College of Education and Health Professions to Honor Top Students

Photo Submitted

Stephanie Moore

The College of Education and Health Professions will honor its top students in a ceremony Wednesday, April 14, at the Fayetteville Town Center.

"Having the opportunity to recognize our top students for their hard work and excellence is truly a pleasure," said Tom Smith, dean of the college. "There is no doubt that this great group of students will become tremendous nurses, educators and human service professionals."

Stephanie Moore is the college's Presidential Scholar. Each year, the university recognizes one student in each college as a Presidential Scholar based on grade-point average. The award was established in recognition of the investiture of James E. Martin as president of the university in 1980. The winner receives $1,500.

Moore, of Jonesboro, is a junior in the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing. She is the daughter of Tim and Denise Malloy of Jonesboro and Gary Moore of Memphis.

A student in the college's Honors Program, Moore won a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship for the 2009-10 academic year. Her honors research project examines the effect of sexual activity on self-esteem related to gender and ethnicity.

Moore's mother and older sister are both nurses, and she plans to pursue a master's degree in nursing following graduation. She plans to work as a family or pediatric nurse practitioner.

Students winning the Henry G. and Stella Hotz Awards are Cara Cameron, a junior, and Colin Calico, a sophomore.

Cameron, of El Dorado, is majoring in communication disorders. The daughter of Barry and Lisa Cameron, she plans to pursue a master's degree and eventually work as a speech pathologist. She expects her clinical coursework will help her decide what population of people she would like to work with. She chose the major because she was interested in a profession in which she could help people.

Cameron is a member of Tri Delta sorority, is secretary of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars chapter on campus, and is a member of the National Student Speech Language and Hearing Association, Mortar Board and Gamma Beta Phi honor society.

Calico is a nursing student from Conway. His parents are Greg and Tammy Calico. He has a Chancellor's Scholarship and a Governor's Distinguished Scholarship and serves as scholarship chair for his fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta. He plans to pursue a master's degree and work as a certified registered nurse anesthetist.

The college's first-ranked senior scholars are Jacquelynn Booker, Tara Diebold, Bentley Kirkland and Patricia Lopez. Students graduating from the college's Honors Program in May are Gracen Armendariz, Jacquelynn Booker, Mary Elizabeth Chilcote, Amy Gray, Emily Huber, Jamie Hunt, Elaine Lagrone, Patricia Lopez, Katelyn Miller, John Owens, Lyndsay Schroeder, Mary Helen Sick, Mary Christine Smith, Gregory Lawson Smith, Erin Troby and Amber Van Haitsma.

The College of Education and Health Professions is composed of five academic departments with more than 100 faculty members, the university’s intramural and recreational sports department, and 13 research and service units. For fall 2009, enrollment was 3,628 students, giving the college the second-largest enrollment on campus and the most graduate students.

The college will also honor the top students in each academic program:

• Curriculum and Instruction: Career and technical education, Seanne Sains, master's, Shannon Singles, undergraduate; curriculum and instruction, Amrita Chaturvedi, doctoral, and Rebekah Murphy, education specialist; educational leadership, Tanya Vest, doctoral, Marcia Smith, education specialist, Kelli Dougan, master's; educational statistics and research methods, Denise Airola, doctoral, Bonni Behrend, master's; education technology, Ken Muessig, master's; childhood education, Chelsea Rose, Master of Arts in Teaching; elementary education, Candice Carney, undergraduate, Emily Huber, undergraduate; secondary education, Claire Martin, Master of Arts in Teaching; middle level education, Melissa Stewart, Master of Arts in Teaching, Kelly Story, undergraduate; special education, Crystal Buswell, master's.

• Eleanor Mann School of Nursing: Arkansas Nurses Association District 9 Award, Karen McIntosh; Betty Battenfield Award, Crystal Nevins; Graduate Student of the Year Award, Susan Patton; Nurse Caregiver Award, Courtney Knies; Nurse Manager Award, Antoinette Morgan; Nurse Student Teacher Award, Diane Standefer; Pi Theta Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society Award, Jessica Beaulieu.

• Health Science, Kinesiology, Recreation and Dance: health science, Wafa Bayyari, doctoral, Jennifer Worth-Bronson, master's, Jennifer Fall, undergraduate; kinesiology, exercise science, Audrey Stone, doctoral, Julie Brown, master's, Katelyn Miller, undergraduate; kinesiology, pedagogy, Helena Baert, doctoral, Cassondra Reeves, master's, Kayla Daniels, undergraduate; recreation, Michael Hoover, doctoral, Allyn Krusemark, master's, Brittany Pair, undergraduate.

• Rehabilitation, Human Resources and Communication Disorders: communication disorders, Kara Cullins, master's, Maria Elizabeth Baltz, undergraduate; counselor education, Elizabeth "Bea" Keller, Chi Sigma Iota Member, Kelly Dunbar-Young, doctoral, Abby Stanfill, master's; higher education, Kory Smith, doctoral, Allison Black, master's; rehabilitation, Tanya Rutherford-Owen, doctoral, Laura James, master's; workforce development, Matthew Gosney, doctoral, Timothy Farley, master's, Louise Strauser, human resource development undergraduate.