Boaz Dvir is the first recipient of the Nicholas P. Jones Faculty Award

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Boaz Dvir, associate professor at the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, is the inaugural recipient of the Nicholas P. Jones Faculty Award. 

The award, named for former Penn State Provost Nicholas Jones, recognizes integrity, loyalty, human-centered leadership, academic excellence and impact in Penn State faculty who have been at the University for at least five years. 

Dvir is Donald P. Bellisario Career Advancement Professor in the college’s Department of Journalism. He has created and led award-winning documentary films, delivering stories of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, such as “Class of Her Own,” “Jessie’s Dad” and “To Kill a Nazi” (formerly titled “Cojot”). 

“I'm drawn to ordinary human beings who go through trying times and challenges and rise up to that occasion and become leaders and trailblazers,” Dvir said. “I didn't set out to do that. But when I look back, I realize all my protagonists follow that arc.” 

Dvir is the founding director of Penn State’s Hammel Family Human Rights Initiative and the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Education Initiative. Through these initiatives, Pennsylvania K-12 educators get to connect with Penn State faculty who contribute expertise on teaching difficult social and historical topics, use of media in the classroom, trauma-informed pedagogy, the Holocaust, gender studies, human rights violations, international law, art education and more. 

He explained that the initiatives aim to give educators and their students the opportunity to develop crucial skills such as critical thinking, developing tough and interesting questions, civic discourse, primary research and more. 

“Besides training K-12 educators and giving their students opportunities to gain valuable skills,” Dvir said, “we’re trying to affect policy and reconstitute what student success looks like.” 

Dvir’s department chair, John Affleck, said it was hard for him to imagine someone more deserving of the award. 

“Boaz is a kind man who uses his considerable professional talents to make Pennsylvania a place where people can resolve disputes by talking and learning rather than insults and violence,” Affleck said. “We need more people like him.” 

Nicholas Jones served as Penn State’s executive vice president and provost from 2013 to 2022. His work as the University’s chief academic officer supported the success of thousands of faculty members and more than 90,000 students at Penn State’s 24 campuses and the online World Campus.  

Candidates for this award are nominated by a dean, chancellor or their designee. Each college or campus is able to nominate one person per year. The award provides the recipient with $1,000 to use as funding for their work. To learn more about the nomination process, which opens in the spring semester, visit the Center for Faculy Development and Advancement.