The following awards were presented last week to faculty and staff at the 2004 Annual Service Awards Banquet:
Public Service Award
Dr. Mark Cooper, Department of Early Childhood and Special Education, winner of the 2004 Public Service Award
In 1999, Dr. Mark Cooper created and implemented a program called UCA Super Kids for children in first, second and third grades. Each year since, over 160 children and their families learn about how important they are and how to see others as super kids regardless of achievement level or physical appearance.
His public service also involves working with CAPCA Head Start where he volunteers an average of 5 hours each week helping families and teachers work with their children. Dr. Cooper also speaks to hundreds of children at assembly programs in the central Arkansas area about caring, self-control, and a variety of other thoughts and behaviors necessary for success in school and in life.
Finally, Dr. Cooper organized a UCA faculty and a College of Education student team for the American Cancer Society Cancer Relay for Life. The two teams raised almost $5,500 the first year. He continues to serve as captain of the faculty team. As he writes, ?Little that I do falls far from my goals to affect children, families, and teachers.?
Finalists:
Dr. Sondra Gordy, Department of History
Dr. Clint Johnson, Department of Economics
Dr. Stephanie Vanderslice, Department of Writing and Speech
Dr. Barbara Williams, Department of Nursing
Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award
Dr. Patrick Desrochers, Chemistry, winner of the 2004 Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Award
Is an economy based on hydrogen a pipe dream or a future reality? Can rotting garbage become a bountiful source of cheap natural gas?
Dr. Desrochers’ research at UCA may play a role in answering these questions and in reaching these environmentally-sound goals. He has stated that the research group he established and operates is one of the proudest achievements of his professional career.
The research niche established by his group is applicable to both the industrial and biological chemistry of nickel.
Desrochers says that he enjoys his scholarship because it feeds his curiosity and helps him maintain vitality in his discipline. He designs, refines, and learns from the experimental work in his laboratory.
Nobel laureate Linus Pauling once said that to have good ideas, one has to have lots of ideas. This is considered an apt summary of Desrochers work at UCA people who know him know that he has plenty of ideas.
Finalists:
Dr. Ken Barnes, History
Dr. Steven Runge, Biology
Dr. Ann E. Witcher, Middle/Secondary Education & Instructional Technologies
Terry Wright, Writing and Speech
Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Tammy Benson, Winner of the 2004 Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Benson has taught in the Department of Early Childhood & Special Education for the past twelve years. Helping her students connect education theory and practice is central to Tammy’s teaching.
Students share that they feel confident to do what is right in the real world as a result of her influence. One student commented, “It was her goal and objective to teach us as she wanted us to teach.”
The responsibility of training future teachers of Arkansas’ children makes Dr. Benson dedicated to her students; she empathizes with their individual needs, while also maintaining rigorous standards for student performance.
A public school colleague writes “It is not always comfortable to tell a student that he or she is not meeting the requirements of a program to become a competent teacher, but Dr. Benson’s focus is relentless.”
Dr. Benson considers the success of her students as early childhood teachers and positive contributors to her profession as a personal responsibility.
She summarizes her work at UCA as “Creating an environment of lifelong learners for all students, at all levels, and the best way she knows to serve the field she feels so passionate about, education.”
Finalists:
Patricia Carlin, Department of World Language
James Fletcher, Department of Physical Therapy
Dr. Julie Meaux, Department of Nursing
Lisa Mongno, Department of Writing
Staff Employee of the Year
Terry Brewer, operations manager for Computer Services
Terry Brewer has been employed with Computer Services for 22 years. During that time, Brewer has been involved with upgrading the mainframe server and the optical scanner. Brewer says that he keeps up with the computer industry by regularly reading IBM publications and by attending IBM classes.
Brewer says, ?I normally set my goals each day in that I want to be able to successfully provide my clients with the data they need in a timely a manner as possible. With the teamwork of my staff, we have been able to provide faculty, staff and students with the data they have requested.?
Brewer?s work philosophy is to possess the ?whatever-it-takes? attitude to get the job completed. He also feels like he has the helpful attitude required in order to be willing to help his staff and students do anything that is needed.
?I feel that I am blessed to be fortunate enough to have a great place to work and to be able to work with great people,? he said.
Finalists:
Lilly Harmon, Computer Services
Anna Lee, Department of Art
George McKee, Physical Plant
Sharon Wilkes, Department of World Languages
