UNLV's College of Liberal Arts recently announced its outstanding faculty award recipients for the 2001-02 academic year.

"The recipients of these awards are representative of the outstanding scholars and teachers among the faculty in the College of Liberal Arts. These honors are well-deserved and are awarded only after a rigorous review of several applications," said James Frey, dean of the College of Liberal Arts.

The recipient of the Rita Deanin Abbey Teacher of the Year Award is David Beisecker, assistant professor in the department of philosophy. Beisecker, who specializes in the philosophy of psychology and the philosophy of mind and language, has taught at UNLV for four years. This award, named after UNLV art professor emeritus Rita Deanin Abbey is given each year to the top teacher in the humanities departments as determined by a student committee.

The recipient of the William Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching is Robert Futrell, assistant professor in the department of sociology. Futrell teaches courses in environmental sociology, social movements, science and technology, and political sociology. He received his doctorate from the University of Kansas and has been teaching at UNLV since fall 1999.

Andrew Kirk, assistant professor in the department of history, is the recipient of the William Morris Award for Excellence in Scholarship. Kirk, who came to UNLV in 1999, also serves as director of the department's public history program. This award, along with the Morris Award for Excellence in Teaching, is funded by and named after the late Bill Morris. Award recipients must be nominated by their departments and then selected by a committee consisting of the most recent five winners of the award.

The recipient of the Donald Schmiedel Service Award is Steven Parker, associate professor in the department of political science. Parker, who has taught at UNLV since 1979, specializes in the study of public lands and the ecotourism industry. He also chairs the University Forum public lecture series. This service award is presented annually to a faculty member who has made unusual contributions to the department, college, university, and community. The individual is selected by a college committee made up of the college dean, previous award recipients, and Spanish professor emeritus Don Schmiedel.

For additional information about the award recipients, contact Rainier Spencer, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts, at 895-3401.