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Debbie Barnes, Senior Clinical Instructor in the Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education, was one of two members selected by the Association of Teacher Educators (ATE) to receive the 2018 Distinguished Member award. Recognition as a Distinguished Member is the highest award that the Association bestows upon members and is limited to no more than two members in a given year.

Eligibility for this prestigious award requires at least 15 years of consecutive membership in the Association, documentation of outstanding contributions to the Association and its affiliated state and regional units, outstanding contributions to the field of teacher education, and recognition by peers as upholding high standards of professionalism. She will be honored at the 2018 ATE Conference in Las Vegas where the Association will celebrate its 98th annual meeting.

Barnes has been a member of ATE since 1994. She is recognized by her peers for her commitment to servant leadership. She has served on several national planning committees, including service as co-chair for the 2003 Summer Conference in Sante Fe and 2007 Summer Conference in Milwaukee. She served on the Nominations and Elections Committee for six years and was the first chair of the Honors and Awards Committee, serving for six years. Barnes was co-chair of the ATE Strategic Planning

Committee for three years. She was elected by her peers to serve as a member of the Board of Directors for a three-year term, and she was a member of the Teacher Reflectivity Commission/Task Force, formed in 2004, and served until 2016. That group has published several manuscripts resulting from their work. She is currently serving on the ATE Task Force of Field Experience Standards. She has received the ATE President’s Service Award on three occasions.

Barnes’ recognition is based partially on her service to the Arkansas Association of Teacher Educators (ArATE) and the Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators (SRATE). She served as President of ArATE in 2001-2002 and President of SRATE in 2002-2003. Her contributions to SRATE were recognized when she received the Roy L. Lauter Distinguished Service Award in 2011.

As a member of the University of Central Arkansas College of Education, Barnes has served as Assistant Dean, chaired multiple search committees, chaired or served on numerous Professional Education Committees, and provided extensive professional development for K-12 teachers. She has served as a consultant both in-state and out of state for institutions seeking national accreditation in teacher education. Her scholarship has been recognized by her peers with dozens of presentations and several publications. Barnes’ recognition continues the rich tradition of UCA’s history as a normal school and its commitment to teacher education. She is one of three faculty members from UCA to receive this award. Terry James, Professor and Chair of Leadership Studies received this award in 2012 and Nancy P. Gallavan received the award in 2014. UCA joins Southern Illinois University at Carbondale as institutions with three Distinguished Members in ATE.