Outstanding Faculty Service Award for Marilena Hall

The Outstanding Faculty Service Awardis given to a full-time faculty member whose service has significantly advanced the mission of Stonehill College. The Faculty Academic Vision statement affirms that “a Stonehill education prepares students for meaningful lives by encouraging service to the common good, the practice of responsible citizenship, and the pursuit of professional and personal fulfillment.” As we expect this for our students, we expect the same from our faculty. Therefore, public service and service to the academic community are highly valued by the faculty at Stonehill College. This award recognizes a cumulative record of noteworthy accomplishment in service on the part of a faculty member. The recipient stands as a symbol of the entire faculty’s commitment to sustaining our community. In 2017, Stonehill College is proud to bestow the Outstanding Faculty Service Award on Professor Marilena Hall.

Both the Biochemistry program and your career launched in 2000. Even though your initial contract was for two years, this did not deter you from stepping right into service with those trademark classy shoes. You participated in the SURE program during your first summer and assisted the department in other ways. From then until now, it never occurred to you not to give 100% effort a 100% of the time.

Your legendary service to the Chemistry and Biochemistry programs includes many non-glorious tasks such as managing program websites, organizing NSF S-STEM scholarship programming, advising the Chemistry club, mentoring Project SEED students, serving on countless theses committees, and directing the Biochemistry Program. For fun, you have hosted the end-of-year party for seniors at your home since 2006. So at one moment, you are assisting students to deep dive into M13 bacterial phage and zinc-binding peptides, and at another moment, you are preparing appetizers and cranking up a party. As one colleague commented, you are the textbook example of substance and style.

You broke new ground in 2013 to become the first woman to become Faculty Senate President. With your Vice Presidential partner, George Piggford, CSC, you rolled up your sleeves and simply got stuff done. Your accomplishments included reorganizing committee structures and elections in collaboration with the Governance Committee; skillfully managing the critical balance between legislation and conversation during Senate meetings; and tactfully navigating between the Scylla of advocating strongly for faculty and the Charybdis of seeking common ground with college administrators. Your Senate leadership was characterized by a strong sense of fair-mindedness and empathy, and your commitment to see issues and concerns from others’ perspectives.

You have said yes to service across all divisions and offices of the College; indeed, the service section of your C.V. is five pages long! A few of the highlights include the Planning Committee, the First Year Experience Task Force, the Catholic Identity Committee, the Community Standards Appeal Committee, and the Academic Integrity Committee. Your service also extends to Commencement, the Honors Program as well as the local parish and school. And beyond all of this, who knew you could belly dance for DiverCity?

For that boundless energy and delightful sense of humor, for your genuine commitment to Stonehill’s Catholic and Holy Cross mission, and for your countless hours of selfless work on behalf of students and colleagues, we honor you today.

And so with deep pride we confer the 2017 Outstanding Faculty Service Award to you, Professor Marilena Hall, for your tireless service, consistent example, and exemplary contributions to Stonehill College.

Given this fourth day of May,

Two thousand and seventeen