Excellence Takes Center Stage as Lander University Honors Faculty
Lander University celebrates the faculty members whose dedication extends far beyond the classroom, shaping student success, advancing knowledge and strengthening the campus community. Through its annual faculty awards, the University recognizes excellence in teaching, scholarship and service — honoring educators whose commitment enriches the academic experience and reflects the highest ideals of higher education.
The awards highlight the many ways faculty members make an impact, from inspiring students and pursuing innovative research to providing leadership and service that support the University's mission.
Lisa McDonald, Distinguished Professor
Given in recognition of a faculty member’s exemplary performance as a classroom teacher, the award also honors the recipient’s scholarship in a specific field of study and service to Lander University and beyond.
Lisa McDonald, a teaching assistant professor of biology at Lander and director of the University’s Environmental Science Program, joined Lander in 2009 as a laboratory instructor.
In the award nomination, McDonald was lauded for excellence in teaching, which includes teaching more than 20 distinct courses at Lander. Beyond the classroom, McDonald is credited with creating research opportunities for undergraduate students. “Through this work, Lisa has helped innumerable Lander students qualify for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs), find their places in graduate school or launch their careers,” said Dr. Lillian Craton, a Lander professor of English and director of the University’s Honors College.
McDonald’s research includes the collection of trail camera data to study wildlife. “This rich foundation gives members of her research team a lot of room to find individual questions and niches for original analysis,” Craton said. “Her connections to professional organizations like the Association of Southeastern Biologists give students ample opportunity to present their work in a professional setting.”
Dr. Amanda Cleveland, a professor of psychology and chair of the Distinguished Professor Committee, praised McDonald for her service at all levels.
“Her outstanding institutional service includes participation in numerous search committees, years of coordinating departmental assessment, advising multiple student organizations, planning and executing the interdisciplinary poster session for the Lander Academic Symposium and taking on the most time-consuming Faculty Senate committees,” Cleveland said.
McDonald’s service also includes serving as a judge and session moderator at the Southeastern Biologists Annual Meetings. “And she serves the Greenwood community as an organizer of the Great Backyard Bird Count, ‘Bug Night’ and other science-focused community engagement programs at Fellowship Camp & Conference Center,” Cleveland said.
A member of the Ecological Society of America, the Association of Southeastern Biologists and the National Association of Biology Teachers, McDonald earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Central Michigan University and has pursued doctoral studies at the University of Tennessee.
Dr. Mary Katherine Leggieri, Junior Faculty Teaching Award
Dr. Mary Katherine Leggieri is the recipient of the Junior Faculty Teaching Award, which is given annually to a young faculty member who demonstrates the qualities associated with effective teaching.
Leggieri joined Lander in 2018 as an assistant to the registrar and coordinator for student services and transcripts. Since 2022, she has been director of online undergraduate programs and lecturer of business administration. Leggieri also serves as an academic advisor.
Dr. Lloyd Willis, dean of Lander’s College of Business and Technology, said, “Mary Kate Leggieri has demonstrated an exemplary commitment to high-quality, student-centered teaching. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes practical application, student engagement and inclusive classroom environments.
He noted that her course evaluations consistently reflect strong student satisfaction. “Students cite her clarity, responsiveness and structured learning experiences as key strengths.”
Leggieri’s focus on student educational experiences includes her efforts to hold etiquette luncheons and design signature assignments that connect students with industry professionals.
Among her service contributions, Leggieri’s record of service includes university, college and community engagement. Within the University, she has served on the Curriculum, Assessment, Management and Improvement Committee; has participated in multiple faculty and staff search committees; and advises more than 200 online students annually. Her active roles with the Greenwood Rotary Club and the Upper Savannah Regional Education Center Advisory Board have been vital to building vital to building bridges between the University and the community, Willis said.
Leggieri earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Lander, as well as master’s degrees in management and business administration. She earned her doctoral degree in business administration from Marshall University.
Dr. Brian Pitman, Junior Faculty Scholar Award
An assistant professor of criminology at Lander, Dr. Brian Pitman joined Lander’s faculty in 2024, after teaching at Clemson University, the University of Maine, Pacific Lutheran University and Old Dominion University.
In the award evaluation, Pitman was cited for his “impressive scholarly record” and for having the “potential of being a major institutional asset as he continues to develop as teacher, scholar and institutional citizen.”
Since coming to Lander, Pitman has taught more than eight different classes to undergraduate and graduate students. His research focus areas include critical and rural criminology; race, gender and justice; and homelessness. His studies have appeared in prestigious journals, including Race and Justice, the Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture and Critical Criminology. He has been an author on five peer-reviewed book chapters. A book chapter, titled “The Relationship Between Social Institutions and Homelessness,” is scheduled for publication in October in Understanding Poverty through Lived Experience.
During his career, Pitman has been a highly sought-after expert on criminology issues by print and broadcast media. He is a member of the American Association of University Professors, the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Critical Criminology and Social Justice, the South Carolina Sociological Association, the South Carolina Scholars Strategy Network, the Southern Sociological Society and Alpha Kappa Delta.
Pitman earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and sociology from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke; master’s degree in criminology and public sociology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington; and doctoral degree in criminology and criminal justice from Old Dominion University.
Dr. James A. Anderson Jr., Moore Award
The recipient of the Moore Award for Excellence in General Education Teaching, Dr. James A. Anderson Jr. is an associate professor of English Education and coordinator of secondary English education at Lander.
He joined Lander’s faculty in 2014 after teaching at the University of Arkansas and East Carolina University.
Dr. Lillian Craton, an English professor and director of Lander’s Honors College, said Anderson teaches the critical courses English 101 and 102. “He’s spent many hours in local high schools observing student teachers, and a not-insignificant amount of time talking newly minted English teachers down from their early-career freakouts.”
Craton said his connection to high school English undoubtedly makes him a better, more understanding teacher of Lander’s freshmen. “It’s one of the reasons why his students love him. He’ll be taking on a new role as director of Lander’s Writing Lab,” she said.
A scholar in his own right, Anderson has published several articles and a book chapter, and he has presented at conferences throughout the Southeast.
“In his teaching philosophy, Dr. Anderson stated that ‘Good writing is good thinking on the page,’ something that resonated strongly for me. He focuses on process over final drafts, guiding students through many stages of development to deepen their knowledge before asking them to craft their own arguments,” Craton said. “He cares less about students' grades than about their growth, their curiosity and their discovery of purpose. He helps them write their way into deeper, better thinking.”
Anderson earned his bachelor’s degree in English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; his master’s degree in English at East Carolina University; and his doctoral degree in English at the University of Arkansas.