni Association representative to the Board of Trustees (1999-2005).
Her commitment to Bradley led to an appointment as Coordinator of Alumni Education in the Office of Continuing Education (1994-1997). There, Nancy
launched the highly successful Institute for Learning in Retirement, one of our community’s premiere organizations. She started the study/travel program featuring
local, regional and international travel programs and organized the university’s first Alumni College and an Elderhostel program.
Nancy is equally committed to her community, having served on the Forman Board of Education, Community Chorus and Pekin Memorial Hospital League.
She is a member of the Manito Area Regional Economic Development Group, and the Manito Area Chamber of Commerce.
Nancy earned her bachelor of science degree in speech and theater arts, and her master of arts in speech, secondary education, from Bradley University. She and her husband, J.D.,
also a Bradley graduate, live in Manito, Illinois.