The following faculty members were recognized:

  • Joseph Tinguely, Ph.D.
  • Meghann Jarchow, Ph.D.
  • Zoli Filotas, Ph.D.
  • Jing Liu, Ph.D.
  • Lori Costello, Ph.D.
  • Dayana Soto y Caballero de Galicia, Ph.D.
  • Richard Braunstein, Ph.D.
  • Teresa Chasing Hawk

"We are very fortunate that our donors have made these awards possible, and that we have the ability to acknowledge the hard work of our faculty,” said John Dudley, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. “The breadth of accomplishments and expertise represented by this year's recipients speaks to the excellence of our faculty and the impact they have on our students, their disciplines and our community.”

Truman and Beverly Schwartz Distinguished Faculty Award

The Truman and Beverly Schwartz Distinguished Faculty Award is given every third year to an outstanding, tenured USD College of Arts & Sciences faculty member who has demonstrated a truly exceptional level of creativity and productivity in scholarship, teaching and service, and who shows great promise of continuing such achievement.

Joseph Tinguely, Ph.D., professor of philosophy in the Department of History, received the Truman and Beverly Schwartz Distinguished Faculty Award. Tinguely is a previous recipient of this award, the Doyle Humanities Teaching Award and the Belbas-Larson Award. He consistently provides exemplary IDEA ratings and is deeply student-centered, with his courses designed for active learning. Tinguely also led the National Endowment for the Humanities-funded “Philosophy and Money” project, USD’s largest humanities/fine arts research grant.

Blair and Linda Tremere Professorship

Beginning in 2016, donors Blair and Linda Tremere generously created named professorships to reward teaching excellence in the College of Arts & Sciences. Recipients of this professorship must demonstrate consistently excellent teaching and mentoring that is measured through objective criteria such as student course evaluations, the range of courses taught, curricular innovation and peer evaluation of teaching. Appointments are for five years across all three academic divisions of the College of Arts & Sciences.

Meghann Jarchow, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Sustainability & Environment, received the Blair and Linda Tremere Professorship. Jarchow is a previous recipient of the Blair and Linda Tremere Faculty Service Award; the Richard and Sharon Cutler Award in Liberal Arts; and the Truman and Beverly Schwartz Distinguished Faculty Award. In 2025, she was selected as one of the inaugural Sustainability Fellows by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. She has demonstrated significant curricular and co-curricular innovation, including launching new sustainability initiatives on campus. Jarchow is a co-author of a highly cited framework paper on sustainability competencies, served as principal investigator on a $1 million National Science Foundation grant and has led USD’s involvement in national sustainability education accreditation efforts. She has also advised and mentored many students, including coaching a team that received a $100,000 Hult Prize.

Richard and Sharon Cutler Awards in Liberal Arts

Richard and Sharon Cutler established these awards to reward outstanding faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences and promote liberal arts education at USD. The Cutler Awards are given annually to one faculty member in the humanities, science and mathematics, and social sciences divisions who advances liberal arts education through both teaching and research.

  • Zoli Filotas, Ph.D., professor of philosophy in the Department of History, received the award in the humanities division. Filotas’ teaching features extensive one-on-one mentorship, including independent studies, thesis supervision and service on numerous interdisciplinary thesis committees. His pedagogy emphasizes close reading, analytical precision and reflective thinking that exemplify the liberal arts mission, with students engaging through philosophical texts in art, literature and historical documents. Filotas’ research includes work that reinterprets classical philosophy through economic history and cultural anthropology. He is also developing a public-facing, journalistic scholarship project that connects philosophical analysis to contemporary social issues.
  • Jing Liu, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Physics, received the award in the science and mathematics division. As director of the QuarkNet center, Liu organizes professional development workshops for STEM teachers, hosts particle physics masterclasses for high school students and creates digital tutorials that reach a global audience. He has been involved in several international research collaborations, has helped generate $6 million in grant funding and has had several peer-reviewed articles in the past five years. Liu has mentored dozens of students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom have received prestigious awards and presented research at national venues.
  • Lori Costello, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Media & Journalism, received the award in the social sciences division. Costello designs high-impact, career-connected learning and consistently extends instruction beyond the classroom through professional events, alumni engagement and networking opportunities that build students’ confidence and preparation for life beyond graduation. Her research includes work on the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence in communication. Her role in the development of Charlie’s Career Closet on campus is directly connected to her scholarship on social responsibility and advocacy in supporting student success.

Monsignor James M. Doyle Humanities Teaching Award

The Doyle Award is made possible thanks to a gift from the late Monsignor James Michael Doyle, former chair of religious studies at USD. Monsignor Doyle endowed a prize to reward an outstanding teacher and mentor in the humanities division.

Dayana Soto y Caballero de Galicia, Ph.D., instructor in the Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, received the Doyle Award. Soto y Caballero de Galicia has played a key role in meeting the need for Spanish introductory courses by offering a wide range of rigorous and engaging courses in both in-person and online formats. She has spearheaded the basic medical Spanish certificate and creates innovative classroom environments that support effective language acquisition. Soto y Cabellero de Galicia actively pursues professional development and regularly updates her courses to incorporate new instructional technologies while maintaining the personal connections that are essential for language learning and for effective teaching across disciplines.

Blair and Linda Tremere Faculty Service Award

Blair and Linda Tremere established this award in 2011 to encourage and recognize the valuable role that the College of Arts & Sciences faculty play in the lives of their communities and state. The focus of this award is on voluntary public service activities that are not part of a faculty member’s private work.

Richard Braunstein, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Political Science, has received the Blair and Linda Tremere Faculty Service Award. Braunstein has demonstrated sustained voluntary leadership by partnering with the Rapid City Police Department to establish Journey On, a nonprofit that provides services for the unhoused population. More recently, he serves as board chair for Waypost (formerly River City Domestic Violence Center), leading their strategic shift toward sustainability and expanded outreach.

He helped launch the Vermillion Care Network, bringing together resources to fill gaps in poverty assistance in the community. He also serves as board member and treasurer for the Rosebud Scholarship Fund, which provides substantial financial support to Native American students. Beyond governance roles, Braunstein volunteers weekly at the Vermillion Food Pantry, advises programs such as Rapid City’s Handle With Care and offers pro bono consultation to regional nonprofits and former students, helping to build organizational capacity and strengthen the nonprofit sector in South Dakota.

Johnson Family Outstanding Instructor Award

The award is made possible through an annual gift of the Johnson family. Mary Elizabeth Johnson is a USD graduate in mass communication who served as Chaplain at the Mayo Clinic for over three decades, working closely with women experiencing health issues and loss. The Johnson Family Outstanding Instructor Award is given each year to a single faculty member holding the rank of instructor or lecturer who demonstrates outstanding classroom teaching and mentoring in the previous calendar year.

Teresa Chasing Hawk, instructor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, has received the Johnson Family Outstanding Instructor Award. Chasing Hawk has extensive teaching experience across multiple courses, enabling learners in first-year and developmental mathematics and helping students develop a growth mindset through active-learning strategies that make math accessible. She promotes a comprehensive, fair and collaborative classroom environment. Students overwhelmingly describe her as an effective, caring and supportive instructor who consistently fosters both their knowledge and their self-confidence.

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