By Katrina Dix
“Accolades” features the achievements of Old Dominion University’s faculty and staff, highlighting the honors and awards they have received and displaying their dedication, expertise and contributions in their respective fields. You can find theon the University Communications web page.
Alonzo Brandon, vice president for University Advancement and Executive Director of Foundations at Old Dominion University, was named the recipient of the Outstanding Nonprofit Leader Award by the Association of Fundraising Professions Hampton Roads Chapter. The award is given to someone who leads their organization to develop new programs, strengthen relationships with constituents, partners and beneficiaries through exceptional service, and strategizes for future impact. Brandon, who graduated from in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, has served the University since 1993. In his more than 30 years at , Brandon has raised more than $250 million and managed a fundraising initiative that led to the largest single gift in the University’s history: $37 million given to establish the Barry Art Museum. He also helped launch the Strome Entrepreneurial Center, the CIVIC Scholars Program and the football program.
Trent D. Buskirk, Ph.D., a faculty member with the new School of Data Science, was selected as an Insight250 Legend by mTab, a leading market research and data analysis company. The Insight250 selection process reviews a spectrum of candidate dimensions, including professional experience, academic accomplishments, published research, thought leadership, industry involvement, insight innovations and sector accolades, among others, including an industry vote. Dr. Buskirk is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association. His research interests include big data quality, recruitment methods through social media, the use of big data and machine learning methods for health, social and survey science design and analysis, mobile and smartphone survey designs and methods for calibrating and weighting samples and fairness in AI models and interpretable machine language methods.
Brian Eubank, the executive director of licensing, was recognized with a Campus Integration Award at the Collegiate Licensing IMPACT awards for Golden Ale. Created in partnership with New Realm Brewing Co., the ale ranked number two in sales among all member institutions with licensed beers. The awards honor partner institutions that execute programs to connect and engage with consumers through collegiate licensing. The Campus Integration Award highlights successful efforts by licensing departments to promote their university’s brand through licensing programs. Eubank has successfully launched several licensed consumables including a barbeque sauce and an ice cream along with a vintage clothing collection. He also kickstarted new events such as Fan Fest at Dick's House of Sport, craft fairs, and Miracle on Monarch Way to showcase licensed merchandise.
Luisa A. Igloria, Ph.D., the Louis I. Jaffe Professor of English and Creative Writing in the Master of Fine Arts Program, received multiple prizes and recognitions for various poems and for her collections “Caulbearer: Poems” and “Maps for Migrants and Ghosts.” These include: Finalist for the 2024 Montreal International Poetry Prize and Highly Commended for the 2024 Bridport Poetry Prize (both out of more than 4,000 submissions); second prize for the 2024 Poetry Lighthouse Prize; finalist in the Contemporary Poetry category in the 2024 American Legacy Books Awards; and finalist for the 2024 Off the Grid Poetry Prize. Originally from Baguio City, Philippines, Dr. Igloria is a Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Emerita (2020-22). She is lead editor, along with co-editors Aileen Cassinetto and Jeremy S. Hoffman, of “Dear Human at the Edge of Time: Poems on Climate Change in the U.S.” (Paloma Press, 2023), offered as a companion to the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5).
The Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship received the Governor’s Volunteerism and Community Service Award. Its leadership team, including Paul Olsen, the executive director of programs and partnerships for the Department of Research and Economic Development, accepted the award. The Institute’s programs include the Veterans Business Outreach Center, the Women’s Business Center, the Business Development Center, and OpenSeas Technology and Innovation Hub. These programs ensure that entrepreneurs are properly credentialed and positioned to compete for opportunities including federal contracts. In 2023, through its five major programs, the Institute provided 4,055 thirty-minute counseling sessions, created 498 new entrepreneurs, established 54 startup businesses, enabled 76 contracts totaling $13 million, and created 498 new jobs.The Institute’s staff delivers counseling and advice on business planning, financial wellness, business loans and ethics.
Justin Remhof, Ph.D., an associate professor of philosophy, recently published the book “Nietzsche as Metaphysician.” The book was spotlighted on the American Philosophical Association website, where Dr. Remhof explained that his book defends the “controversial view that Nietzsche should be read as a metaphysical philosopher,” in contrast to the standard view that Nietzsche as an anti-metaphysical thinker. His work has appeared in journals such as the European Journal of Philosophy, History of Philosophy Quarterly, Journal of the American Philosophical Association, Inquiry, The Southern Journal of Philosophy, The Journal of Nietzsche Studies, Nietzsche-Studien, and the British Journal for the History of Philosophy.
Brittany Suggs, Ph.D., the graduate clinical coordinator for the Department of Counseling and Human Services, was named to the 2024 Inside Business Hampton Roads 40 under 40 List. Suggs developed Academics Demystified LLC, an academic and career consulting company centered on helping individuals navigate academia from high school through higher education. She has held various professional roles, including serving as a member of the American Counseling Association (ACA) Human Rights Committee, a Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) Leadership Fellow, current president of the Virginia Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (VACES), and board member of the Coalition for Technology in Behavioral Science (CTiBS). In addition to her clinical and teaching roles, Dr. Suggs is a virtual research associate with intercollegiate colleagues across the United States. Her research interests include clinical technology competence, collaborative mental health care, multicultural competence, peer consultation, social determinants of health, race-based traumatic stressors, and emerging adulthood.
The University News team of Amber Kennedy, Kenya Godette, Jonah Grinkewitz, Joy Vann and Kelsey Kendall was recognized with a Public Relations Society of America Pinnacle Award for the launch of Inside , a weekly newsletter which now reaches nearly 60,000 internal and external readers to share the best of Old Dominion. The Pinnacle Awards, held in November, recognize the best public relations programs and tactics in the Hampton Roads region and recognize individuals for professional achievements in public relations.
Thea Williamson, Ph.D., an assistant professor of English Education, published a co-authored article about cultivating multilingual writing identities for middle school new arrival immigrants in the latest issue of English Journal, a publication from the National Council of Teachers of English and the largest national professional organization for English teachers. The article was selected for open access on the journal’s website, indicating it is of high interest to educators. Dr. Williamson has taught English and rhetoric at secondary and collegiate levels and worked with multilingual learners in Miami, New York City, Austin and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Her research highlights the importance of multilingual and race-conscious approaches to English language arts, exploring how race shapes what institutions value about language and literacy.