ALLIANCE — The University of Mount Union held its annual Employee Recognition Ceremony on May 9 and featured award presentations and the honoring of retirees. 

The Outstanding Support Staff award was presented to Joan Cockrill, executive assistant to the Office of Business Affairs. She has been with Mount Union for 24 years. The Outstanding Hourly Staff Award went to Lisa Filp, housekeeper, who has been with the institution for 20 years. The Davidson Staff Award was presented to Dominic Golembiewski, assistant vice president for marketing, who has been with the institution for six years. The Outstanding Adjuct Faculty Award was presented to Susan McConnell, lecturer in education. 

Three inaugural faculty awards were presented based on teaching, scholarship and service, as voted on by members of the Tenure and Promotion and Continuation Committee. Dr. Kim Risley, professor and Milton J. Lichty Chair in biology, was presented with the teaching award. Dr. Jamie Capuzza, professor and chair of the Department of Communication, earned the scholarship award. Dr. Mark Himmelein, professor of German, was presented with the service award. 

Mount Union also honored four retirees at the event, Dr. Naoko Oyabu-Mathis, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Dr. Jim Perone, associate dean of the faculty, professor and chair of the Department of Music and the Margaret Morgan Ramsey Professor in Music, Karen Teal, administrative assistant and Susan Denning, director of institutional effectiveness. 

Oyabu-Mathis has been a faculty member at Mount Union for 31 years. She is also an alumna who earned a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Mount Union and earned a Master of Arts and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Akron. She has been a recipient of the Great Teacher Award. 

Perone has been with Mount Union for 25 years as a member of the faculty and administration. He earned a Bachelor of Music in music education from Capital University and a Master of Fine Arts in clarinet performance, a Master of Fine Arts in music theory, and a Ph.D. in Music Theory from State University of New York at Buffalo. He is the author of more than 20 books discussing classical and popular musicians. 

Teal has been with the institution for 23 years and has served the Department of Communication, Department of World Languages and Cultures and the Department of Mathematics, the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice. 

Denning has been with Mount Union for 20 years in several different capacities. She has held five different roles in her tenure that have focused on advancement and assessment of Mount Union. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Kent State University and a Master of Science in social administration from Case Western Reserve University.