Professor Brad Emmons receives 2026 Virgil Crisafulli Distinguished Teaching Award
Instituted in 1974 through a gift from a friend of the college, the Crisafulli Award is considered Utica University’s finest tribute to a faculty member.
Professor of Mathematics Dr. Brad Emmons was awarded the coveted Virgil Crisafulli Distinguished Teaching Award at the university’s 2026 Undergraduate Commencement ceremony.
“Recipients of the Crisafulli Award have demonstrated excellence in pedagogy, superior knowledge in their discipline, and a high degree of engagement in teaching-related activities, such as curriculum development, research, advising, mentoring, and student-faculty collaboration,” said Provost Dr. Ann Damiano.
The Virgil Crisafulli Distinguished Teaching Award is bestowed annually at Utica University. Instituted in 1974 through a gift from a friend of the college, the Crisafulli Award is considered Utica University’s finest tribute to a faculty member.
“A transformative force in the lives of students is how one colleague describes Dr. Emmons,” Provost Damiano said. “Colleagues and students, both past and present, note that he practices innovative pedagogies that represent a departure from traditional methods.”
The recipient is chosen through nominations made by faculty colleagues and through a rigorous review by past recipients of the honor along with this year’s valedictorians.
“Perhaps the most unique aspect of Dr. Emmons’ career is his role as a teacher of teachers,” said Chair of the Mathematics Department and fellow Professor of Mathematics Dr. Xiao Xiao. “It is no exaggeration to state that Dr. Brad Emmons is the architect of the current Mathematics Department. Every current member of the department has been hired, mentored, tenured, or promoted under his guidance. As Department Chair from 2012 to 2021, he cultivated an environment of balanced and thoughtful leadership that makes what the math department is today.”
Dr. Xiao went on to call Dr. Emmons’ style “the definition of servant leadership.”
“He intentionally does the work behind-the-scenes so that his junior faculty can be successful,” Dr. Xiao said. “I have personally experienced this: he has shielded me from excessive service burdens during critical research phases while simultaneously offering me every opportunity to grow. He allowed me to teach upper-level courses when I needed the experience and gave me the support to explore my own IBL techniques. He is a judgment-free mentor who celebrates the success of others as if it were his own. This culture of collegiality, which Dean Sharon Wise noted as essential to the institution, is a direct result of Dr. Emmons’ nine-year tenure as Chair.”
Dr. Emmons’ dedication to the profession goes far beyond the walls of Utica University. Since 2020, he has been a pillar of the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) Seaway Section, serving as Program Chair, Chair-Elect, and currently as Chair through 2026.
“This is a massive commitment to the major mathematical association in North America focused on undergraduate teaching,” Dr. Xiao explained.
Students credit Dr. Emmons’ personal care as contributing to their success.
Math/Adolescence Education major Ju Mi La ’27 first met Dr. Emmons in the Spring 2025 semester as a student in MAT 112: Basic Statistics and found from the very beginning that Dr. Emmons unique personality and witty sense of humor created a fun and relatable classroom environment.
“His infectious passion for Mathematics positively influences the portrayal of Mathematics at Utica and for how small the Mathematics department is here, Dr. Emmons is a large asset in student recruitment and retention,” she said. “In addition to his superior knowledge of his discipline, he is conscious, culturally responsive, and has excellent interpersonal skills. He understands trends, and norms, and picks up on social cues, contributing to conversations in a light-hearted manner, while building connections with every student.”
All who wrote letters of nomination for Dr. Emmons underscored his deep and abiding commitment to student well-being, the extra hours spent tutoring, advising, and mentoring students and the personal interest taken in their lives.
“He is definitely a professor I will come to remember when I graduate and overall will look back fondly of,” said Alexis Pula ’26.
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