NEWS RELEASE
In celebration of the leadership achievements of Park University students, faculty and staff during the 2011-12 academic year, the Office of Student Life and the Park Student Government Association co-hosted the 17th annual Dr. Doris A. Howell Leadership Awards Banquet on April 11 on the Parkville Campus. The banquet is named for Howell, a 1944 Park graduate and an internationally renowned leader in pediatrics and hospice care.
Awards presented and the recipients (awards were presented by Clarinda Creighton, associate vice president for student affairs):
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| Jill Torres, Hannah Meador, Tarrah Bossert, Brandon Dugan, Frances Venable, Cody Croan, Austin Breed, Tomi Lazarov, Anna Luo -- Dr. Doris A. Howell Leadership Awards |
• Dr. Doris Howell Leadership Awards — This award is given to students who distinguish themselves uniquely as leaders regardless of position or title. Recipients represent the spirit of a Park University Pirate by: pursuing integrity in every endeavor; inclusiveness as a global citizen; are responsible and respectful in word, work and conduct; are aware of the implications and rewards of their education; truthful in every action; and excellence in modeling the Park University lifestyle.
o Tarrah Bossert, junior organizational communication major from Weatherby Lake, Mo. (attended Park Hill High School, Kansas City, Mo.)
o Austin Breed, sophomore fine art major from Lee's Summit, Mo. (attended Smithville [Mo.] High School)
o Cody Croan, senior English writing major from Kansas City, Mo. (attended Park Hill South High School, Riverside, Mo.)
o Brandon Dugan, junior information and computer science/software engineering major from Parkville, Mo. (attended Park Hill South High School, Riverside, Mo.)
o Tomi Lazarov, senior biology major from Kocani, Macedonia (attended LaSalle-Peru Christian School, LaSalle, Ill.)
o Cong (Anna) Luo, senior information and computer science/software engineering major from Beijing, China
o Hannah Meador, December 2011 Park graduate in organizational communication and current Park student in the Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership degree program, from Kansas City, Mo.
o Jill Torres, senior natural science/biology major from Shawnee, Kan. (attended Shawnee Mission Northwest High School)
o Frances Venable, senior chemistry major from Blue Springs, Mo. (attended Blue Springs High School)
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| Kirby Appollis, Arthur Vollbrecht, Katie Martino, Brady Hanssen, Rukhsora Rakhmatova, Cody Croan -- Outstanding Class Member Awards |
• Outstanding Class Member Awards — This award honors one male and one female of each Parkville Campus class (sophomore, junior and non-graduating senior) who best represent their class in service and participation at Park University.
o Cody Croan, senior English writing major from Kansas City, Mo. (attended Park Hill South High School, Riverside, Mo.)
o Rukhsora Rakhmatova, senior business administration/finance major from Tashkent, Uzbekistan
o Brady Hanssen, senior English writing major from Kearney, Mo. (attended Kearney High School -- note that Hanssen is a senior, but was awarded as a junior)
o Katie Martino, junior communication arts/public relations major from Parsons, Kan. (attended Parsons High School)
o Kirby Appollis, sophomore legal studies major from Overland Park, Kan. (attended Olathe [Kan.] East High School)
o Arthur Vollbrecht, junior biology major from Kansas City, Mo. (attended North Kansas City [Mo.] High School -- note that Vollbrecht is a junior, but was awarded as a sophomore)
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| Dr. Don Williams, Park Family Award |
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| Toni Madeira, Tipton Award |
• Tipton Award — This award is given to honor an outstanding service contribution to Park University by a Park alumnus/alumna. It is named to honor Bill and Mary Lou Tipton, both 1928 Park graduates. Throughout their lives, the Tiptons served Park University through the Park University Alumni Association, Friends of the Park University Library and the Park University Board of Trustees.
o Toni Madeira, a Park 1988 business administration and management/human resources graduate, and Kansas City, Mo., resident
• Park Family Award — This award recognizes a Park staff or faculty member who embodies the University's "family-like" culture in his/her interaction with students and fellow staff/faculty.
o Donald Williams, Ed.D., associate professor of biology, Parkville, Mo., resident
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| Cathy Boisen, Dusing-Proudfood Award |
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| Faith Stemmler, Toni Griggs Award |
• Toni Griggs Award — This award is given to honor a student who has made an outstanding contribution to Park University through leadership, service or work performance. Griggs was a Park employee who was an integral part of the University for three decades. She was a dear friend throughout the years to many Park students, faculty and staff.
o Faith Stemmler, junior biology major from St. Louis, Mo. (attended Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School)
• Dusing-Proudfoot Award — The Dusing-Proudfoot Award is given to honor an outstanding contribution by a Park University faculty or staff member. It is named in honor of two former Park University professors, Albert Dusing and Merrill Proudfoot. These two outstanding faculty members worked at Park for more than 20 years each and are respected for their academic and teaching betterment of students.
o Cathy Boisen, administrative assistant to the School of Arts and Humanities, Kansas City, Mo., resident
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| Minnie Washington, C.W. Bailey Award |
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| Wycla Bratton, C.W. Bailey Award |
• C.W. Bailey Award — This award is given in memory of C.W. Bailey, grandfather of John Shelton, a 1976 Park graduate, to students for the purpose of facilitating their education to the end that they may make a contribution to society in the tradition of Bailey. It is presented to one or two freshmen/sophomores who have distinguished themselves and exhibited the spirit of Park University.
o Wycla Bratton, freshman secondary education/English major from Kansas City, Mo. (attended Central High School)
o Minnie Washington, sophomore business administration/marketing major from Kansas City, Mo. (attended Park Hill High School)
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| Roger Dusing, Human Resource Services Director, Newcomer of the Year Award |
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| Ashley Harbin and Theodore McCord, Emerging Students of the Year Award |
• Emerging Student Leader of the Year Award — Awarded to the freshman or transfer student who has involved himself/herself in student life to the fullest and has sought out and accepted leadership responsibilities in an effort to improve the co-curricular life of all students.
o Ashley Harbin, junior mathematics and psychology major from Rock Port, Mo. (attended Tarkio [Mo.] High School)
o Theodore McCord, freshman criminal justice/security major from Perris, Calif. (attended Perris High School)
• Faculty/Staff Newcomer of the Year Award — Presented to the faculty or staff member in his/her first year of outstanding service to the University.
o Roger Dusing, director of human resource services, Liberty, Mo., resident
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| Anna Deluech, Graduate Assistant of the Year Award |
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| Stephen Mercy, Student Employee of the Year Award |
• Student Employee of the Year Award — The recipient of this special award goes to an outstanding work-study student who is chosen on the basis of his/her reliability, quality of work, initiative, professionalism and the uniqueness of his/her contributions to the University.
o Stephen Mercy, senior information and computer science/networking major from Kangema, Kenya (works in the Office of Information Technology Services)
• Graduate Assistant of the Year Award — The recipient of this special award goes to an outstanding graduate assistant student who is chosen on the basis of his/her reliability, quality of work, initiative, professionalism and the uniqueness of his/her contributions to the University.
o Anne Delpuech, student in the Master of Public Affairs degree program from Grandview, Mo. (originally from Longjumeau, France; works in the Office of International Education and Study Abroad)
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| Megan Woods-Culp, PSGA/Cindy Anderson Senator of the Year Award |
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| J.C. Stoner, Student Organization Adviser of the Year Award |
• Student Organization Adviser Award — This award recognizes the staff/faculty member who has provided outstanding efforts in guiding and advising student organizations.
o J.C. Stoner, Park Service Organization adviser, Parkville, Mo., resident, and director of residence life
• Park Student Government Association / Cindy Anderson Senator of the Year Award — PSGA helps explore campus issues of importance to Park University and provides assistance to student organizations. PSGA helps ensure students’ voices are heard when decisions are made about the future of the institution.
o Megan Woods-Culp, freshman geography major from Kansas City, Mo. (attended Park Hill High School, Kansas City, Mo.)
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| Jill Torres, President, Park Service Organization, accepted the Community Service Program of the Year Award |
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| Hannah Meador, President, World Student Union, accepted the Program of the Year Award |
• Program of the Year Award — Awarded to the student club that has contributed to the Park University community through the planning and implementation of an outstanding program for educational and/or entertainment purposes.
o World Student Union (WSU promotes international friendship and understanding through cultural awareness programs)
• Community Service Program of the Year Award — Awarded to the student club or academic organization that made outstanding contributions to local, national or global communities through an organized service or civic engagement program.
o Park Service Organization for its volunteer work at the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" build site in Joplin, Mo.
• Student Club of the Year Award — Awarded to the club that has made the greatest contributions to the Park community through organization, innovation and commitment to the club's purpose and activities.
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| Jeremy Everts, Student Program Director, KGSP "Pirate Radio," accepted the Student Club of the Year Award (small club) |
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| Darcie Bateman, Secretary, Student Nursing Association, accepted the Student Club of the Year Award (large club) |
o KGSP "Pirate Radio" Club (small club — 10 or fewer members; Pirate Radio Club supports the campus radio station and its activities.)
o Student Nurses Association (large club — 11 or more members)
In addition, the 2011-12 slate of Park Student Government Association officers and senators were recognized:
o Officers — Kirby Appollis, president; Brandon Dugan, vice president; Sarina Mayora, secretary; and Phillip Reeder, business manager
o Senators — Kristian Dodds, Zachary Hausner, Kelvin Igumbor, Sarah Jones, Hayley LaGarce, Lekeysha McFarland, Steven Njuba, David Pattison, Janek Sunga, Schyler Tate and Megan Woods-Culp
The event included a keynote address by James Simpson, Liberty, Mo., chief of police. Simpson, who earned his Master of Public Affairs degree from Park in 1997, was appointed chief in November 2011.
