Distinguished Faculty Award, 1988

Roberta Henderson was the twenty-sixth recipient of the Distinguished Faculty Award, and the first Librarian to receive this award.  Today, she is still one of two librarians to receive the Distinguished Faculty Award. President James B. Appleberry presented the Distinguished Faculty Award to Roberta Henderson at the Spring Commencement on April 13, 1988.  In order to be considered for the DFA, the faculty member must be nominated by their peers and display excellence in three categories: teaching or other assigned responsibilities; research, scholarship, creative or other appropriate professional activities; and university or professionally-related community service.  Nominees are then reviewed by the Distinguished Faculty Award committee, which consists of the academic deans and the vice president of Academic Affairs, who at the time of the award was Alan Donovan.

When asked what she had to do to receive the Distinguished Faculty Award, Roberta responded “I did nothing!”  According to Roberta, John Berens, the head of the Library’s Public Service Division, did most of the work for her nomination. The entire library staff surprised her with the award.  The Distinguished Faculty Award validated Roberta’s career of hard work and dedication.