Honors or Awards Presented to Nine Women in the Academic World

Heidi Brady, a professor in the department of animal and food sciences at Texas Tech University, has received the 2018 Non-land-grant Agriculture and Renewable Resources Universities Distinguished Educator Award. Her research focuses on hippotherapy, therapeutic riding, and equine management. “I’m so honored to receive this award,” Brady said. “Teaching means so much to me, and it is a privilege to stand with the other Texas Tech faculty who have received this award.” Dr. Brady holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and history of art from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree in animal industries from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in physiology of reproduction from Texas Tech University.

Robin Aronson, professor of voice and acting in the department of theatre at the University of Southern Mississippi, has been awarded the Lessac Training and Research Institute’s Leadership Award for outstanding contributions to the institute. Professor Aronson is the only Lessac Certified Trainer in the state of Mississippi. She is a past president of the Institute and has also previously served as a board member and social media director. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and a masters of fine arts degree from the University of Connecticut.

Jacqueline O’Connor, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Pennsylvania State University, is the recipient of the 2018 Dilip R. Ballal Early Career Engineer Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ International Gas Turbine Institute. The award honors an individual who has had outstanding accomplishments during the beginning of their career. Dr. O’Connor’s research consists of identifying key pathways for combustion instabilities and the role of those instabilities in flame dynamics. She holds a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a master’s degree and Ph.D. both in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Carol Ebdon, a Regents/Foundation Professor in the School of Public Administration and chair of the MPA program at the University of Nebraska Omaha, has been awarded the 2018 Paul Posner Pracademic Award from the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management for her lifetime achievement in the field. She is the inaugural recipient of the award. Dr. Ebdon holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, and a Ph.D. in public administration from the University at Albany of the State University of New York System.

Gao Hong, director of the Chinese music and global music ensembles and senior instructor in Chinese musical instruments at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, has received a Sally Award from the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. The award is given to honor extraordinary achievement in five categories: arts access, arts learning, commitment, initiative, and social impact. Hong is the 2018 winner in the commitment category. She is a graduate of Hebei Provincial School of the Arts in China and studied pipa, a Chinese lute, at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China.

Annamaria Lusardi, the Denit Trust Chair of Economics and Accountancy and at the George Washington University’s School of Business and academic director of the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, has received the 2018 Ketchum Prize from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Investor Education Foundation. The award recognizes researchers and educators whose work has made significant contributions in financial education and protection for underserved American households. Dr. Lusardi holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy, and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University.

Kelley Wamsley, an assistant professor of poultry nutrition in the department of poultry science at Mississippi State University, has received the Poultry Science Association Early Career Teaching Award. The award is presented annually and recognizes the achievements of poultry science scholars within the first six years of their careers. Dr. Wamsley has taught at Mississippi State since 2012. She holds a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and a Ph.D. in poultry nutrition and feed manufacture with a certificate in university teaching from West Virginia University.

Arundhati Rao, associate professor in the Department of Accounting at Towson University in Maryland, has received the 2018 KPMG Mentoring Award from the American Accounting Association. She is honored for her outstanding commitment to mentoring aspiring accountants throughout her career. Dr. Rao holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in commerce from the University of Mumbai in India and a Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Cincinnati.

Andrea Scott, adjunct Spanish professor in the William L. Clay Sr. Early Childhood Development Center at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis, is the recipient of the 2018 PNC Early Childhood Educator of the Year Award from the St. Louis American Foundation. She is recognized for her hard work, leadership, and commitment to education in the St. Louis community. A native of St. Louis, Professor Scott earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and Spanish from Lindenwood University and her K-12 teacher certification and master’s in teacher education from Missouri Baptist University, where she is also currently pursuing a doctorate.