Honors Go to Staff and Faculty for
Outstanding Achievements
Excellence in Teaching Awards
LYNN STAUFFER, Ph.D.
Professor of Computer Science
Lynn Stauffer joined the SSU faculty in 1994 after earning her Ph.D. in computer science at the University of California, Irvine. She teaches a range of courses including introductory courses for non-majors and special topic courses for advanced computer science students. Recently, she taught a course in data compression that led to collaborative undergraduate research work in novel coding methods. She served as the faculty advisor for the Computer Club and the Women in Computer Science group for many years. Dr. Stauffer emphasizes computational thinking in her courses. Computational thinking involves solving problems, designing solutions, and understanding human behavior by drawing on fundamental computing concepts. This emphasis broadens the narrow view of computer science that equates it with computer programming into the more relevant view that computing and computational thinking are a fundamental core in many current and future fields.
SUZANNE TOCZYSKI, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of French
Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
Suzanne Toczyski began teaching at Sonoma State University in 1998. She received her bachelor’s degree in French and mathematics from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and her master’s and Ph.D. in French literature from Yale University. Prior to her arrival at SSU, she taught at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, and at the University of Washington. At Sonoma State, Dr. Toczyski’s classes range from introductory-level French language classes to advanced composition, history, culture, and literature. She has also taught various general education courses, including Francophone Caribbean Literatures in English, as well as courses in the Humanities Program and the Freshman Seminar. She is advisor to the French Club. Dr. Toczyski’s research interests focus primarily on French writers of the 17th century, including Pierre Corneille, Jean Racine, Blaise Pascal, Madeleine de Scudéry, and Jean-Baptiste Labat. She is editor of the journal French 17, and also publishes the Bay Area Francophile List, a weekly bulletin of events of interest to French speakers in northern California.
Staff Excellence Awards
CONNIE LEWSADDER
Assistant to the Dean of the School of Social Sciences
Connie was nominated for the Excellence Award by what appears to be the entire leadership of the School of Social Sciences. She is known for consistently going above and beyond the call of duty and for being a role model for the spirit of continuous improvement. When the school had difficulty managing the paperwork for its contract courses, she designed and implemented a system that solved the problem. Connie is a role model for outstanding leadership and teamwork. Connie created and continues to lead the AC Roundtable, which is a forum for Administrative Coordinators to discuss issues pertaining to their jobs, including critically important activities such as implementing policies of the registrar, processing forms and many other student and faculty related activities. She has worked to strengthen the lines of communication between Admissions and Records and AC's throughout the University.
STEPHANIE THIBAULT,
Instructional Support Technician, Biology Department
Stephanie Thibault was nominated for the excellence award by the department, and also by what appears to be the entire School of Science and Technology - the dean, the administrative manager, the Council of Department Chairs - for her additional accomplishments in planning and executing the Darwin Hall move. Stephanie emerged as a leader early in the Darwin move planning process by using her vast technological and organizational skills to direct the focus of the Transition Team to address immediate problems and concerns as well as long-range planning. Her experience was invaluable in identifying issues before they became difficult issues. In addition to her numerous talents and skills, she is a personable and positive figure. She was able to convert the inevitable setbacks in the long Darwin Hall move process into positives, and even used humor to move people from cynicism and gloom to idealism and hope.