FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – A University of Arkansas professor and graduate student took top awards at the annual conference this month of the National Council on Rehabilitation Education, winning two of the five awards given annually by the organization.

Stephanie Lusk, assistant professor of rehabilitation education and research, received the NCRE Rehabilitation Educator of the Year Award. Jennifer Krenn, a master's student in the rehabilitation education and research program, was named the NCRE Graduate Student of the Year.

"This is excellent news about a program that consistently achieves high rankings, brings in large training grants and produces graduates who go on to lead rehabilitation agencies and teach in top rehabilitation counseling programs around the country," said Tom Smith, dean of the College of Education and Health Professions.

U.S. News &World Report ranked the rehabilitation research and education program No. 13 in its 2016 Best Graduate Schools.

Lusk joined the faculty of the College of Education and Health Professions in 2012. She earned her doctorate from the U of A, and she previously taught at North Carolina A&T State University. Lusk's research focuses on substance use and disability, and she created a course on the topic that will be offered for the first time this fall. She also studies the importance of incorporating the families of people diagnosed with substance use disorders into the counseling process, and she edited and co-wrote a textbook, Counseling the Addicted Family: Implications for Practitioners, published by Aspen Professional Services in 2014.

Lusk received a $1 million grant last fall to support master's students in rehabilitation counseling who want to work in the field of substance abuse. Lusk's grant from the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education assisting students who want to work in addictions counseling is the first of its kind for the U of A.

"The only thing I can ever remember wanting to be when I grew up was a teacher; my sisters and the kids in my neighborhood were actually my first students," Lusk said. "I believe that I'm doing exactly what I'm supposed to do, and this award is further confirmation of this. The grant allows me to further expand learning opportunities, specifically focusing on addiction and co-occurring psychiatric disabilities. We are also able to create new courses and recruit top students, those who are interested in and are passionate about working with this specific population. This makes teaching even more exciting for me, and I am grateful that I get to do this every day."

Krenn is finishing her second year in the program and would also like to pursue a doctorate. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Liberty University and previously worked at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center for Native American adolescents in North Carolina.

"The area of rehab I am most passionate about is psychiatric rehabilitation and substance use disorders," Krenn said. "I chose to continue my education in the rehabilitation field, specifically in psychiatric rehabilitation, because I have witnessed the stigmas that people with psychiatric disabilities and substance use disorders experience. I hope to advocate for and serve people with these types of disabilities so that they can get better treatment in the future and be able to live successful and independent lives."

Krenn added that she considers it a privilege to study under faculty members who each have an enormous amount of passion for making a difference in the lives of people who have disabilities and who instill that passion in all of their students.

Student research presentations

Several students of the program presented their research at the conference.

Matthew Shane Bronson, a master's student, presented "Creatures of Chaos: Steering through a Chaotic World with Mindfulness," a 60-minute presentation that examined the implications of chaos theory and probability in relation to human behavior and the decision-making process.

Amanda Wallace and Kylee Hansen, both master's students, presented a poster titled "Identifying Stressors for Individuals with Learning Disabilities and their Families." It outlined current research on the various stressors associated with learning disabilities for individuals and their families.

Linnea M. Heintz, a master's student, presented a poster titled "Utilizing Positive Priming to Impact Acceptance in the Workplace." Favorable attitudes and cooperation between employees are necessary for full integration for individuals with disabilities, according to her research.

Philomena Tanui, a doctoral student, presented a poster titled "Community Based Rehabilitation for Work Participation among Young Adults with Disabilities." Community-based rehabilitation is an evidence-based strategy to address barriers of access to equal opportunities and improvement of quality of life for young people with disabilities.

Teresia M. Paul, a doctoral student, and Krenn presented a poster titled "Using Multicultural Ecological Maps with Native American Adolescents in Treatment for Substance Use Disorders." The maps help adolescents address family issues during and after treatment to decrease potential for relapse, according to the research.