Susquehanna University announced faculty awards for research, teaching and advising at its 168th Commencement.
Awards were presented to John Bodinger de Uriarte, professor of anthropology, the John C. Horn Award for Distinguished Scholarship and Creative Activity; Anjee Gorkhali, associate professor of finance and analytics, the Donald D. Housley Teaching Award; and Erin Smith, associate professor of psychology, the Lawrence A. Lemons Distinguished Academic Advising Award.
John C. Horn Award for Distinguished Scholarship and Creative Activity
Bodinger de Uriarte joined the Susquehanna faculty in 2003. His nominators cited his lengthy record of publication on a broad range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary topics, leadership in advancing study-abroad and service-learning programs, and his prolific departmental and university-wide service.
Bodinger de Uriarte’s interdisciplinary scholarship examines museums, casinos, tourism and experiential learning in Native American and Icelandic cultures, resulting in numerous grants and peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations before national and international audiences. In 2017, Bodinger de Uriarte was awarded a Fulbright Scholar Award to study and teach at the University of Iceland and the National Museum of Iceland, both in Reykjavik.
At Susquehanna, he has developed study-abroad programs in the Galápagos, Iceland and Morocco, as well as majors and minors in anthropology, museum studies and diversity studies.
Bodinger de Uriarte earned his bachelor’s degree at Vassar College followed by master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.
The award memorializes John C. Horn, a former long-time member and chairperson of the Susquehanna University Board of Trustees.
Donald D. Housley Teaching Award
Gorkhali joined the faculty at Susquehanna’s Sigmund Weis School of Business in 2019. Her nominators noted her exceptional teaching abilities, her ongoing commitment to student success and her pedagogical innovations.
Gorkhali, who teaches business analytics courses at Susquehanna, was lauded by one nominator for combining rigor with an engaging and supportive teaching style. Students praised her ability to balance structure and clarity with meaningful application, all while making the learning process enjoyable. According to one student nominator, she is compassionate, dedicated and deeply invested in students’ success.
In 2020, Gorkhali co-founded the Bridge to the Boardroom pre-orientation program to provide first-generation college students a smooth transition to college, and she has led the program every year.
Gorkhali earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia.
The Donald D. Housley Teaching Award is named for the late Charles B. Degenstein Professor Emeritus of History, who served as a distinguished member of the faculty from 1967–2003.
Lawrence A. Lemons Distinguished Academic Advising Award
Smith joined Susquehanna’s psychology department in 2017. Student nominators described her academic advising as outstanding and emphasized that her mentorship goes beyond course planning. One student commented that what makes her exceptional is the way she “empowers students to see possibilities for themselves that they may not have previously imagined.”
Faculty nominators shared that Smith goes above and beyond to create meaningful practicum experiences for her students, and “collaborates closely with community partners to ensure these opportunities are not only educational but deeply impactful, helping students connect theory to practice in real-world settings.”
Smith earned her bachelor’s degree from Susquehanna University, followed by a master’s degree and doctorate from Kent State University.
The Lawrence A. Lemons Distinguished Advising Award memorializes a master teacher, public school leader and devoted advisor to students who served the youth of the Nebraska Panhandle for more than 50 years.
