The following Franciscan University faculty recently received recognition for their achievements.

• Chosen: This Is Your Catholic Faith, received an Excellence in Publishing Award and was named “Book of the Year” by the Association of Catholic Publishers. Written by Ron Bolster, director of Franciscan University’s Catechetics Program, and Chris Stefanick ’98, Catholic speaker and author, Chosen is a multimedia preparation program for the sacrament of Confirmation. Bolster holds an MA in theology with catechetical instruction and served as director of the Office of Catechetics for the Diocese of Peoria before joining Franciscan University’s faculty in 2004.
• Dr. Jeffrey Rohde, Franciscan University chemistry professor, received the Women Chemist Committee Award for Encouraging Women into the Chemical Sciences from the Women Chemists Committee (WCC) of the American Chemical Society, Pittsburgh Section. The award acknowledges those who inspire women to pursue careers in chemistry and help them develop professionally as chemists or chemical engineers. Rohde’s range of influence and support includes not only Franciscan’s women students pursuing internships and graduate school but also collaboration with medicinal chemists at AbbVie, a global biopharmaceutical company. Rohde earned his doctorate from Harvard University and previously did research for Abbott Laboratories.
• Six faculty members formally received promotions during the undergraduate commencement ceremony, held on May 9: Dr. John Bergsma, professor, Department of Theology; Dr. Christin Jungers, professor, Department of MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Dr. Paul Symington, professor, Department of Philosophy; Dr. Sarah Wear, professor, Department of Classics; Dr. Derek Doroski, associate professor, Department of Biology; and Dr. Mark Furda, associate professor, Department of MS Education.
• Dr. Jacob Wood and Dr. Scott Hahn were elected to the Academy of Catholic Theology, an organization that fosters intellectual theological works. Wood is an associate professor of theology at Franciscan University and is a faculty associate with Franciscan’s Veritas Center for Ethics in Public Life. Hahn holds the Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization and is the author or co-author of more than 40 books on the Catholic faith.