Six College of Arts & Humanities faculty members were among those honored with the inaugural UCF Luminary Award, designed to shine a light on exceptional faculty whose work is advancing their discipline and making a difference.
The 2017 recipients from the arts and humanities include Keith Folse, Professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature, Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz, Assistant Professor in the School of Visual Arts & Design, Anastasia Salter, Assistant Professor in the School of Visual Arts & Design, Eileen Smith, Research Associate in the School of Visual Arts & Design, Stephanie Vie, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Writing and Rhetoric, and Pavel Zemliansky, Professor of Writing and Rhetoric. Read the full story.
Keith Folse
Folse is a leader in teaching English as a second language. Some of the 67 books he has published are used as textbooks at universities worldwide. Thanks to his efforts in creating and bringing certificate programs to UCF, 15 students earned Fulbright ETA awards to teach English in other countries. And just last year, the Teaching English as a Second Language Association named him one of its “50 at 50” leaders in the field.
Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz
Raimundi-Ortiz is a gifted artist who is best known for her performance pieces. In her Queens series, she develops regal characters who speak to broken relationships, racial intolerance, anxiety and other issues often affected and defined by race and ethnicity. Her work was showcased this past summer at the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C.
Anastasia Salter
Salter’s work focuses on the impact of emerging platforms on the experience and authorship of stories. In addition to presenting her work internationally, she has also helped design an alternative reality game for an art history class and a U.S.-Russia cultural exchange game.
Eileen Smith
Smith’s research out of her E2i Creative Studio focuses on enhancing human performance over a lifetime. Her current research portfolio is at $3 million and aims to help train people in everything from teaching people to operate oil rig equipment to maintenance therapy for people with dementia.
Stephanie Vie
Vie is an internationally known scholar for her work in digital rhetoric. She is a leader in the area of social media and digital activism. Her expertise has been featured in publications such as Research Gate News and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Pavel Zemliansky
Professor Zemliansky is an expert in the field of writing and rhetoric. His work is regularly featured in the highest-ranked journals in the field, and he has won several national and international awards. His diverse background and knowledge of five languages helps give students a realistic look at their work before entering the job market.