Archive issue
Dec. 3, 2001

People

College of Nursing dean honored by international association
Students, ensemble shine under international spotlight
Alum honors mentors with UK endowment
Quick honored for family education contributions
Former Rifle Cat named NCAA Woman of Year
HES honors two for excellence
Gerontology studies scholarships awarded
Woman's Club awards scholarships
People

College of Nursing dean honored by international association

The dean of the University of Kentucky College of Nursing has been awarded a top national nursing award.

Dean Carolyn A. Williams was honored with the Mary Tolle Wright Award for Excellence in Leadership by the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She was selected for the award based on her leadership in nursing through visionary and innovative approaches.

"One of Dr. Williams' special attributes is her ability to focus simultaneously on developing others while she pushes nursing and health care forward in our local area and at national and international levels," said James W. Holsinger Jr., senior vice president and chancellor of UK's Chandler Medical Center.

Delta Psi, the UK Honor Society of Nursing chapter, nominated Williams for the award. Letters of support for Williams came from around the nation, including one sent by the dean of U.S. News and World Report's No. 1 ranked nursing school, the University of Washington.

"Receiving such recognition by peers is extremely meaningful, and I am most grateful. But it would not have been possible without the wonderful mentors and associates I have been fortunate to have throughout my career, particularly my outstanding colleagues in Delta Psi and at the UK College of Nursing and the Medical Center," Williams said.

Delta Psi also was honored with a Key Award for overall chapter excellence. This marks the second time the award has been given to the UK Honor Society of Nursing chapter, which is led by President Carol Komara, nursing staff development specialist with UK Hospital.

"The society's overall goals are directed at promoting scholarship, leadership and research. Delta Psi is proud to be recognized for its support of these endeavors and for the contributions made to nursing," Komara said.

Tammy Gay

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Students, ensemble shine under international spotlight

University of Kentucky seniors Jeremy Chapman, percussion, and David Balfour, saxophone, won first place in the Percussive Arts Society International Solo Competition held in Nashville on Nov. 15. The theme of this year's annual solo competition was duo music for percussion and saxophone.

Chapman is a student of Professor James Campbell and Balfour is a student of Professor Miles Osland.

Since 1994, UK percussion students have won this juried competition four times, an achievement matched by no other school.

The UK Percussion Ensemble, under Campbell's direction, performed a showcase concert on Nov. 16 in Nashville as part of the Percussive Arts Society International Convention. The concert featured two world premiers and student arrangements by UK doctoral candidate Michael Aukofer and sophomore percussionist Kenneth Metzker. This concert was the result of winning a juried competition among collegiate percussion ensembles from around the world.

The Percussive Arts Society is a not-for-profit service organization promoting percussion education, research, performance and appreciation throughout the world. With more than 7,000 members worldwide, the society is headquartered in Lawton, Okla., where it maintains administrative offices and a museum of rare and unusual percussion instruments.

Staff report

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Alum honors mentors with UK endowment

Ronald P. Evens, a 1974 graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, has established a trust that will provide the college with its first $1 million endowment gift to establish a chair and conduct research in drug information.

Evens' contribution was made in honor of three faculty members whose leadership made an impact on his career and his life, he said. Paul Parker, Charles Walton and Ann Amerson served as his mentors.

"To be able to give back to the University in their honor is a way to recognize them and their contributions to pharmacy," Evens said. "The endowment also is a chance to reconnect with faculty and students."

Evens, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., is a special adviser for biotechnology for the corporate accounts business unit at Amgen Inc. He also is president a consulting biotechnology firm for the pharmaceutical industry. He is adjunct professor at the University of Southern California College of Pharmacy. He also recently has been named to the UK College of Pharmacy Development Advisory Board.

Kristi Lopez

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Quick honored for family education contributions

National council notes caring, scientific work of UK scholar

Sam Quick, human development and family relations specialist at the University of Kentucky, received the Family Life Career Achievement Award at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations on Nov. 7. Quick was recognized for his many contributions to the development of educational programs for families.

"It didn't surprise me at all to learn Sam had won this award," said Gladys Hildreth, chairperson of the UK Department of Family Studies in the College of Human Environmental Sciences. "He promotes family life education at the local, state and national level. It's just exemplary the way he does his job to help families and children. He is a wonderful promoter of our department's mission to better the lives of children and families."

In making the award, the nomination committee noted that Quick's educational programs have addressed some of the most important issues facing family members. He has created programs to help families deal with family violence, caregiving, single parenting and grief.

Quick also was recognized for his commitment to using scientific knowledge to address issues facing families in difficulty. One of the most recent examples of his work was the development of information for families about how to handle grief associated with the recent disaster in New York and Washington, D.C. His brief articles, which can be found online at www.ca.uky.edu/fcs/terrorism/ index.htm, on managing feelings and dealing with issues surrounding this disaster demonstrate his understanding of the needs of families, as well as his scientific knowledge about how families cope with stressful experiences.

Quick said the award is not just his own.

"All through my career I've been tutored and assisted by unusually caring, capable and wise professionals in the fields of human development and family relations," he said. "Having a statewide and national support system like this has made all the difference in the world. It's hard not to shine when you are surrounded by luminaries."

Quick's educational programs have been designed in ways to invite children and adults to learn about important issues. His "Piecing It Together" program for single parents uses videotaped demonstrations and short printed materials to engage parents about relationships, financial management and other issues essential to effective parenting.

Quick's "GriefWork: Guides for Survival and Growth" has been used by funeral homes, church organizations, schools, social service agencies and many others. He also was cited for his efforts to use many different methods to reach families. An example of this was the audiotape adaptation of "GriefWorks" for visually impaired family members.

Staff report

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Former Rifle Cat named NCAA Woman of Year

University of Kentucky rifle letter winner Taryn Lewis recently was honored as one of 50 state winners of the NCAA Woman of the Year award.

The award recognizes outstanding female student-athletes who have excelled in academics, athletics and community leadership and have completed their collegiate athletics eligibility.

"Community service and community involvement really helped me grow in college," Lewis said. "It was one of the most important things that I did during my four years at UK. To be honored for that is very flattering and appreciated."

"I'm very excited for Taryn," rifle coach Harry Mullins said. "All of her hard work over the last four years has paid off. She was very dedicated, both in the classroom and as a team captain for us. It's a very great honor for her and our program."

Lewis, who graduated in May with a degree in finance and Spanish, was a leader in competition during her four-year career at UK. The Flemington, N.J., native was named second-team All-Mid American Rifle Conference in 1998 and 2001, while leading her team to a second-place finish at the 2001 NCAA Rifle Championships in April.

Lewis excelled in the classroom as well, graduating with a 3.7 GPA. She was named Academic All-SEC three times, while being named to the Athletics Director's Honor Roll six times. Lewis was named to the dean's list each semester during her sophomore, junior and senior seasons and also was awarded a prestigious UK Merit Scholarship during her senior year.

Lewis' dedication to hard work and excellence also could be seen in her leadership at Kentucky. She was a three-year member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Society and UK's student-athlete advisory committee, serving as president in her junior and senior years. She represented UK at the SEC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meeting in 2000.

Lewis, who is pursuing her master of business administration degree at UK, was honored in May with the H. Boyd McWhorter Post-Graduate Scholarship awarded by the SEC.

"I'm so happy to see this very deserved honor go to Taryn and her team," said Micki King, UK Athletics senior women's administrator. "Rifle has consistently been one of our most successful varsity programs at UK, but it doesn't always get the recognition it deserves. I'm happy to see one of our shooters be recognized for her exemplary efforts."

Amanda Polley

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HES honors two for excellence

Portillo, Horn win awards

University of Kentucky Interior Design Associate Professor Margaret Portillo has been honored for her career of research with the UK College of Human Environmental Sciences Outstanding Research Award, and staff associate for student services Kevin Horn has received the college's Outstanding Staff Award. The awards were presented recently at the college's annual Evening of Excellence.

Portillo is a leading scholar in interior design research methodology and creativity. As chairperson of the Research Council for the Foundation of Interior Design Research, she launched the Strategic Stories Project, which has developed a narrative inquiry method, similar to those used in education and medicine. This development has been heralded by interior design scholars as one of the top in the field and has been highlighted in several academic and trade journals, including the Journal of Interior Design and Interiors and Sources. Portillo was selected to guest edit a special issue of the Journal of Interior Design on narrative inquiry that presented Strategic Stories cases of innovation in the work place. She is one of only a handful of people who have been asked to guest edit this journal.

Portillo has been at UK since 1991 after earning her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Horn, a Nicholasville native, has served as staff associate for two-and-a-half years since joining the college through STEPS, the University's student and temporary employment office.

Selena Stevens

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Gerontology studies scholarships awarded

Two University of Kentucky graduate students have been awarded Donovan Scholarships in gerontology. Each scholarship is worth $3,000.

This year's recipients are Lisa Curch and Hege Ravdal.

Church, a fourth-year gerontology doctoral student, has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Hollins University in Roanoke, Va., and a maser's degree in gerontology from the University of South Florida. Her research interests involve educational gerontology, life course issues with a focus on spatial as well as family life course experiences, and health behavior.

Ravdal, from Norway, has a master's degree in interior design from Norway University. She has studied anthropology and geography at UK. Her area of specialization in gerontology emphasizes the social and behavioral aspects of aging.

The UK Donovan Scholars established the gerontology scholarships in 1989 to celebrate the Donovan Scholars program's 25th anniversary, said Arleen Johnson, Donovan Scholars director.

Thirty students from 17 areas of study within the University have received scholarships totaling $50,000 since 1989. Of those recipients, 22 were graduates and eight were undergraduates.

Ralph Derickson

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Woman's Club awards scholarships

Program aids non-traditional women with education costs

The University of Kentucky Woman's Club has awarded six scholarships to help female students continue their education.

The scholarships, given to women 25 years of age or older, cover the cost of in-state undergraduate tuition for one year.

"We are proud to have awarded these scholarships to these deserving women," said club President Rebecca Tucker. "We can do this only because of the fund-raising activities of our dedicated Ways and Means Committee, the generous contributions of our UKWC membership, and non-members who respond to the Holiday Greeting appeal with generous donations. We count on this continued support to provide these scholarships."

The club has awarded nearly $200,000 scholarships since 1973 to help support female students continuing their education or returning to school later in life. The scholarship was established as a full tuition award in 1999.

This year's recipients are: Sybil Forsythe, a master's student in communication disorders; Christy Fitch, a senior double majoring in social work and business economics; Becky Critchfield, entering the College of Social Work's master's program in the fall; Tourette A. Jackson, a graduate student in the School of Public Health; Lisa Lemley, a master's student in the physician assistant studies program; and Kimberly Meek, a graduate student in animal science.

The recipients will be honored at a Dec. 5 tea at Maxwell Place with UK First Lady Patsy Todd. They also will be recognized during UK's spring honors and recognition awards program.

Staff report

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People

Presentations
-- Joy Famularo, English, Lexington Community College , recently presented "Mapping Learning: Strategies for Aca-demic Success" at the Ashland Community College Teaching/Learning Conference.
-- Ramona R. Rush, Communications and Information Studies, and Carol E. Oukrop, Kansas State University, coordinated the Dr. Donna Allen Memorial Symposium at the Freedom Forum headquarters in Washington, D.C., prior to the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. About 50 research participants and guests attended the Symposium. Twenty-five participants in the SMTYEWTK "(Still . . . More Than You Ever Wanted to Know) About Women in Journalism and Mass Communications" Research Group presented preliminary results of their research, sponsored by Freedom Forum and Knight Foundation grants. The final research project, which is an update and expanded project based on the initial study in the field by Rush and Oukrop 30 years ago, will be completed by December 2002.

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Award
--Christopher McMarty, agricultural technician, received the Service/Maintenance Award at the annual Ag Round-Up.
-- Linda Berry, clerical secretarial staff assistant, and Kay Cotton, staff support associate, each received a Clerical/Secretarial Worker Award at the annual Ag Round-Up.
-- Darryl Cremeans, data systems manager for the department of forestry, received The Executive, Administrative, Managerial, Non-Faculty Professional Award at the annual Ag Round-Up.
-- Kevin Horn, Human Environmental Sciences, received the Outstanding Staff Award at the annual HES Evening of Excellence.
-- The UK Chandler Medical Center Resident of the Month for December is H. Tom McElderry of cardiology. He was nominated by UK and Veteran's Administration hospital staff.
-- Meg Portillo, interior design, received the Outstanding Research Award, at the fourth annual College of Human Environment Sciences Evening of Excellence.
-- Carol VonLanken and William P. Bruening, research analysts, received the Technical/Paraprofessional/Skilled Crafts Worker awards at the annual Ag Round-Up.

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Research and Funding
-- Douglas Anders, molecular and cellular biology, $125,052, Novel Ras-Related GTPase in Lung Cancer.
-- Richard Clayton, UK Kentucky School of Public Health, $4,557,328, Research Network on the Etiology of Tobacco Dependence.
-- Jeffery Davidson, microbiology and immunology, $180,000, American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant.
-- Robert McCool, Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center, $120,659, Fire Injury Prevention.
-- Allan Vestal, Law, $748,350, Teleconferencing Equipment for Prosecutors and Community Education.
-- Bruce Webb, entomology, $479,000, Genome Evolution of Mutualistic Viruses.
-- Rick Smoot, history, Lexington Community College, has three articles slated for inclusion in Encyclopedia of Appalachia. His "Ashland Oil Inc.," "Miners Memorial Hospital Association" and "United Mine Workers of America Health and Welfare Fund" are scheduled to appear in the publication in 2002. He also is listed in the Pre-Law Adviser Directory published by the Law School Admission Council.

Publications
-- Jeremy Popkin, history, "Press, Revolution and Social Identities in France, 1830-1835," Penn State Press.

Housing
-- Needed: Housing for visiting veterinary student, on rotation at the Kentucky Horse Park, Feb. 11 to Mar. 2, 2002. Contact Victoria Bhavsar at toria@uky.edu.

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