Pictured left to right are ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland; Hunter Turgeon, SGA president; Dr. Cuihong Jia, Distinguished Faculty Award in Research; Dr. Andrew Joyner, Distinguished Faculty Award in Service; Dr. Tom Kwasigroch, Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching; Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs; Dr. Alan Stevens, Faculty Senate president; and Faculty Trustee Dr. Steph Frye-Clark.

At the annual Faculty Convocation ceremony, three East Tennessee State University faculty members were presented with the Distinguished Faculty Award in the areas of research, teaching and service. This award is the highest honor given to an ETSU professor.

Each honoree receives a one-of-a-kind, hand-blown glass piece and a $7,500 prize provided by the ETSU Foundation.

“These exceptional faculty embody the spirit of ETSU and our mission with unwavering dedication,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “Their work is deeply rooted in improving student outcomes and improving our region through their teaching, research and service.”

Dr. Cuihong Jia, an associate professor in the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, earned the Distinguished Faculty Award in Research.  

Jia, who joined ETSU in 2014, has nearly three dozen publications under her belt and has quickly established herself as one of the university’s premier researchers – translating $50,000 in internal college grants to more than $2.5 million in federal funding, including $662,499 from the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Defense in 2024.  

Much of Jia’s research is on neurological issues, including the sense of smell, post-traumatic stress disorder and multiple sclerosis. 

Since joining the college, Jia has trained more than two dozen students in her lab and is a sought-after educator for research students. In her nomination packet, previous students complimented Jia, crediting her with their successful applications to graduate and medical schools.  

“Not only is Dr. Jia an exceptional scientist, she is a genuine person fully invested in furthering scientific knowledge, as well as encouraging others to do the same,” wrote one student.  

Recognized for his work as Tennessee’s official climatologist and his role in advancing climate research, Dr. Andrew Joyner, associate professor in the Department of Geosciences, earned the Distinguished Faculty Award in Service.

His nominators applauded his work to establish the Tennessee State Climate Office at ETSU, which provides vital climate services that are used by stakeholders across the state and beyond.

Earlier this year, the climate office, housed on ETSU’s main campus, became one of only nine such sites in the nation selected for a pilot funding proposal aimed at helping communities better understand and utilize climate data and resources to address long-term extreme weather vulnerabilities.  

ETSU will work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the state emergency management agency and other organizations to develop a Community Resilience Academy focused chiefly on flooding and extreme temperatures.  

During the first year, Joyner and his team will develop an academy in Johnson City/Washington County that will contribute to an update of the local hazard mitigation plan. In the second year, Joyner and state officials will replicate these efforts in Nashville. This important work is critical in helping communities build resiliency plans for business and agriculture.     

The Distinguished Faculty Award in Teaching was presented to Dr. Tom Kwasigroch, who has guided medical students through the intricacies of medical gross anatomy at Quillen College of Medicine for 45 years.  

As technology has evolved from chalkboards to 3D imaging, Kwasigroch’s teaching philosophy has remained consistent.

“Hands-on learning is critical,” said Kwasigroch, professor in the Department of Medical Education.

Kwasigroch has received numerous teaching accolades throughout his academic career, including two national awards, the Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award and the McCann National Award in Teaching and Mentoring. He was also honored with the Quillen Dean’s Distinguished Award, is a 15-time recipient of the Quillen Course of the Year award, a 16-time recipient of the Quillen Professor of the Year award and a faculty hooder at commencement for 15 graduating classes.

Kwasigroch’s nomination packet for the Distinguished Faculty Award emphasizes his innovation in teaching coupled with his dedication to students.

“What makes the secret sauce in his teaching efforts? It starts with his care and respect of students,” his nominators wrote. “His teaching excellence continues with his mastery of anatomy content.”

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.

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