Southeastern faculty, staff receive top awards at convocation
Monday, August 15, 2022
by: Tonya Lowentritt 
SOUTHEASTERN FACULTY AND STAFF HONORED AT CONVOCATION - Southeastern Louisiana University opened the 2022-23 academic year Friday (Aug. 12) with its fall convocation that included presentation of the President’s Awards for Excellence, the university’s highest honor for faculty and staff. From left are award recipients Alan Cannon, Aileen Mootoo-Robertson, Annette Baldwin, Laura Fazio-Griffith, and Keith “Skip” Costa.
HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University opened the 2022-23 academic year
Friday (Aug. 12) with its fall convocation that included presentation of the President’s
Awards for Excellence, the university’s highest honor for faculty and staff.
The event also included announcement of endowed professorships and scholarships,
new faculty and staff, faculty tenure and promotion and recognition of service awards
to faculty and staff who have worked at the university for 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and
45 years.
Receiving the President’s Awards for Excellence were Director of Dance and Instructor
of Contemporary Dance, Choreography, and Performance Keith “Skip” Costa, excellence
in artistic activity; Professor of Mathematics Alan Cannon, excellence in research;
Instructor of French Aileen Mootoo-Robertson, excellence in teaching; Associate Professor
of Health and Human Sciences Laura Fazio-Griffith, excellence in faculty service,
and Assistant Director of Intervention and LION UP Collegiate Recovery Annette Baldwin,
excellence in unclassified staff service.
As a faculty member since 2013, Costa has made huge strides regionally, nationally,
and internationally for artistic innovation within his InterARTS™ approach to dance
and movement studies. He teaches masterclasses at the ACDA Conference representing
the artistry of dance at Southeastern and takes students to perform choreography and
participate in masterclasses with other nationally known teachers and choreographers.
Mathematics Department Head Timothy Hudson said Cannon has consistently demonstrated
outstanding performance in professional research. “While ensuring that his students
receive the best possible classroom experiences and continuing an impressive record
of university service, Dr. Cannon has shown a clear vision and devotion to his long-term
research agenda that has resulted in a significant body of research activity, including
an impressive publication record in peer-reviewed research journals and books, conference
presentations, conference organization, and refereeing and reviewing research papers,”
Hudson said.
Mootoo-Robertson began her career as an instructor of French at Southeastern
in 1994. She says teaching goes beyond merely transmitting information – it is also
a platform where students can develop personally and explore the endless possibilities
for a successful life. Mootoo-Robertson has experience in teaching elementary through
university level courses. She has served as the French Dual Enrollment coordinator
and has recruited French students for Southeastern.
A faculty member since 2010, Fazio-Griffith is the only registered play therapist
on the graduate counseling faculty, and she has developed courses and provided training
opportunities for the students. In fact, as a result of her dedication and service,
graduate students can complete six hours in play therapy to work to become registered
play therapists. The ultimate reward for Fazio-Griffith’s efforts came last year when
Southeastern was named an Approved Center of Play Therapy Education and Training Site
by the International Association of Play Therapy, making Southeastern one of only
three approved sites in Louisiana.
Baldwin has worked at the university in counseling for 18 years. Outside of her
job as a counselor, her service to the Southeastern community includes initiating
and developing the Terrell Conference, which provides continuing education to licensed
mental health professionals throughout the area. Her role has changed over the last
two years to more of a focus on substance misuse intervention, as well as collegiate
recovery programming. Baldwin has been recognized nationally by the Association of
Recovery in Higher Education for her work with Tangipahoa Reshaping Attitudes for
Community Change, as well as her work on campus with Lion Up Recovery, a collegiate
recovery program that is the first of its kind in Louisiana and one that she helped
to establish.
