Dr. Laura Clayton
Department of Nursing Education
Dr. Laura Clayton, pictured above with Provost Chris Ames and President Mary J.C. Hendrix, was awarded the Outstanding Service Award which is given to a faculty member who shows exceptional dedication to the value of learning through service and creative outreach initiatives on campus and throughout the community at large.
Additionally, Dr. Clayton was the recipient of the Douglas C. Smith Distinguished Graduate Faculty Award which goes to the graduate faculty member who has made significant contributions to the graduate culture at Shepherd University, based on teaching evaluations, professional development, and service to the institution, profession, and community.
Dr. Christy Wenger
Department of English and Modern Languages
Dr. Christy Wenger, pictured above with Provost Chris Ames and President Mary J.C. Hendrix, was awarded the Outstanding Scholar Award which is given to a faculty member who displays exemplary commitment to scholarly pursuits such as research, publications, presentations, grants, and creative activities.
Dr. Heidi Hanrahan
Department of English and Modern Languages
Dr. Heidi Hanrahan, pictured above with Provost Chris Ames and President Mary J.C. Hendrix, was awarded the Outstanding Advisor Award which is given to a faculty member whose work demonstrates that advisee retention and success are linked directly to advisor support, guidance, and exemplary knowledge of campus resources.
Dr. Anne Murtagh
Department of Psychology
Dr. Anne Murtagh, pictured above with Provost Chris Ames and President Mary J.C. Hendrix, was awarded the Outstanding Teacher Award which is given to a faculty member who shows a willingness to explore new teaching and learning initiatives, enjoys strong student support as evidenced by evaluation critiques, and embodies excellence in all aspects of the profession.
Pictured (l. to r.) are Rachael Meads, Dr. Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt, and Monica Lingenfelter.
Pictured (l. to r.) are Rachael Meads, Dr. Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt, and Monica Lingenfelter.
Dr. Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt
The Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence program was presented the Arts and Letters Award by the Eastern Panhandle Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, an organization of college-educated women committed to public service with a primary focus on the Black community. The award was presented to the Shepherd program for its attention to diversity and for its efforts to be inclusive. The Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence program, spearheaded by Dr. Sylvia Bailey Shurbutt, with assistance from committee members Rachael Meads and Monica Lingenfelter, has brought top-flight writers to campus each fall (this year’s writer will be Charles Frazier of “Cold Mountain” fame).
The Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence Project began in 1998 and is supported by the Shepherd University Foundation and the West Virginia Center for the Book. Each year the program honors an Appalachian writer who speaks at Shepherd and produces an anthology based on the writer’s work. In recent years, the program has focused on diversity, hosting African American writer Nikki Giovanni in 2015 and Affrilachian poet Frank X Walker in 2013.
Pictured (l. to. r.) are Rhonda Jackson, President Mary J.C. Hendrix, and Emily Ewoldt.
Rhonda Jackson and Emily Ewoldt
A counselor and a graduate student are the first to receive the Shepherd University Phenomenal Woman Award sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. Rhonda Jackson, counselor and sexual assault response coordinator, and Emily Ewoldt, a graduate assistant who oversees disability support services, were presented the awards during a ceremony on March 30. They were selected based on their contributions to the Shepherd community, noteworthy accomplishments, and character traits that make each a role model.
Jackson has been the driving force behind Shepherd’s sexual assault and interpersonal violence campaign, 3D Thursdays, where every Thursday during the semester she and a group of students fan out across campus handing out buttons and information on the importance of stopping interpersonal violence.
Ewoldt, who is a graduate student, took over as interim coordinator of disability support when her supervisor retired. Ewoldt, who will earn her Master of Arts degree in college student development and administration during Shepherd’s 143rd Commencement, said the experience she’d gained at Shepherd will benefit her as she looks for a job in higher education.