Distinguished Professor Awards
Each year, the Distinguished Professor Award is presented to one faculty member who has made a significant impact on the lives of their students. This award is unique in that it is entirely based on nominations and votes from Point Park alumni. The Distinguished Professor Award not only recognizes outstanding educational contributions, but also celebrates the longlasting bond between faculty and alumni.
Ed Meena, School of Arts and Sciences
Professor Edward “Ed” Meena, a proud 1970 graduate of Point Park College with a B.A. in History, has devoted more than three decades of his career to shaping students and advancing the University’s mission. After earning his M.Ed. in Secondary Education Social Studies from
the University of Pittsburgh in 1986, he returned to Point Park as an adjunct professor of history in 1987. By 1991, he joined the faculty full-time as an Associate Professor, later earning an M.A. in History from Duquesne University in 2009 and achieving the rank of full Professor in 2010.
Beyond the classroom, Professor Meena left his mark on Point Park athletics, coaching women’s volleyball for four seasons and women’s basketball for nine seasons. His leadership extended to shared governance, where he served six years as President of the Faculty Assembly, as well as on numerous academic and search committees. Known for his tireless advocacy, he has written countless recommendation letters to support students in their pursuit of lifelong learning. Throughout his career, Professor Meena has embodied the values of Point Park— dedication to education, service, and community—while inspiring generations of students to carry forward a passion for history and discovery.
Helen Fallon, School of Communication
Helen Fallon, professor emeritus and former director of Point Park University's Honors Program, taught and served as an administrator at Point Park from 1986-2020. She chaired the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication from 1999 to 2008 and served as acting dean of the School of Communication from 2008 to 2009. She directed the Honors Program until 2020.
Under Fallon's leadership, the School of Communication began annual student trips to Washington, D.C., and a different foreign country each year to focus on national and international media as well as broaden travel experiences for students. Past trips have included Germany, Paris, Italy, London, Toronto, Dublin and Prague. From 2008 to 2021, Fallon and her family, daughter Amy and son Stephen, established a travel fund at Point Park in memory of their late husband and father, John E. Fallon Jr. The fund helped School of Communication and Honors Program students in need travel nationally and abroad to complement their Point Park education.
Fallon has been an active journalist for the entirety of her teaching career, working as a part-time copy editor for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and currently writing for the Pittsburgh Union Progress while on strike with her NewsGuild colleagues against the newspaper. Earlier in her career, Fallon worked as a reporter, copy editor and editor for several papers in the Pittsburgh area for six years and did public relations work for a university and a community hospital for five years.
She is active in journalism professional organizations, serving currently on the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania board and the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Foundation board, a statewide organization. Fallon is a longtime member and former board member and officer of the Women’s Press Club of Pittsburgh.
Outside of journalism, Fallon currently serves on the Jefferson Regional Foundation’s board, which is dedicated to investing in the health and vitality of the communities served by Jefferson Hospital in the South Hills and lower Mon Valley of Pittsburgh.