Award descriptions
The Outstanding Master’s Student in Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Award is given to recognize and honor outstanding CECP master’s degree students. Over the years, this award has been given in the names of George Hillard, Marcia and Gil Mazer, and Lynn Becker. Dr. George Hillard served WMU for 36 years in a variety of roles including Director of the Stu- dent Counseling Bureau, Head of the Education Department and Director of the Division of Personnel and Guidance. Dr. Gil Mazer served WMU as a fac- ulty member for 22 years. His wife Marcia was well known in the department as one of those rare individuals that everyone found easy to talk to and confide in. Dr. Mazer and many of Marcia’s friends wished to honor her memory by encouraging and supporting students who mirror her caring concern for others. Lynn Becker was one of the early non-traditional female doctoral students in the department. She was valued for her active involvement in the department as well as her work as a psychologist at the VA Hospital in Battle Creek. Friends and colleagues wished to honor her memory by encouraging and sup- porting non-traditional female students with interests in women’s issues.
The Outstanding Doctoral Student in Counseling Psychology Award is given to recognize and honor outstanding doctoral students in the Counseling Psy- chology program. This award was first given in honor of Dr. Kenneth B. Engle upon his retirement from the department. Dr. Engle was a faculty mem- ber in the department from 1961-1977, and unit coordinator from 1964-1968. He facilitated development of specialist and doctoral degrees in counseling and worked tirelessly to achieve state and national recognition for the department. Recipients of this award will have demonstrated potential for excellence in counseling psychology through teaching, scholarship and/or professional service.
The Outstanding Doctoral Student in Counselor Education Award is given to recognize and honor outstanding doctoral students in the Counselor Education program. This award is given in honor of Dr. Thelma Urbick upon her retire- ment from the department after 21 years of service. Dr. Urbick was the first full time female faculty member hired in the department. She was known for her professional dedication at local, state and national levels. Over the course of her career, she served in many roles including teacher, advisor, researcher and consultant. She was especially passionate about teaching and cared deeply about students. Recipients of this award will have demonstrated potential for excellence in counselor education through teaching, scholarship and/or professional service.
During Dr. Wiener’s tenure at Western Michigan University as Chairperson in the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies and as the Dean of the Graduate College, Dr. Wiener was instrumental in developing the joint rehabilitation counseling/teaching program in conjunction with the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology. He has demonstrated a life- long commitment to preparing blindness and low vision services personnel as evidence by over 50 publications and two edited books, one of which includes the noteworthy Foundations of Orientation and Mobility textbook. His many contributions and accomplishments are nationally recognized through the Lawrence E. Blaha Award, and the Newcomer-Hill Award from the Orientation and Mobility Division of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He has also received the Migel Award from the American Foundation for the Blind. The William R. Wiener Outstanding Student in Rehabilitation Counseling/Teaching and Rehabilitation Counseling Award recognizes and honors an outstanding student in the Rehabilitation Counseling/Teaching and Rehabilitation Counseling programs. The recipient will have demonstrated a commitment to advancing employment outcomes of persons with blindness and low vision or other disabilities and the practice of rehabilitation counseling.
The Kenneth Bullmer endowed scholarship is awarded annually to a full-time graduate student in the counseling psychology doctoral program. The award is based on merit and the recipient must have a minimum GPA of 3.5. Dr. Bullmer served on the faculty from 1970 to 1993 and was known for his work in human sexuality as well as marital and sex therapy. He authored “The Art of Empathy” which was translated into several languages. During his 23 years of service, Dr. Bullmer helped initiate WMU’s counseling psychology program.
Dr. James Croteau served as a faculty member in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology from 1990 to 2016. He was recognized by colleagues and students as an excellent professor, mentor and scholar. His scholarship reflected a long-term career focus and emphasis on issues critical to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) people; and made a sig- nificant difference in the counseling profession by enhancing research and understanding for these populations. Dr. Croteau was a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the recipient of several national awards from APA for his contributions to LGBTQ+ studies and services. In 2010, Dr. Croteau was recognized as the nation’s most productive scholar in counseling psychology in the area of LGBT studies. The Dr. James M. Croteau Memorial Scholarship is intended help continue his legacy by recognizing and supporting students who have a demonstrated commitment to LGBTQ+ studies and/or issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, race, diversity, inclusion and social justice. Annual award recipients are in- coming or current master’s or doctoral students in Counselor Education or Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University.
The Outstanding Alumni Award is given to recognize and honor outstanding alumni/alumnae who have distinguished themselves in the private sector or through public service. The importance of impacting the world outside the university has been valued in the department since its inception. The first Board appointed Head of Counselor Education, William D. Martinson, exemplified this perspective by his professional contributions to the Peace Corps, Upward Bound, and his innovative approach to delivering guidance services to rural areas. Recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award will have made significant contributions to human services through organizational and/or professional association leadership, scholarship, research, teaching or direct service to client populations.
The Dr. Lonnie Earl Duncan Memorial Scholarship Award celebrates the lega- cy of Dr. Duncan, a native of Flint, Michigan, and associate professor of coun- selor education and counseling psychology at Western Michigan University who passed away on January 1, 2014. Dr. Duncan was Co-Training Director of the counseling psychology doctoral program. He was known for his passion for social justice, diversity and inclusion, issues related to African American males, and literacy. A faculty member at WMU since 2000, Dr. Duncan was licensed as a psychologist in Michigan and, in addition to teaching, worked as a psychological supervisor for professionals in the community. He was highly regarded in the profession and the recipient of numerous prestigious awards including the Griselda Daniel Award by WMU's Graduate Students of Color in 2009 for his commitment to diversity and inclusion, the 2011 Trailblazer Award from the College of Education and Human Development, and the Ex- cellence in Diversity Award in 2013 for the work he did to strengthen and en- hance the department's focus on multiculturalism and recruitment of students from historically black colleges and universities to WMU's graduate programs. Furthermore, Dr. Duncan received national recognition for his work in mental health treatment with racial minorities, including on such topics as help- seeking, assessment, treatment, training and supervision. The Dr. Lonnie Earl Duncan Memorial Scholarship Award supports a student pursuing a graduate degree in Counselor Education/Counseling Psychology. Dr. Duncan’s wife, Yolanda, and family are proud to honor his legacy with this award.
The Alan and Kristin Hovestadt Outstanding Student in Marriage and Family Therapy Award recognizes and honors an outstanding student in marriage, couple and family counseling. The recipient will have demonstrated potential for excellence in the profession and practice of MFT and be someone who seeks to expand delivery of culturally competent clinical services to under- served populations. Dr. Hovestadt was employed by Western Michigan Uni- versity from 1985 to 2019 and has been instrumental in developing academic programs in couple and family therapy during his tenure. He is nationally and internationally recognized for his long-standing contributions to the advance- ment of marriage and family therapy, receiving awards from his peers in the American Counseling Association, International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors and American Association for Marriage and Family Thera- py. He served as President of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
The Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology awards scholarships to two Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology students annually. One award is granted to a master’s level student, and the other is granted to a doctoral level student. Recipients are selected on the basis of demonstrated performance goals, community service, and financial need. Recipients must also hold and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3. These scholarships are made possible by generous donations from department alumni/ alumnae and faculty.
In 2000 Dr. Robert L. Betz retired from an outstanding career on the Western Michigan University faculty that spanned five decades. During his tenure at WMU, Dr. Betz served as the first Director of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, the training laboratory/clinic for CECP master’s and doctoral degree students. He chaired the doctoral dissertation committee of the first person to receive a doctoral degree from WMU in 1968 and continued by chairing an additional 56 committees during his career. Dr. Betz also made significant contributions to the profession through publications, grants, technical reports, workshops, and consultation with a wide range of organizations. His peers recognized his work by honoring him with a number of special awards throughout his career.
The Arthur and Margaret Manske Outstanding Master’s Student in School Counseling Award is given to recognize and honor outstanding master’s degree students in school counseling who have demonstrated potential for excellence in the profession. Dr. Arthur Manske was the first counselor educator to be hired in the College of Education. He served as the coordinator of the counselor education program from 1943 to 1964, and was very active in the field of school counseling and guidance. This endowed award was first given in 1975 upon the occasion of Dr. Manske’s retirement. His friends and colleagues established the award to recognize Dr. Manske’s significant leadership in school counseling.
Dr. Joseph R. Morris was the first African American tenure track faculty mem- ber in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology. As Director of Training for the doctoral program in Counseling Psychology, he led major program revisions including the shift from practitioner to scientist- practitioner model of training and the change in the terminal degree for the department from Ed.D. to Ph.D. The result of his work led to the initial Ameri- can Psychological Association (APA) accreditation for the program. He estab- lished multiculturalism as a cornerstone of the department by emphasizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of department life. As de- partment chair, he expanded department course offerings in Battle Creek and Grand Rapids while opening Traverse City as a site for CECP classes. He also played a pivotal role in establishing the Center for Counseling and Psychologi- cal Services in Grand Rapids (CCPS-GR) which enabled students to earn an entire master’s degree in Grand Rapids. His leadership and work in the recruit- ment and retention of minority faculty and students led to the department re- ceiving the Richard Suinn Award (2008) which is awarded annually by APA to doctoral programs committed to cultural diversity in all phases of departmental activity including diversifying faculty and excellence in the recruitment, reten- tion and graduation of racial and ethnic minority students. He is known for scholarship on topics related to supervision, consultation, race and health psy- chology as well as consultations to a broad range of organizations and groups. Dr. Morris also served in a number of leadership roles at the national, regional and state level for the American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association.