Biology

The Ogden College of Science and Engineering (OCSE) is pleased to announce the recognition of four faculty in the annual OCSE Faculty Awards.  These awards are presented each year in the categories of Excellence in Teaching, Excellence in Research and Creative Activity, Excellence in Service, and Excellence in Advising.

Dr. Josh Durkee from the Earth, Environmental, & Atmospheric Sciences Department is the recipient of the 2022-2023 OCSE Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching.  Josh, who joined WKU in 2008, treats each semester like a journey, saying, “we are all aiming to arrive somewhere on a given schedule, but the anticipation, wonder, excitement, and memories along the journey is often what we recall first.”  Dr. Durkee strives to spark new curiosity, get students to ask questions and offer challenging and intriguing discussions, excite students about being in class – and to be afraid of missing out if they aren’t there.  He creates a classroom culture where students want to learn.  Dr. Durkee’s courses reach far outside of the traditional classroom with the WKU Storm Chase program, the College Heights Atmospheric Observatory for Students (CHAOS), White Squirrel Weather (WSWX), and its Mobile Classroom and Forecast Lab.  Josh has an uncommon dedication to giving his students memorable and impactful learning experiences.

Dr. Amy Brausch from the Psychological Sciences Department is the recipient of the 2022-2023 OCSE Faculty Award for Excellence in Research and Creative Activity.  Dr. Brausch joined WKU in 2011 and strives to use her research program to improve the lives of youth and discover how to develop their skills and their communities in ways that facilitate suicide prevention and help build lives worth living.  Her research work is currently funded by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and KY-INBRE and has previously been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.  In the last five years, Dr. Brausch’s work with her students and collaborators has resulted in 34 peer-reviewed publications in a range of journals including Archives of Suicide Research, Psychological Medicine, and Journal of American College Health.  In her time at WKU, Dr. Brausch has mentored 22 Master’s students in earning their degree and mentored ten undergraduates on their Honors Theses.

Dr. Paul Woosley from the Agriculture and Food Science Department is the recipient of the 2022-2023 OCSE Faculty Award for Excellence in Service.  Dr. Woosley joined WKU in 2002 and has served as the Director of the Agriculture Research and Education Center (AREC) since 2017.  Paul’s goal and motto in service is to leave things better than you found them, and he has certainly been successful in applying this at AREC and the University Farm.  Dr. Woosley has consistently worked to raise the profile of the University Farm, the home of experiential learning for agriculture majors.  He has helped to bring the spotlight to the Hilltopper Creamery, the SmartHolstein Laboratory, and the Farm to Campus program in WKBO’s News from the Hill and helped to develop over 40 different industry partners that feature in activity and events at AREC.  On any given day you might find Dr. Woosley mowing, working on plumbing, meeting with a company such as BASF to plan upcoming research projects on the farm, or giving a tour to the Governor.  Paul is always willing to do what it takes to get the job done.

Dr. Diane Lickenbrock from the Psychological Sciences Department is the recipient of the 2022-2023 OCSE Faculty Award for Excellence in Advising.  Dr. Lickenbrock joined WKU and established the Children and Families Lab where she mentors both undergraduate and graduate students in research.  As an advisor, Dr. Lickenbrock strives to provide students with support and resources that will help them gain skills and have experiences to successfully navigate toward their chosen career.  She aims to meet each student where they are and find the appropriate balance between supporting and challenging them.  Ultimately, Dr. Lickenbrock works to help students develop autonomy to find their own passion and to become independent, creative thinkers.  She cares for and supports, but also challenges her students as they grow their skills in research, communication, and critical thinking to become independent researchers.

About the Ogden College of Science and Engineering:

The Ogden College of Science & Engineering (OCSE) encompasses the basic and applied sciences at WKU, offering a broad range of degree programs through our eight Academic Units (Agriculture & Food Science; Biology; Chemistry; Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Science; Mathematics; Physics & Astronomy; Psychological Sciences; Engineering and Applied Sciences.  The mission of OCSE is to empower individuals to become leaders through academic achievement, global connections, and engagement in research, education, and service.

Contact: Stuart Burris, Associate Dean, 270-745-2973, stuart.burris@wku.edu