Dr. Monika Alston-Miller of the department of communication won the Teaching Excellence Award and the Public Service Award at the 62nd Annual Service Awards Ceremony. Alston-Miller is the first person in UCA history to win both awards in the same academic year. The Service Awards Ceremony is held to honor and recognize UCA faculty and staff in a special campus presentation.
Dr. Monika Alston-Miller
Alston-Miller is originally from Columbia, S.C. and attended Ben Lippen School. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from Westhampton College at the University of Richmond, and a Master of Arts in Speech Communication and a PhD in Communication Arts and Sciences from Pennsylvania State University. Alston-Miller is an active member of the Kappa Xi Sigma chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc and is currently conducting research on African American women’s rhetoric.
“It was completely unexpected to win these awards. All of the finalists are outstanding and have great reputations for the work they do. Just being nominated alongside them was a tremendous honor,” Alston-Miller said. “It is hard for me to see what I do as special. I think I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do, what I feel is part of God’s purpose for my life. I feel fortunate to be here. I get to work every day with dedicated teachers and talented students, and I live in a community with diverse opportunities for me to use my gifts and my expertise to give back others.”
Mark Spitzer of the UCA Department of Writing was awarded the Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Award. Christy Peel, administrative specialist in the chemistry department, was named the 2015 Classified Employee of the Year and Mark Heffington, director of web development, was named the 2015 Non-Classified Employee of the Year. Dr. Joseph McGarrity, Dr. Benjamin Rider and Dr. Ken Sobel were finalists for the Teaching Excellence Award. Dr. Jacob Held and Dr. Don Perry were finalists for the Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity Award. Dr. Kevin Browne and Dr. John Parrack were finalists for the Public Service Award.
