Dean Washington celebrates College of Health and Human Services faculty and staff awards

Dec. 13, 2012

On Friday, Dec. 7, College of Health and Human Services Dean Earlie M. Washington hosted an awards ceremony followed by a celebration to recognize faculty and staff in the college. At the ceremony, awards were presented to three faculty members and a staff person. Recipients of these annual honors receive a monetary award, a certificate, and recognition on a plaque on display at the college. Washington is committed to honoring faculty and staff, while recognizing and perpetuating the college's tradition of excellence in teaching, scholarship and service through these awards.

College of Health and Human Services Learning Resource Center Coordinator Helen Beck received the 2012 Outstanding Customer Service Award for her exemplary fulfillment of the college's eight customer service goals. The many nominations and letters of support she received cited her positive impact on all College of Health and Human Services constituents—particularly students—who benefit from her highly professional service, welcoming and helpful smile, and true passion for what she does.

Wrote one nominator, "Helen Beck is a stellar example of what makes this college and University great. She is truly a role model and has become a living benchmark which all of us should strive to meet."

School of Social Work Professor Dr. Linda Reeser was honored with the 2011-12 College of Health and Human Services Excellence in Teaching Award, which she received earlier this year. This award recognizes excellence in one or more of the following areas: classroom teaching, creative/innovative work as regards teaching, fieldwork, or supervision, and teaching that involves interdisciplinary or collaborative activity. Reeser's nominators—current and former students, colleagues, and community members—noted her passion for the subjects of her courses and her dynamic, creative teaching style. They know her to be a tough, challenging teacher who helps students learn valuable information that will benefit them as professionals and who "ranks teaching as a highly important intellectual activity and prepares for it with thorough commitment and devotion."

Two new annual awards were initiated this year. These awards celebrate faculty members whose research or scholarship contributions have advanced his or her profession and enhanced the reputation of the college. Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies Professor Robert Wall Emerson received the inaugural College of Health and Human Services Research Excellence Award, which emphasizes empirical work of a qualitative or quantitative nature that is either descriptive or inferential in nature. His nomination cited his international recognition as a clinician-researcher, a prolific history of publishing and presenting empirical research, significant contributions to interdisciplinary research, and significant research funding received from both federal and non-federal sources.

Jim Henry, professor of social work and director of the Child Trauma Assessment Center, received the inaugural College of Health and Human Services Scholarship Excellence Award, which emphasizes exemplary service and contributions to a profession through activities such as advancing certification or accreditation, implementing program evaluation activities, and publishing. His nomination cited the consistency, quantity and impact of his funded and unfunded scholarship in advancing knowledge development and practice regarding children and trauma, and his status as a noted scholar through his research, evaluation and training activities.