St. Lawrence Celebrates Faculty and Staff Excellence at 2026 Convocation
St. Lawrence University celebrated six faculty and staff members for excellence in teaching, scholarship, mentorship, and service during the 2026 Convocation ceremony. Sarah Johnson ’82 Professor in the Sciences Adam Fox received the J. Calvin Keene Award; A. Barton Hepburn Associate Professor of Economics Brian Chezum received the Louis and Frances Maslow Award; Carole Jenne and Jackie teRiele received the John P. “Jack” Taylor Distinguished Career Service Award; and Crysta Corbett and Cheryl Canfield received the Thomas F. Coakley Distinguished Career Service Award.
J. Calvin Keene Award 2026 Recipient: Adam Fox
The J. Calvin Keene Award is given annually to a faculty member in recognition of the high standards of personal scholarship, effective teaching, and moral concern by which Keene conducted his career. This year’s recipient, Sarah Johnson ’82 Professor in the Sciences Adam Fox, was recognized for a career combining rigorous scholarship with outstanding mentorship and a deep investment in the St. Lawrence community.
Fox studies human and non-human behavior, with a particular focus on choice and time. His scholarly record includes roughly 30 publications, including nine between 2021 and 2025, six of them co-authored with St. Lawrence students.
Colleagues describe Fox as a quiet but influential presence. One noted that he “listens more than he talks,” while another observed that “when he talks, people listen.” That approach extends to his University service, including his work on Faculty Council and as chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
Students describe Fox’s Applied Behavior Analysis Laboratory as an intellectual home where high expectations are paired with genuine warmth. One student said joining his lab “single-handedly changed my perspective on the scholastic potential of St. Lawrence and allowed me to advance as a student, a researcher, a leader, and a person.” Another credited Fox’s mentorship with helping them secure four fully funded doctoral offers.
Together, his scholarship, teaching, mentoring, and service reflect a career marked by high achievement and genuine care for the St. Lawrence community.
Louis and Frances Maslow Award 2026 Recipient: Brian Chezum
Established in 1980, the Louis and Frances Maslow Award is presented annually to a faculty member who has shown “the most interest in and understanding of the education and welfare of the student body as a whole.” This year’s recipient, A. Barton Hepburn Associate Professor of Economics Brian Chezum, has made serving students a guiding principle of his career.
Chezum has taught large numbers of students semester after semester while treating each as an individual deserving of his time and mentorship. He has continually evolved his courses and the economics and finance curriculum to meet students’ needs, combining rigorous academics with opportunities to seek help, practice problems, and learn to think like economists.
Those relationships often endure well beyond graduation. One former advisee who later became Chezum’s colleague said, “It was a privilege to have him as an influential professor when I was a student; it's even better now to call him a friend. His dedication to St. Lawrence students has never wavered.”
Chezum has also played a central role in building some of St. Lawrence’s most popular academic offerings, including Economics, Business in the Liberal Arts, and Finance. His extensive University service has included department and program leadership, Faculty Council, service as Faculty Delegate to the Board of Trustees, and a familiar role to Saints fans as an announcer for football and women’s and men’s hockey.
John P. “Jack” Taylor Distinguished Career Service Award 2026 Recipients
The John P. “Jack” Taylor Distinguished Career Service Award recognizes distinguished service by an administrator who has worked at St. Lawrence for at least 12 years and whose devotion to students and high-quality work have earned the respect of the campus community.
Carole Jenne
For nearly two decades, Jenne has helped make a St. Lawrence education possible for thousands of students and families through her work in Financial Aid. She brings patience, compassion, and expertise to a process that can be both complicated and deeply personal.
For prospective students and their families, Jenne often makes a daunting process feel manageable. She understands that FAFSA forms, loans, scholarships, and financial aid packages are new territory for many families and patiently helps them understand their options.
Jenne has been an especially steadfast advocate for students in the Higher Education Opportunity Program, guiding prospective students through eligibility requirements and continuing to support them throughout their four years at St. Lawrence.
“Many students have been able to come to St. Lawrence — and remain here — because Carole helped them find a path forward,” Morris said. Her colleagues also know Jenne as warm, approachable, generous with her knowledge, and always willing to help.
Jackie teRiele
As laboratory manager for the Biology Department, teRiele is an indispensable presence in Johnson Hall, supporting teaching laboratories, faculty and student research, laboratory safety, equipment, purchasing, student employees, and the countless details required to keep a complex scientific environment running smoothly.
Her colleagues describe teRiele as the institutional memory of Johnson Hall and someone who doesn’t simply solve problems but anticipates them, often recognizing what needs to happen before anyone else does. She is also a dedicated mentor whose student employees leave the Biology Prep Lab with skills in professionalism, responsibility, critical thinking, organization, and laboratory work.
One recent graduate shared a memorable example of teRiele’s commitment. When the student’s bacteriophage research stalled because she couldn’t find a local source of raw milk, teRiele contacted her brother, a dairy farmer, and brought fresh raw milk to the lab so the research could continue.
“Because of Jackie, things simply work,” Morris said. “More importantly, because of Jackie, students and colleagues are able to do their best work.”
Thomas F. Coakley Distinguished Career Service Award 2026 Recipients
The Thomas F. Coakley Distinguished Career Service Award recognizes high standards of performance and dedication to St. Lawrence by a permanent hourly employee who has worked at the University for at least 10 years.
Crysta Corbett
Corbett was recognized for the expertise, patience, and problem-solving she brings to St. Lawrence’s security and electronic access systems, work that affects people and spaces throughout campus.
Whether addressing access needs in Fox Hall, the commuter student lounge, or elsewhere, Corbett begins by listening. She works to understand what people are trying to accomplish, considers both technical possibilities and individual needs, and finds practical solutions. That combination of technical knowledge and commitment to service has made her a trusted resource for colleagues across the University.
“Crysta brings knowledge, patience, and an unfailing willingness to help to everything she does,” Morris said.
Cheryl Canfield
Canfield was honored for 26 years of dedicated service to St. Lawrence and the energy, attention to detail, and strong sense of responsibility she brings to Saints Athletics.
Canfield helps keep Athletics organized and moving, with responsibilities ranging from University purchasing and procurement procedures to running the Appleton Arena ticket office and supporting the Athletic Hall of Fame Committee and its Reunion event.
Her contributions extend beyond those responsibilities. Over the years, Canfield has taught fitness classes, brought energy and fun to her work, and received the Doc Littlejohn–Ron Waske Award in recognition of her service. Through it all, she approaches her work with dedication, accountability, and a smile.
Faculty Recognition
Tenure and Promoted to Associate Professor
Kevin Angstadt, Associate Professor of Computer Science
Alanna Gillis, Associate Professor of Sociology
Fritz Schenker, Associate Professor of Music
Faculty Promoted to Professor
Ivan Ramler, Jack & Sylvia Burry Professor of Statistics
Faculty Awarded Endowed Professorships
Andrew Beck, Associate Professor of Geology
Dr. J. Mark Erickson Professorship in Geology
Matt Higham, Associate Professor of Statistics and Data Science
Martha E. ’62 and Gregg E. Peterson Professorship in Mathematics
Tyler Rife, Assistant Professor of Performance & Communication Arts
Maurer Director of Rhetoric and Communication
Jennifer Thomas, Associate Dean of the First-Year and Professor of Performance and Communication Arts Birdsong Professorship in the Arts
