Carolina Women’s Leadership Council presents second annual faculty mentoring awards
Above, Janna Dieckmann; below, Andrew Reynolds (photos by KPO Photo)
The Carolina Women’s Leadership Council handed out its
second annual mentoring awards to professors Janna
Dieckmann and Andrew Reynolds. The awards were presented in
February during the council’s annual meeting at the
Carolina Inn.
Dieckmann, an assistant professor of nursing, received the
council’s faculty-to-faculty mentoring award. Reynolds, an
associate professor of political science, received the
faculty-to-student award.
The awards, which carry a stipend of $5,000 each, are
funded by an endowment established by the council, a
volunteer committee that is a part of the Carolina First
Campaign. Council members have raised $240,000 to endow the
awards in an effort to bolster faculty support, a key goal
of Carolina First. They recognize outstanding faculty
members who go the extra mile to guide, mentor and lead
students or junior faculty members as they make career
decisions, embark on research challenges and enrich their
lives through public service, teaching and educational
opportunities.
Both Dieckmann and Reynolds received numerous nominations.
One nominator said Dieckmann radiates a passion for
teaching. “She truly believes that one of the most
important missions of a university is to meet the needs and
expectations of students with the most current and
effective teaching methods available,” the nominator wrote.
“She is curious, and she encourages others to be curious.
She is imaginative and she encourages others to be
imaginative. And she is a problem solver and she encourages
finding real and lasting solutions to problems.”
One of Reynolds’ nominators expressed appreciation for his
listening skills.
“Professor Reynolds always listened to my ideas—no matter
how eccentric—because he recognized that my imagination was
more important to the development of this project than
knowledge; that would come later through research,” the
nominator wrote.
The leadership council is a nationwide network of women
committed to supporting the University and students’
educational experiences. Along with providing financial
support, members volunteer their time and share their
expertise, champion UNC in their regions and serve on
boards that further the University’s mission.