May 10, 2024
Shawnee State University has announced the 2024 Faculty Awards. As part of this year’s presentation, the recipient of the Shannon Lawson Faculty Service Award is Dr. Jennifer Scott. An Associate Professor of English & Humanities and the Director of the Composition & Rhetoric graduate program, Dr. Scott has been with the university since 2012.
“I’m grateful for this award and for the many service opportunities I’ve had at Shawnee State,” said Dr. Scott. “In each one, I’ve learned a great deal and have grown professionally and personally. It’s an honor to receive an award named for Dr. Shannon Lawson, who was my colleague in the English & Humanities department and a former Honors Program director herself. Her wisdom and expertise are sorely missed, and I am glad to have known her during my first years as a faculty member.”
In her time at SSU, Dr. Scott has held several Director positions including Program Director of the English & Humanities Department’s first graduate degree, the M.A. in Composition & Rhetoric. In the past, she has served as the director of Honors Program, of Developmental English, and of the Writing Center. She serves on several department and university committees including the Teaching & Learning Center Advisory Committee, Outreach Committee, Curriculum Committee, and Assessment Committee. She also represents the English & Humanities department as a representative on the University Faculty Senate, Graduate Council, and Shawnee Education Association. She has been a part of 10 academic publications of her research as well as presented her work at 12 conferences and symposiums. This year, she collaborated with the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Kimberly Inman and Program Director of the Master of Mathematics Doug Darbro to write a proposal to the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce’s College Credit Plus Teacher Credentialing Grant program.
“Dr. Scott has been described as a constant, meaningful, and significant contributor to the well-being of the institution and does what needs to be done outside of the limelight,” said SSU Provost Dr. Sunil Ahuja during the award presentation. “She has served on nine university committees to help the institution develop distance learning, academic policies, graduate programs, and professional development programs.”
Dr. Scott received her bachelor’s degree in Technical Communication from the New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology in 2007. She went on to receive her master’s in Professional & Technical Communication from New Mexico State University in 2009 before receiving her Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Professional Communication in 2014 from the same institution.
The Shannon Lawson Faculty Service Award memorializes the impact of the late Dr. Shannon Lawson through her service to both the Portsmouth area and the university. The annual honor is awarded for dedication to service in the form of committee work, leadership roles within the university, and promoting activities focused on campus service and outreach.