UNC Asheville celebrated the special accomplishments of its faculty and staff members in an online gathering on Friday, May 7. Awards were given for service to the University, teaching, creativity and scholarship, as well as special recognition for retiring faculty and staff.
Erica Abrams Locklear was noted for her generosity with her time in both the English and Humanities Departments, willing to go above and beyond to help her students. Her classrooms are spaces of negotiation, where students are encouraged to seek their own identities, while affirming the difficulties and challenges of others who face marginalization, injustice, and lack of opportunity. Students noted that Abrams Locklear engaged thoughtfully and earnestly with their ideas, while encouraging them to do the same with each other. Abrams Locklear’s classes are not confined by brick-and-mortar walls, as she hosts potluck dinners in her Food and Literature courses, brings renowned authors of southern and Appalachian literature to campus, and caravans with her students to the annual Appalachian Studies Conference, where her students often present their own scholarly research. “Dr. Locklear makes me want to be the best version of myself as a person and scholar,” one student said. “I am a better writer, thinker and person because of her, and UNC Asheville is a better university because of her.”
Chief of Staff Shannon Earle was recognized for her tireless work in various roles to support the mission and goals of the University, and especially for the extra responsibilities she has taken on since the beginning of the pandemic. In the early months of the pandemic, in addition to her chief of staff role, Earle provided oversight for Admission and Financial Aid, helping to lead the movement of all activities for this department to online/virtual experiences for students hoping or planning to attend UNC Asheville in fall 2020. She also led the University’s efforts to obtain approval from the state to host a vaccination clinic on campus, in partnership with MAHEC. Even with her full plate supporting campus as chief of staff, Earle still found time to volunteer at the campus vaccine clinic.
David Weldon, director of emergency management, has led UNC Asheville’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) throughout the pandemic, which operationalized planning, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts to address issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Weldon has been highly involved in ensuring the University has adequate personal protective equipment supplies and cleaning supplies, and that the campus buildings were set up in accordance with CDC and NCDHHS COVID-19 related safety protocols. Most recently, Weldon has led the logistical efforts that were critical for the UNC Asheville/MAHEC collaboration to open an indoor vaccination clinic, taking leadership roles in everything from developing a floorplan to handing out bottles of cold water to people waiting in line outside the clinic.
Adcock's scholarship is a distinctive contribution to the University, his field and community, and the people of North Carolina. His research project on the Stories of the Snowbird Day School is a critical component of efforts to preserve the historical artifacts, language and stories of the students who attended the school. Adcock's scholarship has provided several opportunities for undergraduate research, strengthened the relationships between the University and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and has centered the University's core values.
Ruffin has leveraged her expertise to advocate for and strengthen equity in local school systems and was recently awarded a competitive multi-investigator grant from Dogwood Health Trust Alliance to enrich local learning PODS. Ruffin is at the forefront of her field, culturally responsive pedagogy, and is the embodiment of the teacher-scholar at the core of UNC Asheville's success, having produced cutting-edge scholarship that informs both her teaching and service activities.Â
In her 28 years of service at UNC Asheville, Beck has been instrumental in designing rigorous courses, challenging students to think critically and deeply. Her innovative teaching has led to international connections between students at UNC Asheville and in Chile and Ecuador. She has served as co-director of the Science Olympiad Regional Tournament for 17 years, she serves on the advisory board of the Astronomy Club of Asheville, conducts consulting work with science museums, has co-authored 13 “Instructor’s Resource Manuals” for physics and astronomy textbooks and has been the recipient of six faculty grants from the North Carolina Space Grant Consortium.
A significant accomplishment is Wasileski’s work as principal investigator in the research, design, implementation and coordination of the Chemistry Scholars Program, obtaining three highly competitive grants through the National Science Foundation. This program has offered significant support to numerous first-generation students and has resulted in a 300% increase in the number of chemistry graduates. Additionally, Wasileski serves as co-principle investigator on a multi-institutional NSF ADVANCE grant to research the impacts of gender inequality across COPLAC faculty, developing ways to better support women STEM faculty and to train administrators to mitigate inequities.
Megan Pugh, director of the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, received the Mighty Oak Resilience Staff Award for demonstrated resilience in her professional work this year with her steadfast persistence and dedication to supporting and advocating for BIPOC students, faculty, and staff amidst a highly-charged year of social injustice and racial inequities that continue to disproportionately impact black and brown people in our nation. Pugh has been able to have difficult, yet compassionate, conversations with colleagues and students to broaden learning, increase motivation, provide safe spaces, and connect students with a community of support that fosters development during a pandemic, even as this work has come at a cost to her and our BIPOC colleagues and students. In light of the pandemic and persistent inequities, Pugh managed to provide significant programming and event opportunities to the campus community that have positively impacted our students and called us to recognize our common humanity.Â
Couzo was recognized for his service to the Education Department, the University, and the community. He has worked to ensure the Education Department met the highest state and national standards during their successful reaccreditation in 2020. At the University level he has been a strong advocate for sustainability, and was instrumental in the creation of the University’s first climate action plan and campus greenhouse gas inventory. His colleagues have noted his service to the community in his role as co-director of the regional Science Olympiad, bringing hundreds of students to our campus, and in his outreach to K-12 STEM educators. His expertise and passion have landed him an appointment to the Western NC Air Quality Agency Board, advocating for stronger public health policy for our region.
Wilcox’s dedication to the University has been evident in his service as the faculty athletic representative since 2014, in which time colleagues have noted his exemplary role as mentor, advocate, and role model for our student-athletes. He has also shown great dedication to the community, using his expertise and authority to advocate for the health and safety of citizens living near the CTS superfund site, a large-scale cleanup project of an abandoned and toxic industrial complex. He has attended community meetings, reviewed thousands of pages of sampling and remediation plans, and involved nearly 300 students in the project, which has led to the introduction of a comprehensive testing program and the evacuation of several at-risk residents.Â
Ward was recognized for her dedication to student success, her meticulous research on pedagogical methods, and her commitment to inclusion and equity.
Judson has proven herself to be a versatile instructor, teaching in her own discipline of History, in the Humanities Program, and in the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.Â
Moraguez was recognized for her skill at using the relevance of current events and the theories of political science to enhance student understanding and learning, and for her work to involve her students in civic engagement both on and off campus.Â
Graves was recognized for his thoughtful dedication to teaching across disciplines, his scholarship, and his caring support of students.Â
Zunguze was recognized for his ability to guide students through challenging issues including decolonialism and the socio-political and cultural consequences of the African diaspora.
Jackson was recognized for teaching in a way that energizes and inspires his students, while helping to preserve the premier indigenous language of Western North Carolina.Â
© 2026 UNC Asheville
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