Published on August 28, 2018 by Bill Nunnelley  
faculty awards convo

Dr. Carol Ann Vaughn Cross, assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Sociology, and Dr. Marshall Cates, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, McWhorter School of Pharmacy, received top faculty awards at Samford University’s opening convocation of the fall semester Aug. 28.

Cross received the John H. Buchanan Award for Excellence in Classroom Teaching and Cates received the first Outstanding Scholarship Award for sustained scholarly contribution to the faculty member’s discipline and the academy over their career. The Buchanan Award is named for a former longtime trustee of the university.

Jan Paine, director of undergraduate student services in Samford’s Ida Moffett School of Nursing, received the Bill Nunnelley Award recognizing outstanding job performance by a non-faculty employee whose work regularly and consistently exceeds expectations and reflects a high level of service, trustworthiness and respect. The award is named for a longtime employee. 

Cross has taught at Samford since 2000. She has served as faculty-in-residence at Samford’s Daniel House in London; directed the Christian Women’s Leadership Center (2000-2008); and led faculty-student cadres for academic and spiritual development. Prior to coming to Samford, she taught at Judson College, worked for The Alabama Review, and did post-graduate studies at St. Andrews University (UK)

She holds the Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from Auburn University and the B.A. in history from the University of Alabama-Huntsville. 

Cates has taught psychiatric pharmacy at Samford’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy since 1995. He has extensive clinical experience in psychiatric pharmacy practice, including inpatient psychiatry, outpatient psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. His current practice site is Brookwood Baptist Medical Center (inpatient psychiatry), and beginning in 2018 he will also practice one morning per week at the Jefferson County Department of Health (mental health clinic). He holds a voluntary appointment as clinical professor of psychiatry at UAB School of Medicine. Cates was among the first group of pharmacists to become board certified in psychiatric pharmacy in 1996.

He holds the Pharm. D. from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy and B.S. in biology from Rhodes College. He completed his Psychiatric Pharmacy Residency at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy and is a Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties.

Paine has worked in Samford’s nursing school since 1990. She received the Alabama League for Nursing’s 2000 Lamplighter Award for exemplary achievements in service to others. She holds the M. A. E. degree in education from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the B. S. in education from Auburn University.
 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.