Lyles awarded Excellence in Scholarship

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – Kevin Lyles, a professor of Art at the University of Rio Grande, is the 2014 Excellence in Scholarship Award recipient.

A renowned sculptor, Professor Lyles has been a full-time member of the Rio Grande faculty since 1990 and is an integral part of the Fine Arts Department. He teaches courses in Art History, Drawing, Ceramics, Sculpture and 3D Design.

“Professor Kevin Lyles has pages and pages listing his scholarly and artistic works spanning 30 years as an educator and artist. But, as important as that is, and he is very worth of this honor, he also is an outstanding colleague and mentor to both peers and students,” said Associate Provost Dr. David Lawrence, who also serves as College of Arts & Sciences Dean. “Time and again he has gone the extra mile for students both in and out of the classroom and studio. He’s done the same for colleagues. Professor Kevin Lyles is a man of outstanding character.”

The Excellence in Scholarship Award adds to the list of recognitions Professor Lyles has enjoyed throughout his career. Some of his highlights include Rio Grande’s Edwin A. Jones Excellence in Teaching Award (2008), the Madog Center for Welsh Studies’ Welsh Fellow (2006) and listing among the top Ohio university educators by Ohio Magazine (2007).

Founder and coordinator of the Rio Grande Sculpture Park, Professor Lyles’ most recent work is on display at the new Bob Evans Farms corporate campus in New Albany. “Farmland Forest” is a 10-foot by 12-foot sculpture of stainless steel and 5 1Ž2 tons of Ohio glacial stone.

“Passage,” an 11-foot by 6-foot sculpture of steel and river rock, also is on permanent display at the renowned Grounds for Sculpture park in Hamilton, N.J. The piece was reviewed on the front page of the Arts and Entertainment section of the New York Times (1998). For more information on Professor Lyles, please visit kevinlyles.com.

“The only way that you can really teach is to practice what you’re teaching. I don’t think you can separate the two,” Professor Lyles said. “I’m really appreciative of the fact this award reinforces the administration’s support of faculty scholarship. I feel really blessed to be given this award as I have colleagues who have done as much or more than me and deserve it every bit as much.”

Professor Lyles holds a Masters in Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture from Bradley University (Peoria, Ill.) and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Abilene Christian University (Abilene, Texas).

Previous Excellence in Scholarship Award recipients include Associate Professor in Biology Dr. Don Althoff (2013) and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Dr. John Means (2012).