Department Faculty and Staff Win Awards

Faculty and staff in the Department of Philosophy & Religion recently won several college and university-wide awards for excellence in teaching, research and service.  Dr. CJ Uy won three awards during the 2026 Academic Affairs awards ceremony: The Madison Vision Teaching Award, which is given by JMU students in recognition of excellence in engaged learning; The Provost Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship; and the Provost Award for Excellence in Honors Teaching and Service.  Dr. Emily Gravett won the 2026 College of Arts and Letters Carl Harter Teaching Award, which is one of several teaching awards Gravett has won in recent years.  Dr. Anne van Leeuwen won the 2026 College of Arts and Letters Legacy Grant, which is given to a faculty member in the college who advances their field of inquiry while blending teaching and scholarship in a single endeavor. Each of these three faculty also recently earned promotions at the university: Uy earned tenure and promotion to Associate Professor; Gravett earned promotion to full Professor; and van Leeuwen earned promotion to full Professor.  

Religion professor Alan Levinovitz also won a 2026 Edna T. Shaeffer Humanist Award from the College of Arts and Letters.  CAL Shaeffer Awards support scholarly projects on topics in the humanities conducted in the summer months, and recipients give presentations on their projects in an annual symposium the following spring semester. Dr. Jennifer Aycock, Assistant Professor of Religion, also won a competitive summer grant from the College of Arts and Letters to support her research and creative activity this summer.  Finally, our administrative office specialist Michele Cornaire won the College of Arts and Letters Excellence in Service Award, which recognizes exemplary service to the university by a staff member of the college.  Congratulations all around!