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Phi Kappa Phi Announces 2020-21 Award Recipients

Posted on December 10, 2020
Joy Washington

From L-R; Dr. Lesley Gregoricka, associate professor of anthropology, was selected as Scholar of the Year, Dr. Joseph Hair, professor of marketing and quantitative methods, receives Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Thomas Rowell, professor of music, was selected as Artist of the Year. data-lightbox='featured'
From L-R; Dr. Lesley Gregoricka, associate professor of anthropology, was selected as Scholar of the Year, Dr. Joseph Hair, professor of marketing and quantitative methods, receives Lifetime Achievement Award, Dr. Thomas Rowell, professor of music, was selected as Artist of the Year.

The University of South Alabama chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest all-discipline honor society has selected Dr. Joseph Hair, professor of marketing and quantitative methods, as its Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

Also, Dr. Thomas Rowell, professor of music, was selected as Artist of the Year, and Dr. Lesley Gregoricka, associate professor of anthropology, was selected as Scholar of the Year.

“Drs. Hair, Gregoricka and Rowell exhibit outstanding achievement in research, scholarly activities and excellent performances at South,” said Dr. Romulus Godang, chapter president and professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences and president of USA’s Phi Kappa Phi chapter.

USA’s Phi Kappa Phi Chapter has recently been recognized as a Circle of Excellence Platinum Chapter, which is the highest commendation a chapter can receive from the national organization. The award is given to chapters that exceed expectations in chapter operations and who demonstrate sustainability and vitality as a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi.

“Phi Kappa Phi is proud to recognize these chapters with the Circle of Excellence award. Our chapters are the lifeblood of our Society and we are delighted to celebrate their success,” said Society Executive Director Dr. Mary Todd.

The South Alabama Phi Kappa Phi Chapter received this honor due to a perfect score on a criteria scale that evaluates chapter health indicators. By receiving this distinction, the USA chapter is recognized as a thriving organization.

“It is a great honor for the University of South Alabama Phi Kappa Phi Chapter to be recognized as a Phi Kappa Phi Circle of Excellence Platinum Chapter,” Godang said. “It is a wonderful tribute to our former chapter president, Dr. Ellen Harrington, chapter officers, and hard-working faculty and staff.”

USA’s winning chapter will receive a commendation letter from the Society, special recognition on the Phi Kappa Phi website, a specially-designed logo, and a $300 cash award.

Membership in Phi Kappa Phi recognizes student achievement in research, study, or leadership. Invitations are typically extended late in an undergraduate’s career or after graduation, marking the transition from accomplished work of high merit to further exceptional achievement.

The 2020-2021 Faculty Award Recipients:

Joseph Hair, Jr.

Dr. Joseph Hair’s research is in multivariate data analysis, sales & sales management, and marketing research. For the past three years, he has been recognized by Clarivate Analytics as being in the top 1 percent globally of all business and economics professors. He is the director of the Ph.D. program in the business administration department at the Mitchell College of Business.

Hair also was selected for the award based on scholarly citations of his research, which for his career exceed 230,000. Google Scholars ranks him number one globally in the categories of marketing, structural equation modeling, SEM, and multivariate data analysis. He has presented executive education and management training programs for numerous companies and has been retained as a consultant and expert witness for a wide variety of firms.

Thomas Rowell

Dr. Thomas Rowell, a tenor, maintains an active performance schedule as a recitalist and soloist. He has performed more than 30 operatic roles with national and regional opera companies, including the Mobile Opera and Pensacola Opera. Serving as Coordinator of Vocal Studies in the USA Department of Music in the College of Arts and Sciences since 2005, Rowell teaches studio voice, vocal diction, vocal pedagogy, opera history, and song literature. He is also the coordinator of Graduate Studies in music and director of USA Opera Theatre.

In addition to his teaching and performing, Rowell has served as choral clinician and conductor of Mobile County Honor Choir, Alabama Independent Schools Association State Honor Choir, Mobile Opera Chorus, and Bella Voce of Mobile, which is the Port City’s premier women’s chorus. He is an active member of the Alabama Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, having served as president and registrar.

Lesley Gregoricka

Dr. Lesley Gregoricka is a bioarchaeologist who examines ancient bones to learn about human behavior and adaptation in the past. Her internationally recognized research involves tracing human mobility and migration across the ancient Middle East using stable isotope analysis. She has directed fieldwork and research projects in Oman and the United Arab Emirates since 2011. The results of her research have been covered by The New York Times, NPR, National Geographic, and many others.

As co-director of the USA Forensic Science Program, Gregoricka also assists the Mobile Police Department with forensic recoveries. She also directs a National Science Foundation-funded research experiences program for undergraduates, which brings students from around the country to South Alabama each summer to learn to conduct research on archaeological human skeletal remains. 

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