Diane Jacobs,
an EMU professor of physics and astronomy, was awarded
the Outstanding Chapter Advisor Award of the Society of
Physics Students for 2009. The award honors one advisor
nationwide for his or herleadership, the development of
student leadership and contributions to the program.
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Jacobs |
"I am delighted, after 25 years, to receive this award," said
Jacobs.
The award includes a $5,000 prize, which is split between
Jacobs, the local Students of Physics Society and the EMU
Department of Physics and Astronomy. However, after approval
from the department and others, Jacobs has donated all
of the award money to create a foundation for guest
speakers to lecture at EMU.
"It's been my dream to earn this award and be able to
start a speaker series on astronomy and physics in the
department," Jacobs said.
Jacobs was nominated by her current EMU undergraduate
and graduate students, as well as alumni and faculty. She
will be accepting her award in Washington, D.C., Feb. 16.
Russell Olwell, an EMU
assistant professor of history and director of GEAR UP
at EMU, recently received the Michigan Campus Compact's
Faculty/Staff Community Service/Learning Award. Olwell
received the honor at the MCC's 14th Annual Institute:
Service-Learning and Community Service Awards Dinner Feb.
9 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme.
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Olwell |
The annual award is the highest MCC bestows on faculty
and staff in the state of Michigan. Peers designated Olwell
as the faculty/staff person at EMU who has made the most
outstanding contributions in service-learning, student
support and community service. As director of EMU's GEAR
UP program, Olwell has transformed the educational and
co-curricular lives of young people in the Ypsilanti, Willow
Run Community and the Wayne/Westland schoold districts.
Michigan Campus Compact is a coalition of college and
university presidents who are committed to fulfilling the
public purpose of higher education.
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Gragg |
Derrick Gragg, EMU's
athletics director, will be inducted into the Huntsville-Madison
County (Ala.) Athletic Hall of Fame. Gragg will be recognized
for his high school and college athletic achievements as
well as his work with athletics at EMU.
"I'm truly humbled and honored by this recognition," said
Gragg, who will now be recognized among athletes he looked
up to when he was in high school.
Since becoming EMU's 11th athletic director in 2006,
Gragg has overseen the Eagles as they won 16 Mid-American
Conference team championships. The men's athletics went
on to win the Reese Cup in 2008 with Gragg as director,
an honor EMU hadn't earned since 1995-96.
"Eastern Michigan University plays a great role in receiving
this honor," Gragg said.
Norman Tyler,
an EMU professor and director of urban regional planning
programs, has been nominated to become a Fellow of the
American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). Nominees
of the AICP must have been a member of the association
for at least 15 years and must exhibit outstanding contributions
to the program and the field. The AICP will be choosing
Fellows this month. Tyler is a registered architect and
his most current book, "Planning
and Community Development: A Guide for the 21st Century," is
scheduled for publication in August.
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McClory |
Dan McClory,
an EMU alumnus and managing director of Hunter Wise Financial
Group, was awarded the "Eastern Man Award" for his contributions
to the University and its sports teams. McClory was a captain
and a four-year letterman on both the track and cross country
teams when he attended Eastern, becoming the top EMU runner
in 1979 and placing 45th in the NCAA District Championships.
In 2008, McClory donated $1 million to EMU's cross country
and track teams. The "Eastern Man Award" is an annual honor
presented at the men's cross country banquet for an alumnus
who has contributed to EMU. McClory is a member of the
EMU Foundation Board of Trustees.
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Ligibel |
Ted Ligibel,
director of EMU's historic preservation graduate program,
was nominated by Governor Granholm to serve on the State
Historic Preservation Review Board through 2013.
"Ted is a very important presence at EMU and in historic
preservation," said Rick Sambrook, department head of geography
and geology. "We're quite happy he was nominated."
EMU's historic preservation program is the largest in
the country, concentrating on career development in historic
preservation planning, administration and interpretation.
The program is also involved in the preservation of some
of EMU's buildings, such as Starkweather and Sherzer Hall.
In May 2009, EMU also won a Michigan Historic Preservation
Network's (MHPN) Government/Institutional Award for its
preservation of the buildings.
Ligibel is currently on sabbatical.
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Watson |
A book co-authored by Mary
Ann Watson,
an EMU professor of electronic media and film studies,
and M.C. Keith, entitled, "Norman Corwin's
One World Flight: The Lost Journal of Radio's Greatest
Writer," has
been published by Continuum. The book was reviewed in the
Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic
Media by Donald G. Godfrey, who hails "it is a first" in
broadcast history preservation.
Matthew Tropman,
an EMU lecturer in euphonium and tuba, performed a solo
recital at the U.S. Army Band International Tuba-Euphonium
Conference in Fort Meyers, Va., Jan. 29. Some of the pieces
performed were Bach and Bolcom. Before arriving at EMU,
Tropman served as an euphoniumist in the "President's Own" U.S.
Marine Band from 1996 to 2002.
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Cole-Luevano |
Kimberly Cole-Luevano,
an EMU associate professor of music and dance, has been
invited to perform a recital at the International Clarinet
Association's annual conference. The conference will take
place this summer in Austin, Texas. Along with her recital
invitation, Luevano's recording of "Mozart Quintet for
Clarinet and Strings with the Arianna String Quartet" will
be released this summer.
Haley Stein,
an EMU sophomore and women's volleyball player from Carleton,
Mich., was selected to the Academic All Mid-American
Conference team. Stein averaged 4.48 in digs, ranking her
fourth in the MAC and 89th nationally. The Academic All-MAC
players are selected for their academic achievements and
excellence in their selected sport. Stein was the only
member of her team chosen for the honor.
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Thayer |
Five of EMU's football
players received Mid-American Conference academic honors
for the 2009 season. Ben
Thayer (Kalamazoo,
Mich.), a junior tight end and math-secondary education
major, was awarded All-MAC Academic Team honors with a
3.66 GPA. Thayer ended the season with 11 starts and 29
receptions for the Eagles. The honorable mentions for EMU
were Eric Davis (Southgate, Mich.), junior
finance major; Mark Mitchell (Blissfield,
Mich.), junior exercise science major; Tyler Palsrok (Vicksburg,
Mich.), junior art major; and Javon Reese (Ft.
Wayne, Ind.), sophomore biology major.
Ashley
Rodrigues (Pickering, Ontario) and Katie
Lozar (Broadview
Heights, Ohio), seniors on EMU's women's soccer team,
were selected for the Mid-American Conference All-Tournament
team. Both Rodrigues and Lozar helped the Eagles reach
the conference semifinals this season. The pair also were
All-MAC first team selections in 2009.
Maggie Christensen,
a member of EMU's women's soccer team and a nursing major
from Orland Park, Ill., has been selected for the "ESPN,
The Magazine" Academic All-District IV third team. Christensen
had three assists and one goal this season.
Christensen is one of six women's soccer MAC players to
receive District IV honors for this season.
