WSC Honors New Emeritus and Tenured Faculty
May 10, 2011 -- Western State College of Colorado (WSC) awarded emeritus status to a retiring professor and tenure to four faculty members. They were honored at a reception on May 5.
Frank Venturo, professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication Arts, Languages, and Literature, received emeritus status. He will retire on June 30.
Frank Venturo, professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication Arts, Languages, and Literature (CALL), received professor emeritus status. His retirement begins on June 30.
A graduate of Western, Frank Venturo has taught at his alma mater since 1974. In addition to teaching courses in the areas of organization communication, speech communication and broadcasting, he served as advisor to the Speech and Debate Team and the KWSB radio station. Venturo also served in several administrative positions, including as associate vice president for academic affairs, chair of the former Communication Arts and Sociology Department and as chair of the CALL department. As a WSC alumnus, Venturo served on the board of the WSC Alumni Association, including two years as president.
Faculty members who received tenure are: Bob Cohen, assistant professor of mathematics; Michaela Driver, professor of business administration; Verónica Méndez Maqueo, assistant professor of Spanish; and Ashwin Patel, assistant professor of exercise and sport science.
Bob Cohen joined the Western mathematics faculty in 2006. In addition to teaching, he has conducted research through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant with three Western students and mentored multiple students conducting senior projects and was invited to work on a “Math for Rural Schools” grant. Cohen also was part of Project NExT (New Experiences in Teaching), a prestigious program of the Mathematical Association of America designed to advance contributions of early-career mathematicians. On campus, Cohen is a member of the Assessment Committee and the Academic Policies Committee, participates in the Faculty Advising Corps and coordinates Mathematics and Computer Information Science seminars.
- Newly tenured faculty members (left to right) Ashwin Patel, Verónica Méndez Maqueo and Bob Cohen (not pictured, Michaela Driver).
Michaela Driver has taught business administration at Western since 2008. In addition to teaching, Driver excels in the area of professional development. Since joining Western, she has published eight articles in top professional journals in the field of organizational theory and behavior. At Western, she serves on the on the Graduate Studies Council and the Advisory Council for the Center for Teaching Excellence.
Upon her arrival at Western in 2006, Verónica Méndez Maqueo began curricular revision to the Spanish program, which now offers students possibilities of using the language in professional settings. She reformulated the literature courses to include a broader spectrum of Spanish literary pieces and genres. Méndez Maqueo has served on various college committees including the Curriculum Committee, Faculty Senate and the Advisory Council for the Center for Teaching Excellence. Professionally, she has continued her research in Spanish literature and presented at several national and international conferences.
Ashwin Patel began teaching exercise and sport science at Western in 2006. An expert in sports psychology, Patel has given numerous seminars on the topic and provides mental training to coaches and student-athletes. On campus, he has served as the chair of the Academic Policies Committee, and also served on the Curriculum Committee, Honors Council and Intercollegiate Athletic Committee, among other committees.
