Event Honors Students, Faculty, Staff

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The College of Education and Health Professions celebrates accomplishments of students, faculty and staff members with its annual Honors Convocation on Wednesday, April 18. The college will also take the opportunity to say thank you to donors who made scholarships and other programs possible.

The convocation starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Center for Continuing Education off the downtown Fayetteville Square. The award program follows a reception.

“This convocation is a highlight of our academic year in which we recognize our outstanding students, faculty and staff,” said Reed Greenwood, dean of the college. “This year we are individually recognizing 66 students from across 17 academic programs and 17 faculty and staff with a variety of awards. In addition, we acknowledge more than 190 scholarship recipients receiving funding from 63 different endowed and other scholarships, totaling $370,000 in annual support. And we recognize 26 doctoral students who receive funding as Doctoral Academy or Distinguished Doctoral Fellowships.

“This is indeed a very special time to celebrate.”

Christy Cameron of Bartlesville, Okla., is the college’s presidential scholar. A junior majoring in communication disorders with a minor in Spanish, she also serves as a student ambassador for the college. Cameron plans to attend graduate school to pursue a career in speech pathology focusing on bilingualism. She works in the office of First Year Experience and also serves as student coordinator for orientation. She volunteers as a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Two students who won the Henry G. and Stella Hotz Award will also be honored. Scotty Shepherd and Hunter Ochsner are both kinesiology majors. Shepherd, of Hindsville, plans to enter the Master of Arts in Teaching program after earning a bachelor’s degree. He wants to coach and teach K-12 physical education. He is a graduate of Shiloh Christian High School in Springdale and earned a 4.0 grade point last semester after transferring to the university from NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

Ochsner, of Bixby, Okla., is in the kinesiology pre-professional program and plans to apply to dental school after graduating from the university. She is a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and the Student Mobilization campus group.

Honors medallions will be presented to Sara Kathryn Albrecht, Anna Bjorkman, Jessica Harvell, Staci Hurst and Kathleen Millerd. Senior scholars will be recognized. They are Albrecht, Emily Jane Fleeman, Lindsey Marie Nuhfer, Rebecca Pendleton Rorie, Carla Elizabeth Sawatski and Syleisa Victoria Thornton.

Faculty and staff members will also be presented awards.

Barbara Gartin, professor of special education, won the all-around faculty award for the second year in a row. Other faculty awards for 2006 will be presented to Charles Riggs, professor of kinesiology, for service; Janet Forbess, instructor in physical education, for teaching; George Denny, professor of educational foundations, and Michael Young, University Professor of health science, both for research; and Carleton Holt, associate professor of educational administration, for advising.

Outstanding staff awards go to Caley Satterfield, an administrative assistant in the department of education reform, for leadership; Janet Johnson-Mertz, an administrative assistant in the department of curriculum and instruction, as best new employee; Faye Turner, an accounting supervisor in the department of rehabilitation, human resources and communication disorders, for crisis management; and Josh Raney, an administrative office supervisor in the department of rehabilitation, human resources and communication disorders, for best all-around employee.

The college will also honor faculty and staff contributions with the presentation of service awards. For 10 years of service, awards go to Shannon Davis, director of research, and Randell Prince Jr., an administrative assistant in the department of educational leadership, counseling and foundations. For 20 years of service, awards go to Susan Riggs, instructor in the department of curriculum and instruction; Cecelia Thompson, professor of vocational and adult education; Dale Thompson, associate professor of vocational and adult education; and Samuel Totten, professor of secondary education. For 40 years of service, an award goes to Sandra Ruth Taylor, a cashier in the intramural and recreational sports program.