Associate Professor of Communication Maria Venetis, Ph.D.’10, has been named a recipient of the Warren I. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching. Awarded by Rutgers University, the award honors the memory of the noted cultural historian and Rutgers University professor, Warren I. Susman, and is given annually to tenured faculty members in recognition of “outstanding service in stimulating and guiding the intellectual development of students at Rutgers University.” Venetis will receive a commemorative certificate and an honorarium at a reception to be held on May 6, 2024, at the home of Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway.
In an April 18 email to the Rutgers community announcing the recipients of the annual university-wide faculty awards for 2023-2024, President Holloway noted that he and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Prabhas Moghe did so with “pride in the entire Rutgers faculty and with admiration and gratitude for the efforts of all our faculty members over the course of the academic year.” This year, 32 members of the Rutgers community were selected by their colleagues for outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and public service.
Venetis, whose primary research interests lie at the intersection of interpersonal and health communication, said, “A hallmark of my scholarship is the emphasis on student participation and engagement when conducting research. I prioritize large projects that center how patients communicate with close others such as family members and/or with healthcare providers. The scope of such projects encourages collaboration, and my research model includes training junior scholars as apprentices throughout the research process. My students are able to learn through doing the work with me. For example, I am currently working on a large project with Associate Professor of Communication Shawnika Hull that has included 10 undergraduate and 5 graduate members of the CommUnity Health Action Lab. We are proud of this research not only for the content that systematically categorizes how scholars approaches equity in healthcare interactions but also for the research training opportunities it has provided for undergraduate and graduate researchers.”
Interim Dean Dafna Lemish offered her congratulations to Venetis, noting that her award is “so well deserved” and demonstrates “our excellence in teaching in the school.” Venetis is the recipient of other Rutgers University awards including the Department of Communication Teaching Award in 2022, the Provost’s Teaching Fellowship in 2021, and the School of Communication and Information Outstanding Faculty Support of Ph.D. Students Award, Honorable Mention, in 2021.
Photo credit: SC&I Interim Dean Dafna Lemish
