2024 Faculty & Staff Awards

The College of Human Sciences & Education Engagement Award recognizes a CHSE staff member who has demonstrated collaboration across university audiences (e.g., Students, families, individuals, non-profit agencies or government institutions) for the mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and resources that address complex human and information issues to elevate quality of life across the lifespan.​ This year's recipient is Missy Korduner, PhD, for her outstanding efforts to advocate, volunteer and facilitate community-based efforts to make a difference in our region and beyond.

As stated in one of her letters of support, “She is a changemaker and never fails to offer support [to others].” As another external reference noted, she is someone “who has been sought after as a retreat facilitator to guide local organizations through a variety of topics.”

Dr. Korduner is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice and the M.S. Graduate Programs Coordinator in the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development. She holds a PhD in Human Resource Education from LSU and has successfully developed a variety of collaborative partnerships across campus to benefit students. Her areas of expertise include:  extended orientation and transition programs; first year student initiatives; program planning and implementation; program assessment and evaluation; student leader training and development; and student advising. 

Dr. Korduner is an active member of the Association for Talent Development (ATD), both locally and nationally.  She currently serves as a member of the ATD Chapter Leaders’ Conference (ALC) Program Advisory Committee and the Chapter Recognition Committee (CRC).  Locally, she has served the ATD - Baton Rouge Chapter in a variety of Board positions, including President and as a member of various committees including the Annual Conference Committee, Scholarship Review Committee, and Nominating Committee.  In addition, she currently serves as the President-Elect (2023) for LACADA, the Louisiana Academic Advising Association and has been an integral piece of revitalizing the association.  She is also a member of the Junior League of Baton Rouge and Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women.

The College of Human Sciences & Education Mentorship Award recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates sustained excellence in mentoring students and/or other faculty members. Mentoring may include support and guidance in areas of teaching, research, service, academic achievement and/or professional development. Faculty members may be recognized who have initiated or created departmental or university-wide mentoring programs. This year's recipient is Ashley Clayton, PhD, for her sustained record of excellence in mentoring students and other faculty members at LSU.

Her mentoring is characterized by a unique ability of serving the community by sharing her time, knowledge, and experiences with others. As stated in one of her letters of support, “There are few faculty members that are involved in meaningful mentorship at so many different levels of serve, and who do so with such dedication and compassion.” As stated in another letter of support, “she has served as a thought partner and provided a safe space to try new things and make mistakes without judgment.”

Dr. Clayton is an Associate Professor in the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education and holds the Jo Ellen Levy Yates Endowed Professorship. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech and her master’s degree from Florida International University. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Research and Policy Analysis (Higher Education) at North Carolina State University and completed her postdoctoral appointment at the University of Georgia's Institute of Higher Education. Recently, she earned her MBA from the E.J. Ourso College of Business at LSU. Prior to becoming a faculty member, she worked in undergraduate admissions and TRIO Upward Bound.

Dr. Clayton’s research agenda broadly focuses on practices and policies that address postsecondary access, and success. Her work often examines postsecondary outcomes for underserved student populations, including first-generation college students, low-income students, rural students, and Students of Color. Many of her research projects examine college access and success interventions, college advising and admissions, PK-20 pathways, and financial aid.

The College of Human Sciences & Education Outstanding Faculty Service Award recognizes a CHSE faculty member who has a proven record of exceptional service to the profession, school, college or university. This year's recipient is Julie Wright Rollins, PhD, for her years of exceptional service to the profession, school, college and university.

She is a tireless advocate and representative for her school and college. She has served in LSU’s Faculty Senate, including on the Executive Board. She has also served on many other committees including the International Travel Oversight Committee and the Athletic Council Committee. Dr. Wright Rollins also re-established a local chapter of the Kappa Delta Pi Honor Society for Educators. As one colleague stated, “I feel her energy level for service increases each time she gives to the LSU community, and we are made better for it.”

Dr. Wright Rollins is an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice in the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education. She also supervises teacher residents during their yearlong residency in public schools through the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. An instructor in the elementary reading methods courses, her research includes examining the intersections and connections between fluency and comprehension. she believes hands-on instruction for elementary education students is vital in tandem with critical feedback from classroom observation. She was a middle school teacher for fourteen years and understands the changing classroom and its demands.

The College of Human Sciences & Education Distinguished Teaching Award recognizes a CHSE faculty member with superior undergraduate or graduate-level teaching and related activities. This year's recipient is Tao Jin, PhD, for his superior efforts and significant contributions through teaching.

One student noted in one of his letters of support, “[his] course has changed how I view life in general. I have never been a leader, but this course has prepared me for real-life problem-solving situations." His students praise his innovative methods for providing real-world applications.

Dr. Jin is an Associate Professor in the School of Information Studies. He has maintained outstanding student evaluations since joining the school in 2007. He was instrumental in developing a first-in-the-nation program partnership with the Institute of Certified Records Managers and the Graduate Certificate in Records & Information Management here at LSU. Since 2004 he has been researching, teaching, and advising in the areas of competitive intelligence, knowledge management, and business information seeking and processing. Over the years he has promoted and/or served for various professional organizations, such as the Association for Information Science and Technology, Special Libraries Association, Strategic and Competitive Intelligence Professionals, Canadian Association for Information Science, ARMA International, and the Institute of Certified Records Managers. He previously served on editorial boards of the Canadian Journal of Information and Library Science and the Journal of Information and Knowledge Management. He advises students who are interested in special libraries, knowledge management, and records and information management. He is the program coordinator for the Graduate Certificate in Records and Information Management.

The College of Human Sciences & Education Outstanding Impact Award is given to a faculty member whose publications, programs, or exhibitions (e.g. projects, colloquia, laboratories) in the human sciences and education fields have had a significant societal impact. This year's recipient is Jennifer Curry, PhD, NCC, for her exceptional record of translating her research beyond academia to meaningfully impact early childhood education.

She has been invited as a career development consultant for the past five years on a $30 Million Department of Education Grant. In doing so, she has played an important role in the development of an upcoming PBS Kids’ program, entitled Skillsville. Dr. Curry continues to actively work with numerous partners to leverage her knowledge and expertise into transformational change in local communities. As stated in one of her letters of support, “Dr. Curry exemplifies the CHSE vision. Her work and productivity demonstrate sustained impact.”

Dr. Curry, Vira Franklin and James R. Eagles Professor in the Lutrill & Pearl Payne School of Education, teaches in the counselor education program at LSU. Her research interests include career and college readiness and school counselor induction and development. Her professional experiences include investigating crimes against children and serving as an elementary, middle, and high school counselor. She has published over 50 peer reviewed articles and six books. Dr. Curry has presented her work nationally and internationally at over 150 professional conferences. She serves as an associate editor for Professional School Counseling and she has served as a delegate of ASCA’s national assembly and President of the Louisiana School Counselor Association (LSCA).  She is the recipient of the American Counseling Association’s (ACA) Ross Trust Award, Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling’s (ASERVIC) Judith Miranti Lifetime Service Award, the ASERVIC Meritorious Service Award, the Biggs Pine Publication Award, Louisiana Counseling Association’s (LCA) Research Award, LCA’s Advocacy Award, Louisiana State University’s Distinguished Faculty Award, and Vanderbilt’s Roger Aubrey Northstar Award for the person most likely to change the field of counseling. 

The College of Human Sciences & Education Exemplary Leadership Award recognizes a faculty member who significantly impacts the academic enterprise of the university through their leadership and service. The award recipient demonstrates a high degree of professionalism, is committed to the strategic mission of the university, and encourages others to support and work toward the public good through innovative initiatives. This year's recipient is Laura Ainsworth, PhD, LCSW, for her exceptional record of leading by example within her school and college.

Dr. Ainsworth is an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work and has served as the Program Director of the Human Development & Family Science Program since 2021. As one colleague noted, “she brought steady management to a previously unsteady program and Dr. Ainsworth made some incredibly though decisions that needed to be made. I truly feel that without Dr. Ainsworth’s firm leadership, this entire program might have crumbled.” She is also the Associate Director of the Healthy Aging Research Center. As stated in one of her letters of support, “without Dr. Ainsworth, there is no Healthy Aging Research Center.” She has played a critical role in securing funding and managing a $5 Million initiative with numerous external partners.

Dr. Ainsworth has worked in the College of Human Science & Education's Social Research & Evaluation Center since 2019. She has experience in administration and teaching, micro and macro social work practice, program design and implementation, grant writing, evaluation research and community-based participatory research.  Her work involves research in school social work, school mental health, and access to services for underserved populations.

The College of Human Sciences & Education Outstanding Staff Service Award recognizes a CHSE staff member who has a proven record of exceptional service to the profession, school, college or university. This year's recipient is Kristina Little, LCSW, for her years of exceptional service to the profession, school, college and university.

She is known for her curiosity, problem-solving skills, and her incredible ability to communicate stories. As one colleague stated, “knowing that there is someone you can implicitly rely on is very rare, and she is one of these rare individuals. I cannot understate the value she has brought to our unit.”

Little serves as the Associate Director of LSU’s Social Research and Evaluation Center. Since joining the Center in 2019, she has become the team’s go-to expert on cloud-based data collection and reporting across projects. She has over 8 years of experience working in a medical setting, specifically oncology. Her previous publications are related to Alzheimer’s caregivers.

The College of Human Sciences & Education Early Career Award recognizes a CHSE faculty member who has demonstrated extraordinary performance in teaching, research or service within eight years after receipt of the doctoral degree. This year's recipient is Oliver "Ozzie" Crocco, EdD, for his extraordinary performance in teaching, research, and service since joining LSU. 

Dr. Crocco is a newly promoted associate professor and the PhD program coordinator in the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development. He is an effective teacher and mentor who fosters an inclusive, engaging, and supportive learning environment for his students. As one of his colleagues stated, “his teaching extends beyond the classroom, as evidenced by his leadership of study abroad programs that immerse students in cross-cultural learning experiences.” He has amassed an impressive scholarship publication and presentation record and has earned several “Best Paper” and “Rising Faculty” awards. He has also been awarded more than $1 million in research grants. Additionally, he has demonstrated a strong commitment to service through his active involvement in advancing the broader academic community. He served on the board of the Academy of Human Resource Development from 2021 to 2024 and serves as an Associate Editor for Human Resource Development Review.

Dr. Crocco’s research focuses on leadership and human resource development (HRD) in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, adult development, organization development and change in community-based organizations, workforce development, global mindset, coastal community resilience and coastal preservation, and indigenous HRD. Most recently, he has been interested in exploring the intersection of these areas with coastal and environmental issues. His book, Developing Human Resources in Southeast Asia, explores the regional HRD ecosystem in Southeast Asia.

The College of Human Sciences & Education Distinguished Research Award recognizes a CHSE faculty member who has demonstrated a sustained record of excellence in research and scholarly productivity. This year's recipient is Brian Irving, PhD, for his enduring commitment to high-quality research and academic productivity.

His scholarship is primarily focused on the study of short- and long-term metabolic and bioenergetic adaptions to exercise and weight loss interventions in older adults. He is internationally renowned for his scholarship and has maintained excellence at each rank at LSU as he continues to contribute to the field of exercise physiology and beyond in meaningful ways. To date, he has published more than 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts in high-impact journals. The impact of his research is evident across different metrics. He currently has an h-index of 32, an i10 index of 62, and his research has been cited more than 5,400 times. Dr. Irving has also demonstrated excellence in consistently securing external funding. During his time at LSU, he has generated millions of dollars in external funding while serving as a reviewer for top-rated peer-reviewed journals and on numerous grant review panels. He has served on almost 20 dissertation committees, and his own former PhD students have secured prestigious post-doc fellowships. As stated in one of his letters of support, Dr. Irving has “built a highly regarded and successful research laboratory commensurate with the best in the world”. 

Dr. Irving is a professor in the School of Kinesiology, holding the William Prescott Foster Endowed Professorship and serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. He has advanced training in endocrinology and metabolism, skeletal muscle physiology, and stable-isotope methodologies. He joined the LSU faculty after serving three years as the founding director of the Geisinger Obesity Institute’s Metabolic Phenotyping Laboratory. Prior to joining the Geisinger Obesity Institute, he was an assistant orofessor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic.