Honoring the heart of Heidelberg: Faculty excellence, impact recognized

One of the highlights of the academic year, Heidelberg’s faculty gathered Thursday evening for the annual Faculty Awards Dinner, celebrating four distinguished colleagues whose work exemplifies the very best of the institution. Joining in the celebration were members of the Board of Trustees, on campus this week for winter meetings, along with Senior Leadership.

Provost Courtney DeMayo Pugno presented the awards, noting, “This is our opportunity to acknowledge the incredible things happening on campus and all the work faculty have been doing.”

This year’s honorees are:
•    Dr. Emily Isaacson: the Jane Frost Kalnow Professorship in the Humanities
•    Dr. Dawn Henry: the Ream-Paradiso Distinguished Teaching Award
•    Dr. Trish Berg: the Distinguished Scholarship/Research Award
•    Dr. Robin DuFresne: the Faculty Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Emily Isaacson: Jane Frost Kalnow Professorship in the Humanities

Professor of English and Director of the Honors Program, Emily reflected on her earliest memories of reading — hiding under the covers with a flashlight and a Golden Book in hand. She grew up “in a house full of books with parents and grandparents who all knew the value of reading,” a foundation that sparked her lifelong passion for the humanities.

“The more I do this, the more I realize it’s really about words,” she said. “Words matter. Words are the mirrors of our lives. … Words are what make us human in a world that is contradictory, complex, and confusing.”

Emily expressed gratitude for mentors, including the late Dr. Ruth Wahlstrom, and for family members who instilled in her a deep appreciation for literature and learning.

“It’s a privilege to do what I do … talking with students about words every day,” she said.

She received the professorship from Trustee and benefactor Andrew Kalnow, son of the award’s namesake, Jane Frost Kalnow.

Dr. Dawn Henry: Ream-Paradiso Distinguished Teaching Award

For Dr. Dawn Henry, teaching can feel like a storm — in the very best way.

“You’ve got to love a good storm,” she said, drawing inspiration from her husband Dean’s enthusiasm for stormy skies. “The world just looks and feels different. I know those feelings.”

An Assistant Professor of Special Education, Dawn described creating a “storm of engagement” in her classroom. When students peppered her with questions about a recent assignment, she responded not with answers but with more questions, prompting them to think more deeply and independently.

“Their faces just lit up,” she recalled. “It was glorious — one of the best days of my 40-year teaching career.”

Like a storm that leaves refreshing showers behind, the moment lingered in the form of grins, laughter, and heartfelt thanks from students.

“It is truly a joy and privilege to be in the midst of these storms,” she said. “I am forever grateful to have been able to create them and be in them here at Heidelberg.”

Dr. Trish Berg: Distinguished Scholarship/Research Award

With faith at the core of her life and work, Dr. Trish Berg, Associate Professor of Business/Management, spoke about the power of resilience, emphasizing that it “is not just fluff.”

“It’s actually vital to students and the university,” she said.

Over the past five years, Heidelberg’s School of Business has experienced its own resilience as it navigated significant change. Through it all, Trish praised her colleagues for building “a culture of encouragement, collaboration, and growth.”

“Culture matters,” she said. “How we treat each other matters more.”

She credited Dean Todd Harrison’s leadership for fostering trust, clarity, and vision within the School. “He brings out the best in each of us,” she noted.
With a spirit of collaboration over competition and progress over pessimism, Trish concluded with optimism: “We’re just beginning. There are great things ahead for the School of Business at Heidelberg.”

Dr. Robin DuFresne: Faculty Distinguished Service Award

Dr. Robin DuFresne, Assistant Professor of Graduate Counseling, reflected on the journey from doctoral studies to securing a faculty position, and then asking, “What now?”

Beyond teaching and institutional responsibilities, Robin said she focuses on what exists between the lines.

“What’s important is the quiet stuff that never makes it onto our CV,” she said.

That quiet service often happens behind the scenes — small, selfless acts like stepping in to babysit a colleague’s children in a bind or offering support when it’s most needed. These unseen contributions, she explained, help cultivate a positive campus culture and model care and integrity for students.

Quiet service, she added, “challenges our students to be better every day.”
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Board Chair Kathy Geier ’78 gave a welcome, reflecting on the previous year when the Awards Dinner had to be rescheduled because of a Level 3 snow emergency. President Rob Huntington welcomed faculty and shared news of several major gifts that have come to Heidelberg recently, aimed at enhancing academic excellence and opportunities for students. Trustee and alumna Beth Long-Higgins ’84 delivered the invocation.

The evening served as a powerful reminder that Heidelberg’s strength lies not only in scholarship and teaching excellence, but also in mentorship, resilience and service — the shared commitment of faculty who shape the university’s culture and its students’ futures every day.