Authors recognized for scholarly contributions
East Carolina University’s libraries formally recognized ECU authors during a two-day span, hosting a ceremony on Health Sciences Campus and then a Main Campus ceremony the following day.
“This enriches our academic community,” said Dr. Chris Buddo, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Authorship is one of the most visible and impactful ways to share insights, foster innovation and push boundaries of scholarly inquiry to advance understanding. At ECU, we take immense pride in fostering this culture of inquiry, innovation and impact. The authors recognized exemplify these values through their dedication to research, writing and the dissemination of ideas that shape this place and future generations.”
Main Campus Awards
Alternative textbook award winners Drs. Madeline Fernandez, second from left, and Christy Howard with librarians Jeanne Hoover, left, and Allison Kaefring.
Joyner Library hosted the 15th annual East Carolina University Main Campus Faculty Author Book and Alternative Textbook Awards. It also served as a reflective moment.
“Tonight, we passed the 600-mark of awards given,” Academic Library Services director Jan Lewis said. “Since 2010, we recognized 528 unique titles with awards to 326 different faculty members. Fifteen faculty members have received five or more awards throughout the years. I have been part of Joyner Library’s recognition of book authors on Main Campus since 2010. I always look forward to this annual event, which was expanded several years ago to include participants in Joyner Library’s Alternative Textbook Program, as we celebrate the accomplishments of these talented individuals. Their creativity, hard work and expertise never fail to inspire me. Together, we’ve built a tradition that enriches our community. I look forward to the continuation and growth of the program under Beth Ketterman’s leadership as university librarian.”
Seven faculty are participating this year in the Alternative Textbook Program, which is co-led by librarians Jeanne Hoover and Allison Kaefring. The program pairs personal librarians with faculty members to support faculty in integrating open educational resources, open access materials and hybrid resources into their classes, which reduces costs and customizes materials for students.
Dr. Christy Howard in the College of Education earned an author award and an alternative textbook award. Howard, Dr. Anne Ticknor and Dr. Mikkaka Overstreet wrote “Practical Steps Toward Culturally Responsive K-12 Literacy Instruction: Resisting barriers, using texts, and making space.”
The Joyner ceremony honored 24 authors and editors for publishing a monograph between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025.
This was the second author award each for Howard and Ticknor, a former chair of the ECU Faculty Senate who previously participated annually in the ceremony as chair and has since passed that role to faculty chair Dr. Mark Bowler.
“It’s amazing and I think you have to have a trusting relationship,” Howard said of co-authoring a book. “We all start with the same vision, but we also can challenge each other in such beautiful ways and critical ways and learn from each other.”
Added Ticknor: “We were inspired together and wanted to put at the forefront ideas of storytelling or assessment and bringing all things together to make literacy relevant for every student in every classroom.”
Other book topics for this cycle ranged from the role of sport in communities to modern infrastructure, teaching and mathematics. International literature included Dr. Mulatu Wubneh’s “Ethiopia by the Numbers.” A few titles focused on artificial intelligence, including “Generative AI in B2B Sales: Boost Your Sales Strategy with AI Technology” written by Dr. Michael Rodriguez in the College of Business.
Dr. Hanna Kassab, associate professor of political science in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, was honored for two books — “The Fragility of the Lebanese State” and “Self-Esteem, Altruism, and Power in Multipolarity.”
Health Sciences Awards
Academic Library Services director Jan Lewis smiles as she presents during the Main Campus Faculty Author Book and Alternative Textbook Awards.
The 19th Health Sciences Author Recognition Awards ceremony featured 100 authors honored for their work. In all, they produced two books, 15 book chapters and 248 journal articles.
Two of the Brody School of Medicine authors, Drs. William Meggs and Michael Honaker, each received special recognition and a bronze medallion for authoring a book. Meggs was an editor for “Farm Toxicology: A Primer for Rural Healthcare.” Honaker co-authored “General Surgery Boards Case-based Review.”
“There hadn’t been a new book published in a long time about preparing for case scenarios,” Honaker said. “A couple residents and others decided we would be interested in doing this, because there was nothing new out there, so we took it and ran with it. … It was a relief to get it done and pride in what we did. It was a lot of work and editing and it is nice to see it out in the world and on Amazon with people using it.”
Laupus Library director Beth Ketterman and Laupus business officer Courtney Horns were recognized for their leadership in preparing for the ceremony. Ketterman also received applause for her appointment as the first university librarian, a role she will begin July 1, 2026, in conjunction with a merger of ECU’s libraries and retirement by Lewis. Lewis has been at ECU since 1999 and was named interim dean in 2012 before her ALS director designation beginning in 2015.
“I am excited to continue the tradition of our ECU libraries’ support for our faculty authors in this new role, so being in the room with these amazing scholars when that announcement was made was incredibly meaningful,” Ketterman said.
Ketterman, Buddo and others gave remarks at the ceremony. Dr. Herb Garrison with ECU Health Foundation provided insight on Meggs’ expertise.
“He has made contributions in agriculture safety, toxicology, emergency medicine, and, before it was a thing, he literally wrote the book on inflammation,” Garrison said. “ECU is so fortunate to still have Dr. Meggs on our faculty, and I’m glad I got to be here to see him receive another well-deserved honor.”