{"id":59710,"date":"2021-05-11T08:06:40","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T13:06:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=59710"},"modified":"2021-05-11T08:06:42","modified_gmt":"2021-05-11T13:06:42","slug":"fhsu-spring-convocation-proudly-features-faculty-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=59710","title":{"rendered":"FHSU spring convocation proudly features faculty awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By UNIVERSITY RELATIONS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The annual Spring Convocation at Fort Hays State University was held virtually on May 7. President Tisa Mason, along with Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Jill Arensdorf recognized the winners of the Spring Semester 2021 faculty awards and 2021 alumni commencement awards as well as the recipients of the Cross-Border Educational Excellence Award, Navigator, Outstanding Graduate Advisor, and Edmund Shearer Faculty Advisor of the Year awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The live-streamed event also\nfeatured annual reports from Haley Reiter, outgoing student government\nassociation president; Jennifer Whitmer, university staff senate president; Dr.\nKevin Splichal, faculty senate president; and Dr. Janett Naylor-Tinknell, AAUP\npresident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The spring Outstanding\nFaculty Award winners are: Dr. Jonathan Sumrall, assistant professor of geosciences,\nfor scholarly activity; Dr. April Terry, assistant professor of criminal\njustice, for teaching; and Jacque Jacobs, program specialist in the Department\nof Communication Sciences and Disorders, for service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All recipients received a\n$500 award for their accomplishments, thanks to the generosity and support of\nCommerce Bank. In addition to the monetary gift, the college deans are\nproviding an additional $250 in the budget of the recipient’s department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sumrall was recognized for\nproducing five academic publications and for the notable quality of his works\nas well. His publications are continually cited by others in the field,\nvalidating his exceptional research talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJonathan enhances the\nclassroom experiences for his students by integrating his research with the use\nof field trips, in class experiments, and other expeditions,\u201d Arensdorf said.\n\u201cHis talents and mentorship of students have proven to be an asset to our\ncommitment to undergraduate research at the university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terry was recognized for\napproaching each course as an opportunity to engage students in experiences\nrelated to careers and incorporating activities that align with the criminal\njustice system. Using her creativity and passion for teaching, Terry\nconsistently enhances the experiential-learning component of her courses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo matter what topic I\nteach, I am passionate about talking about social-justice issues,\u201d Terry\nstated. \u201cThis is a common thread throughout my courses, and we will talk about\ndifferent forms of oppression, cultural, and systemic issues. I try to serve as\na model for them and how we can apply what we talk about in class, and how that\napplies to real time issues, and how they can be inspired to go do something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Terry sees her\nresponsibility not only in teaching, service, and scholarship but also in\ndemonstrating how those pieces are integrated into the classroom. Incorporating\nexperiential learning, service, and research in the classroom while involving\nstudents in real-world experiences provides that collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacobs was recognized with\nthe Outstanding Service Award for the compassion she displays to all clients in\nthe FHSU Herndon Clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe works tirelessly to\nensure all receive the highest quality of care both in the Herndon Clinic, and\nthroughout the community,\u201d Arensdorf remarks of Jacobs. \u201cNotably, this past\nyear throughout the pandemic, Jacque created and implemented a comprehensive\nplan that provided a safe environment to continue to serve clients while\nproviding a quality learning experience for her students.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The honorees join three\nother faculty members recognized for teaching, research, and scholarly activity\nin the Fall 2020 semester, as candidates for the Faculty Member-of-the-Year\nAward. The recipient of the upcoming award, along with a $1,000 prize, will be\nannounced at the Fall Convocation in August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of the five colleges of\nthe University nominates outstanding faculty members to receive the awards.\nRecipients are selected by a committee appointed by the respective college\ndeans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cross-Border Educational Excellence Award:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cross-Border Education Excellence Award was\nawarded to Ryan Olsen, instructor of leadership studies in the College of Arts,\nHumanities, and Social Sciences. Olsen teaches on the Shenyang Normal\nUniversity campus in Shenyang, Liaoning, China. The award was established to\nrecognize an individual who exemplifies excellence in contributing to FHSU\nstudents\u2019 academic experiences at a cross-border partner institution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olsen could not attend the awards presentation\ndue to the time difference, but Arensdorf shared his response to receiving the\naward. \u201cReceiving this award is one of my greatest honors, as it is proving to\nme that adaptability, empathy, and changes in latitudes and attitudes are\nnecessary each and every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navigator Award:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nNavigator Award was presented to Kris Munsch, assistant professor of applied\ntechnology. The award was established in 1998 by the Student Government\nAssociation to recognize an outstanding academic advisor based on how closely\nthe advisor adheres to the university goals for academic advising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Munsch is\nrevered by his students for the way he motivates those around him to strive for\nexcellence in the classroom and beyond. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe pushes\nhis students to become visionaries and thinkers who come up with real\nsolutions,\u201d Arensdorf said. \u201cThe grit that he instills and demonstrates to\nall the students he interacts with is inspiring.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outstanding\nGraduate Advisor:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nOutstanding Graduate Advisor Award recognizes a faculty member who is an\nadvisor of graduate students and provides leadership and service in other\nactivities on campus. The award was presented to Sarah Patterson, Graduate\nProgram Coordinator in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nomination\nletters highlighted Patterson\u2019s commitment to assisting her students in\nselecting the necessary courses to ensure timely completion of their degrees.\nThe letters also described her attentiveness to connecting students with campus\nresources, and flexibility to accommodate the many different schedules of\nnontraditional students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edmund Shearer Faculty\nAdvisor of the Year Award:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Edmund\nShearer Faculty Advisor of the Year Award was presented to Mr. Kim Stewart,\nchair and professor of technology studies in the Werth College of Science,\nTechnology, and Mathematics.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Shearer\nAward is presented to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding academic\nadvising of students. Shearer, a former Chair of the Department of\nChemistry, was known for the high value he placed on student advisement. One\nadvisor can be recognized from each of the five academic colleges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stewart has\nbuilt a reputation for being an outstanding advisor through his commitment to\nbuilding relationships with the students, not just advising. A former student\nwrote in a recommendation letter for Stewart\u2019s nomination, \u201cAs a teacher and\nadvisor, Mr. Stewart guided me through the program, making sure I took all of\nthe required courses. More importantly, he encouraged me to leave my comfort\nzone and become active in TECA, our student organization.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The now\nsuccessful high-school educator wrote that because of Stewart’s dedication to\nhis success, he won a national championship in TECA’s teaching lesson\ncompetition, was part of a national championship team in live manufacturing and\nhas won several other awards. Each letter of support for Stewart’s nomination\nshared similar stories of his devotion to students’ success and the impact he\nhas on students’ lives long after they graduate from Fort Hays State.\n  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe has an\ninnate ability to make students feel like they are the most important students\non campus,\u201d Arensdorf said of Stewart. \u201cHe has dedicated his career to making a\npositive difference in the lives of our students, and Fort Hays State is\nfortunate to call Kim one of our own.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the\nrecipient of this award, Stewart also receives a nomination for the National\nAcademic Advising Association Award. Each FHSU winner will be presented with a\ncertificate and a monetary award. The nominees receive a stipend of $150, and\nthe final award honoree receives $500, sponsored by Commerce Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With\nStewart, fellow nominees for this award include Dr. Kim Perez, professor of\nhistory in the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; Dr. Karen Thal,\nassistant professor of applied business studies in the Robbins College of\nBusiness and Entrepreneurship; Rekayla Tuxhorn, instructor of social work in\nthe College of Health and Behavioral Sciences; and Dr. Edward Hammond, FHSU\nPresident Emeritus and a professor of advanced education programs in the\nCollege of Education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A press release recognizing\nthe Torch, Pilot, and Navigator Awards will be shared on May 17, following a\nprivate reception with President Mason. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By UNIVERSITY RELATIONS The annual Spring Convocation at Fort Hays State University was held virtually on May 7. President Tisa Mason, along with Provost and… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[11722],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-releases"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59710","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=59710"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59710\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59711,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59710\/revisions\/59711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=59710"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=59710"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=59710"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}