WHEREAS, Robert Bausch, an admired professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College, was honored by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia with a 2013 Outstanding Faculty Award; and

WHEREAS, only the best of the Commonwealth's faculty at public and private colleges and universities receive the prestigious Outstanding Faculty Award, which recognizes superior accomplishments in teaching, research, and public service; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bausch began his educational career at Northern Virginia Community College and earned a bachelor's degree, master's degree, and master of fine arts degree from George Mason University; and

WHEREAS, in 1975, Robert Bausch joined the faculty at Northern Virginia Community College and embarked on a distinguished career in education; and

WHEREAS, a critically acclaimed author, Robert Bausch has published eight novels with his ninth, Far as the Eye Can See, slated for publication in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bausch's third novel, Almighty Me!, was released in film as Bruce Almighty, and he was honored for his body of work with the 2005 Fellowship of Southern Writers Hillsdale Award for Fiction and the 2009 John Dos Passos Prize for Literature; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bausch has inspired and empowered countless students—instilling in them an appreciation for the power of the written word, helping them hone their talents, and encouraging them to take charge of their own educations and lives; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bausch brought award-winning American authors to Northern Virginia Community College through the Woodbridge Reading Series, which has now developed into the Woodbridge Writers' Retreat; and

WHEREAS, Robert Bausch has conducted numerous workshops and creative writing seminars in a variety of venues; created a series of workshops at The Writer's Center in Bethesda, Maryland; and served as writer-in-residence at several universities and as a member of the board of directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation; and

WHEREAS, students of Robert Bausch have gained invaluable insight and guidance from his expert instruction and guidance with many going on to establish their own successful writing careers; and

WHEREAS, in 2012, the Northern Virginia Community College Educational Foundation honored Robert Bausch for his extraordinary contributions with its Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award; and

WHEREAS, a worthy recipient of the prestigious 2013 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award, Robert Bausch serves as a shining example of the power and influence an educator can have on the lives and minds of students; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Robert Bausch on his selection as a 2013 State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award recipient; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Robert Bausch as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and respect and admiration for his commitment to higher education in the Commonwealth and contributions to the field of literature.