Arne Flaten, professor and chair of the Department of Visual Arts at Coastal Carolina University, has received the 2013 Horry Telephone Cooperative Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Lecturer Award.

Flaten received the award in recognition of his achievements as a teacher, scholar and communicator during his tenure at CCU. Flaten will be the 17th recipient of the award presented annually by HTC.

As part of the award, recipients give a public lecture on an original topic drawn from their area of expertise. Flaten's lecture, which will focus on his research, is titled "Preparing the Next Generation: Virtual Archaeology and Cultural Heritage" and is scheduled for March 28 in the James J. Johnson Auditorium at CCU. His research combines history, cultural heritage, archaeology and international intrigue using the kinds of computer innovations viewers see on the Discovery Channel and the History Channel.

Robert Sheehan, provost for academic and student affairs at CCU, says Flaten is "a consistent high performer when measured by student evaluations. Flaten has taken art history and re-contextualized it using technology with no diminution of rigor or attention to detail. His interest in emerging areas in his own discipline has also allowed him to influence the curriculum in his department by developing new courses and programs."

Flaten earned a bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College and a master's degree and Ph.D. in art history from Indiana University-Bloomington. He joined the CCU faculty in 2003 and is the co-founder and co-director of an innovative program called Ashes2Art, which develops virtual reconstructions of ancient monuments.