NSU: 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards Recipients
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and Dominion Energy Announce Recipients of 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards
Richmond, VA — The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) and Dominion Energy are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards, each of whom will receive a $7,500 gift from Dominion Energy at an in-person ceremony on March 4, 2025, in Richmond.
Since 1987, these awards have recognized faculty at Virginia’s institutions of higher learning who exemplify the highest standards of teaching, scholarship and service.
Institutions select the nominees, then a panel of peers reviews the applications. A committee of leaders from the public and private sectors selects the final recipients. This year, the program received 83 nominations. This group narrowed to a field of 24 finalists and then to the 12 recipients.
The 2025 recipients are listed below in alphabetical order. Asterisks indicate Rising Star (early-career achievement) awards.
2025 Outstanding Faculty Awards Recipients:
Messaoud Bahoura (Norfolk State University)
Messaoud Bahoura is a distinguished professor of engineering and director of the Center for Materials Research at Norfolk State University (NSU). With more than 20 years of leadership in cutting-edge research, he has spearheaded pioneering projects in renewable energy and advanced nanomaterials. Dr. Bahoura secured $36 million in grant funding, the largest in NSU’s history, and mentored the highest number of STEM doctoral graduates at the institution. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and presented at more than 177 global conferences. His STEM outreach initiatives have empowered underrepresented youth in the community. In recognition of his exceptional contributions, Dr. Bahoura received NSU’s highest honors: the University Professor Award and the Distinguished Scholarship Award in 2024. He holds a B.S. in physics from the University of Science And Technology Houari Boumediene, Algeria, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in physics from Paris-Sud University, France.
Peter Berquist (Virginia Peninsula Community College)
Peter Berquist is an assistant professor of geology at Virginia Peninsula Community College (VPCC) and serves as chair for the geology department and Unmanned Systems Program. He teaches classes in geology, geographic information systems and uncrewed aircraft. He has published highly regarded geoscience educational resources, provided numerous faculty workshops on improving student success and is nationally known for incorporating innovative course-based research experiences. Mr. Berquist led the acquisition of VPCC’s Oceanographic Research Vessel, the R/V Investigator, and oversees all operational aspects of this unique teaching platform. Since 2017, Mr. Berquist has facilitated use of the R/V Investigator across geology department courses, expanding the horizon for more than 400 students. Mr. Berquist earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology from William & Mary and Vanderbilt University, respectively.
Michelle Kelley (Old Dominion University)
Michelle Kelley is a professor of psychology at Old Dominion University (ODU) and an eminent scholar. She is an award-winning teacher and mentor, and an internationally known researcher. Dr. Kelley’s research focuses on understanding the development of mental health and substance use disorders, and developing interventions. She works with military members and their families to better understand the impact of deployments and combat. In addition, she studies parents with substance use disorders and the impact on their children. Dr. Kelly earned a B.S. in psychology and an M.S. in experimental psychology, both from the University of Oklahoma, and a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Houston.
Kimberly Townsend Little (Longwood University)
Kimberly Little is a professor of nursing and chair of Longwood University’s Department of Nursing. She has 24 years of teaching, scholarship and service in the nursing field. Dr. Little received the Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurse Educators in 2011, was a 2015 finalist for the March of Dimes Virginia Nurse Educator of the Year and was chosen for Longwood’s Simpson Distinguished Professorship in 2022. Under her leadership, the Longwood Nursing program has earned many accolades and recently received the 2024 Benchworks Assessment and Impact Award in Nursing Education. Dr. Little holds a B.S.N. from Lenoir-Rhyne University, an M.S.N. from Gardner-Webb University and a Ph.D. from University of Nevada at Las Vegas. In addition, she holds a post-Master’s Certificate for Nurse Practitioner from Vanderbilt University. She has maintained national certification as a Nurse Educator for more than two decades.
John Morrissey, Jr. (Sweet Briar College)
John Morrissey, Jr., is a professor of biology, chair of the department of biology and a Flora Cameron Chrichton Fellow at Sweet Briar College. Dr. Morrissey and his students study the natural history of sharks, skates and rays, including the investigation of their reproduction, behavioral ecology, age and growth, feeding, and visual adaptations. They have studied lemon sharks in the Bahamas, a new species of gulper shark from the Cayman Trench, cownose rays in Chesapeake Bay and chain catsharks in his lab. Dr. Morrissey is a lifetime member of the American Elasmobranch Society and the senior author of the bestselling textbook, Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life. Dr. Morrissey holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in biology from Hofstra University and a Ph.D. in biology and living resources from the University of Miami.
Terry L. Price (University of Richmond)
Terry Price is a professor of leadership, Coston Family Chair in Leadership and Ethics and former senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond. He is a recipient of multiple honors, including the university’s Distinguished Scholarship Award. Dr. Price has written numerous articles, as well as three books, on leadership ethics and is considered by some to be the leading philosophical voice in the field. He holds a B.A. in psychology and philosophy from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, an M.A. in philosophy from the University of Arizona, an M.Litt. in politics from the University of Oxford and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Arizona.
John Rossmeisl (Virginia Tech)
John Rossmeisl is the Dr. and Mrs. Dorsey Taylor Mahin Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery at Virginia Tech. He directs the Veterinary and Comparative Neuro-oncology Laboratory, which researches brain tumor formation and treatment, and performs clinical trials in animal with naturally occurring brain cancers. Dr. Rossmeisl’s work is funded by the National Cancer Institute and has resulted in 20 medical device and drug patents. He serves on several national research advisory boards and is a past-president of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine with a specialty of neurology. He holds a B.A. in zoology from the University of New Hampshire, an M.S. in molecular biology from Virginia Tech and a DVM from Auburn University. Dr. Rossmeisl is board certified in small animal internal medicine and neurology by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
Fadi N. Salloum (Virginia Commonwealth University)
Fadi Salloum is a professor of physiology and biophysics at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). He is the associate chair for research in the Department of Internal Medicine, associate director of research mentoring and preclinical science for the Pauley Heart Center, and interim chair of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Dr. Salloum has mentored numerous trainees and currently leads a multi-disciplinary translational heart failure research program. Dr. Salloum’s research focuses on identifying the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for cardiac injury, inflammation and heart failure. He received his B.A. in biology from American University of Beirut and a Ph.D. in cardiovascular physiology from VCU.
Neeral Shah (University of Virginia)
Neeral Shah is a professor of medicine at the University of Virginia. He is an academic transplant hepatologist who has provided care to patients with liver disease, performed thousands of colonoscopies and collaborated with biomedical engineers to pioneer innovative diagnostic techniques for bleeding disorders. Dr. Shah is the director of the Gastroenterology Fellowship Program and co-chair of the pre-clerkship curriculum. He is editor of Access Medicine and The Infographic Guide to Medicine, which is used in 70 countries and 98% of medical schools in the U.S. Dr. Shah has B.S. degrees in chemical engineering and biomedical engineering and holds an M.D. from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
James Soland, Jr. (University of Virginia) *
James Soland, Jr., is an associate professor of research, statistics and evaluation at the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Education and Human Development, as well as an affiliated research fellow at NWEA, an assessment nonprofit. His research focuses on educational measurement, practice and policy with particular emphasis on how measurement decisions impact our understanding of student development. Prior to joining UVA, Dr. Soland received a Ph.D. in educational psychology at Stanford University with a concentration in measurement. He also has served as a classroom teacher, a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and senior policy analyst at the Legislative Analyst’s Office in California.
James C. Squire (Virginia Military Institute)
James Squire is the Jamison-Payne Professor of Electrical Engineering at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI). He was born in England, attended the U.S. Military Academy, and was awarded a Bronze Star as an Army officer during deployment in Desert Storm. Dr. Squire taught in an inner-city high school before earning his doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has received numerous teaching, research and mentorship awards, including recognition as a Rising Star by SCHEV in 2004. VMI cadets elected him an honorary member of the Class of 2009. Dr. Squire is the first-named inventor of eight patents, has published more than 50 papers and authored two textbooks. He is heavily involved with community service and currently volunteers as an EMT with the Lexington Fire Department.
Xuewei Wang (Virginia Commonwealth University) *
Xuewei Wang is an associate professor of chemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. His current research focuses on developing ultrasensitive optical and electrochemical sensors for affordable and accessible medical diagnostics and disease management. Dr. Wang has authored 45 publications and holds two U.S. patents, with six more pending. In addition, he is a grant reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. He holds a B.S. from Shanxi University, China and a Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
